Do you ever see things on the internet that you want but don’t necessarily need but really want? The KFC Tamagotchi was a prime example of this, and yet here I am with one on the way from a friend in Spain. If you’re like me, then this retro-themed monitor from JapanNext could be of interest. It’s designed just like an old-school CRT but with 1080p resolution and some nifty features that add a retro touch to your games.
At 20,000 Yen (around £103 or $130), this 23.6″ widescreen TV (which if we’re being technologically correct is called the JN-V236G180F-RETRO [Yodobashi Camera exclusive]) isn’t going to replace your 4K gaming setup, but for those people wanting to have a modern gaming rig in their retro games room, it certainly looks the part. It’s the monochrome setting that initially caught my eye over on Tom’s Hardware as it instantly gives any game a retro vibe.
Have you ever thought what God of War might look like if you were playing in the 50s? How about Tears of the Kingdom in black and white? Again, it’s probably a pretty niche request, but as I said at the beginning of this article, it would still be pretty cool to have. And with a high refresh rate of 180Hz and a 1ms response time, you can definitely game comfortably on it without feeling like you’ve created some sort of Fanken-setup of a PS5 hardwired to an old Toshiba. It also boasts a VA panel with a contrast ratio of 3000:1, which means it has super clear black tones and also produces vibrant colours when you’re not messing around pretending to be a time-traveling gamer.
Many of you are going to read this and say ‘What’s the point?’. There isn’t a point to having this monitor other than it looks cool and it would be a pretty cool thing to have in your setup. If you’re in the business of taking pictures of your setup for a blog or just want something that has a nostalgic twist to watch modern gameshows on, then it could be something to put on your wishlist! It would look great twinned with an 8BitDo keyboard in your office too!
Check out more details on the JapanNext website!
