The Best CRT for Retro Gaming— and how to find one in the UK

CH 01Why a CRT at all

The case for glass is not nostalgia — it is engineering. A CRT paints the incoming analogue signal straight onto its phosphor as it arrives: no buffer, no scaler, no frame of delay. A flat panel has to convert and process an old console's signal before it can show anything, and that costs time you can feel in any game built on split-second reactions.

Then there is resolution. Nearly every console of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras — and most of the 32-bit one — outputs 240p: 240 lines, drawn progressively, sixty times a second. A CRT displays that natively; the dark gaps between drawn lines are the famous scanlines pixel artists worked with, not against. Many flat panels mistake 240p for interlaced 480i and try to deinterlace it — exactly the blur, shimmer and lag you see when an old console meets a new television.

And if you care about light guns, the argument ends here. The Zapper and its descendants time a light sensor against the CRT's electron beam as it draws the picture; on a flat panel that timing does not exist, so the guns simply do not work. For Duck Hunt or Time Crisis, a CRT is not preferable — it is required.

CH 02Which CRT to look for

Condition matters more than the badge on the front — a well-kept ordinary set beats a tired legend. Still, some glass is better than others; the tiers below are how the UK hunt shakes out.

One check before money changes hands: not every SCART socket is wired for RGB — on many sets only one of the two is. Bring a console and an RGB SCART cable to the viewing, or look the model up first.

CH 03The signal ladder

Whatever set you find, the cable decides most of the picture. Connections form a ladder; each step up keeps more of the signal separate, and therefore clean.

Here is the quiet advantage of hunting in Britain: SCART was standard on UK and European sets through the entire console era, and PAL consoles from the SNES and Mega Drive to the PlayStation output RGB through it natively. American guides talk endlessly about component video because SCART never crossed the Atlantic; over there, RGB usually means mods and adapters. Here, an inexpensive cable into a Marketplace set gets you the picture US collectors chase. New to the jargon? The glossary decodes it.

CH 04How to actually find one in the UK in 2026

Nobody has made a CRT since around 2008, so the whole supply sits in attics, spare rooms and garages — and it surfaces locally, not in shops. The hunt rewards patience and a willingness to drive.

• Facebook Marketplace is the richest seam. Search the words a seller would use — old TV, tube TV, big TV — rather than retro gaming CRT: listings written in the hobby's own vocabulary are priced for the hobby. Save the searches, check daily; collection-only listings scare off most of your competition.
• Gumtree, Freegle and Freecycle move slower but cheaper. Sellers here usually just want the thing gone. A polite message, a firm collection time and a second pair of hands beat haggling — and "free if you collect" is a genuine, common outcome.
• House clearances are the untapped route. Clearance firms deal with old televisions constantly, and most charity shops will not take them — so sets go straight to the tip unless someone asks first. A friendly word with a local firm puts you at the front of that queue.
• At the recycling centre, ask — never take. Most UK household waste sites forbid removing anything once deposited, and staff can lose their jobs over it. Some centres run official reuse shops, worth a browse; otherwise the etiquette is simple: ask the staff, accept the answer.

On price: the tier card above carries the reported ranges — reported, not guaranteed. The one reliable rule: the words retro gaming in a listing title add a premium.

CH 05Care and safety

First, your back: CRTs are astonishingly heavy, and the weight sits at the front, in the glass. Lift with two people, hold the set from underneath, and never carry one by the neck of the tube.

Second, and seriously: never open the case. The tube behaves like a giant high-voltage capacitor — a large set operates at tens of thousands of volts, and that charge can persist for weeks after the set is unplugged. Repairs belong with someone trained to discharge a tube safely.

Day to day they ask little: a dry or slightly damp microfibre cloth on the glass, nothing sprayed toward the vents, and clear airflow — those slots on top are doing a job.

CH 06FAQ

Is a CRT really better for retro games?

For consoles designed before the HD era, yes. A CRT paints the analogue signal straight onto the phosphor with no scaling and no buffering, so there is effectively no input lag, and it displays the 240p output of older consoles natively — complete with the scanline structure their artists designed around. A flat panel must process that signal first, adding delay and softening the picture.

What is a PVM?

PVM stands for Professional Video Monitor — Sony's line of studio monitors, built for broadcast suites rather than living rooms. They use sharper, higher-grade Trinitron tubes and accept RGB over BNC connectors. Once sold cheaply as broadcast surplus, they are now the enthusiast grail; UK prices for good examples run to several hundred pounds.

Do light guns work on modern TVs?

No. Classic light guns such as the NES Zapper time a light sensor against the electron beam of a CRT drawing the picture in real time. Flat panels buffer and process the image first, which breaks that timing completely. To play Duck Hunt or Time Crisis as intended you need a CRT; modern alternatives such as the camera-based Sinden Lightgun work on flat panels.

How much should I pay for a CRT in the UK?

At the time of writing, ordinary consumer sets still turn up free or under about £40, well-regarded consumer Trinitrons are commonly listed at around £30–£80, and professional PVM monitors run to several hundred pounds. Prices are volatile, and any listing that mentions retro gaming usually carries a premium — searching for a plain old TV is often cheaper.

Are CRTs dangerous?

In normal use, no — but never open the case. The tube behaves like a large high-voltage capacitor and can hold a charge of tens of thousands of volts long after the set is unplugged, so internal repairs belong with someone trained to discharge one safely. The other everyday risk is weight: always lift with two people.