Earthbound on CRT is the best way to play it, but it’ll cost you

Playing Earthbound on a CRT

Running Earthbound on a CRT is the very best way to play it, but you’ll need to get your hands on a very rare TV to do so. Playing Earthbound on a modern TV, PC, or emulator just doesn’t quite match up, as the pixel art was very much intended to be slightly blurred on those old screens, but you can still get a good experience if you’re careful.

Talking to every NPC, sign, animal, and grain of sand is a must if you’re playing Earthbound for the first time, so playing it on a CRT really helps, as it just hits differently. “It’s like listening to Nevermind on CD, where the context enhances the experience,” one Redditor explains. “Playing it on an emulator makes it feel like a different game,” they add, “and playing it on a modern TV is just not the same.”

Others agree, saying “Playing it on an emulator is just as good, it’s just different,” but many also say that they’re used to playing on emulators and prefer it for convenience. Earthbound is known for being tough, but grinding levels regularly helps, and it’s definitely not impossible. Some also say that they need to get back to playing Earthbound, as it keeps popping up in comments and their feed.

“Earthbound is a legendary game,” a different user writes, “I’d love to experience it for the first time all over again.” Another writes, “I’ve never played it, but I really want to.” Overall, it seems that Earthbound is a must-play game, with memorable NPCs and an amazing OST.

If you want to play Earthbound on a CRT, you’ll need to track down a very rare TV. If you already own one, great, but if not, you’ll likely have to pay a lot for one online.

Alternatively, you can play Earthbound on a modern TV, but you’ll need to play in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Playing in this ratio will help you get the right feel, but you’ll still lose some of the original effect.

PlayStation 5