This story is part of a collaboration between Miami’s Community Newspapers and the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media at Florida International University.
Brian Largaespada breaks out the soldering kit in his workstation and starts “modding” – installing custom hardware and software – for a video game console that a client brought him. Yet, the consoles that he works on are not the latest or shiniest. Instead, he focuses on retro consoles, some more than 20 years old.
“GameCubes, mostly,” said Largaespada, co-owner of The Nostalgia Den. The South Florida online business specializes in video games, toys and collectibles. “Though we get other stuff.” His customers often want to fix disk drives in old systems, or install HDMI compatibility to modernize older hardware and keep them operating.
“Modding” is part of a growing trend among video game enthusiasts locally and across the country. As prices for games and consoles rise, gamers increasingly turn to modifying their consoles to extend the life of their purchases. Reasons for modding consoles, in hardware and firmware, are to install features like USB-C compatibility on older devices, custom software for unsupported video games or emulators, and installing custom themes.
“Some of it is nostalgia,” Largaespada said, when asked why some people prefer to fix older consoles rather than buy new ones. “We also get parents who find systems in their attic and want to play them again, or give them to their kids to play with.”
While the enthusiasm around custom modifications is high, there are concerns among video gamers, especially related to piracy.
“Piracy is illegal,” said Largaespada. “Often the main reason that people modify their newer consoles to put custom firmware on them is to install pirated games that they download.”
Piracy is a concern and even a risk for anyone interested in homebrew, as these enthusiast projects are called. But console modifications and repairs remain popular because it is usually cheaper than purchasing a new console.
“Our repairs, we do have a deposit fee, which is $15 when you bring the console in,” said Mike Ariza, owner of The New Era Collectibles, a shop in Kendall also specializing in vintage video games, toys, and merchandise. “We do apply that $15 into whatever repair we do. Typically, our repair cost can go anywhere from $40 to $100, sometimes a little bit above.”
Modern consoles can cost $450 or more depending on the brand and specifications, with only refurbished consoles going lower. And as demand for retro consoles has increased, installing custom firmware has become more accessible with various guides like 3DS Hack Guides providing detailed steps.
As AI data centers grow, modern consoles will become costlier due to the rising scarcity and demand for powerful hardware. Repairing and modifying retro consoles has become a nostalgic and affordable way for gamers to continue pursuing their passions.
“So a lot of my customers, the reason why is because of nostalgia,” said Ariza, explaining why people come to him to repair old hardware instead of buying newer. “And mostly also, these are their childhood consoles. So most people want those memories, and there’s emotional attachment to the console than just getting a new one. It’s memories with friends, family, etc. So a lot of that goes into play.”
