GameStop pivots to retro gaming at select locations

GameStop is pivoting to retro games at select locations. As the industry moves to digital media — and the retailer struggles to adapt to the shifting landscape (including a short-lived stab at NFTs) — the company is betting on the old school. The GameStop Retro locations will stock physical consoles, discs and cartridges from classic Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox and Sega platforms.

The retailer announced the Retro GameStop locations in a post on X (Twitter). The company also has a website where you can search for retro-friendly locations within a 100-mile radius. (I found a grand total of one in my city.)

GameStop lists 18 classic systems supported by its Retro stores, stretching back to the 8-bit glory days of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Here’s the complete list (according to the company’s brief announcement), including their US launch years:

• NES (1985)

• SNES (1991)

• Game Boy (1989)

• Sega Genesis (1989)

• PlayStation (1995)

• Sega Saturn (1995)

• Nintendo 64 (1996)

• Sega Dreamcast (1999)

• PS2 (2000)

• Game Boy Advance (2001)

• Nintendo GameCube (2001)

• Original Xbox (2001)

• Nintendo DS (2004)

• Xbox 360 (2005)

• Nintendo Wii (2006)

• PS3 (2006)

• Nintendo Wii U (2012)

• PS Vita (2012)

You’ll notice that the PSP isn’t among the systems listed. Tech Reader emailed GameStop to try to confirm it’s omitted and learn more about the initiative. We’ll update this story if we hear back.