How Modern Gaming Ruined Gaming ? | Retro Games of the 80s and 90s Vs Gaming Today 2026

Gaming has changed a lot. The games of the 80s and 90s were smaller, simpler and obviously limited compared to what we have today. But somehow, those limitations often forced developers to be more creative — and as players, we were buying finished games, discovering secrets, replaying them for years and simply playing. Fast-forward to 2026, and gaming has never been bigger. The graphics are incredible, the worlds are massive, and technology has given developers possibilities we couldn't even imagine back then. So why does modern gaming sometimes feel less exciting? In this video, I'm looking back at retro gaming from the 80s and 90s and comparing it with the games we're playing today. From cartridges and CRT TVs to massive open worlds, live-service games, DLC, microtransactions, season passes and games that increasingly feel like products rather than something made purely to be played. I'm not saying everything was better back then. There were plenty of terrible games in the 80s and 90s, and modern gaming has produced some absolute masterpieces. But somewhere along the way, I think we lost something. And that's what I want to talk about. What do you think? Was gaming actually better back then, or are we simply looking at the past through rose-tinted glasses? Let me know in the comments. #Gaming #RetroGaming #PS5 #80sGaming #90sGaming #ModernGaming #Gaming2026