So you have a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, and you’re thinking of getting a CRT display because all the retro gamers are doing it, but are these consoles appropriate for that screen technology?
Are These Consoles Even “Retro”?
There’s constant disagreement over what counts as “retro” in the video game world. Some people contend that a console becomes retro when it’s no longer officially supported in any way. Others have a specific age that counts as “retro” to them. I’ve also seen arguments that retro has more to do with the style of game development of a certain era than any particular console.
I don’t personally think these consoles count as retro simply because they aren’t that different from modern consoles. They just have lower specs, but all the same core features are there. Whatever you may think, it’s understandable that people might draw a connection between consoles of this vintage, and the idea that CRT displays are better for retro gaming.
They Technically Support CRT TVs
These consoles came out during a transitional time when CRTs were still in wide use, but the HD era had arrived. You might not remember, but the Xbox 360 launched before the PlayStation 3 and the first models didn’t even have an HDMI port! You had to use component cables to get a high-definition image. My first ever experience of playing Mass Effect on an Xbox 360 was on a CRT TV. So, yes, you can absolutely connect either of these consoles to a CRT TV, and it will work just fine.
The Experience Is Not Great
The problem is that, especially for games later in the generation, the assumption became that you’d be using at least a 720p flat panel TV. There are many games that don’t properly support the typical 4:3 CRT aspect ratio or have text that’s too small to read on a standard definition TV.
Likewise, the textures in games designed for the Xbox 360 and PS3 will look blurry on a 480i standard definition screen. This can affect the playability of some games, where being able to see distant details (or reading in-game signs) is an important feature.
The typical issues that you get when connecting Standard Definition consoles to a flat panel TV are also reduced with these HD consoles. A modern 4K TV will have no issue scaling a clean 720p HDMI image into something passable. That said, CRTs still enjoy better motion clarity, contrast, and even brightness than the vast majority of flat panel TVs. Though losing most of the resolution that made HD games stand out from what came before doesn’t feel like a good trade.
So, by and large, I’d recommend staying away from CRTs for these consoles, and only using older consoles with the CRTs they were designed for.
HD CRTs Are a Great Choice Though
There is one exception to this advice, however. Right at the end of the long reign of CRT TVs, there were HD CRTs. These are tube TVs that can display up to a 1080i signal or 720p. Most of the ones I’ve seen online achieve this by using analog component cables, though there are models that have HDMI. These are also widescreen displays, so you don’t have to worry about 4:3 aspect ratio support.
If, by some miracle, you can find one of these TVs, this is quite possibly the absolute best way to play Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 games, since there are no worries about native resolution and all the other foibles of flat panel technology. Still, your seventh-generation console will probably look just fine on the TV you have, so maybe hold off staking out Craigslist for now.
