12 Retro-Inspired Gadgets On Amazon That Scream 1990s

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Before the turn of the 21st century, there were countless products with unique designs. You definitely remember the cars if you grew up in the ’90s, but the smaller gadgets of that time were also pretty memorable. It’s a far cry from the modern era, where smartphones all share similar looks and every new TV has a “flat” screen. The people who still yearn for the old days are sure to appreciate a few modern-day products that pay homage to the ’90s.

Modern gadgets with retro-inspired designs come in a wide variety of packages. Some combine old looks with current-day functionality, while others are no different from the products you’d find 30 years ago. A few of the items on this list go a bit further by breathing new life into things that really are from the ’90s, like old cassettes and VHS tapes. But they were all released — or at least manufactured — in the past few years, fitting the definition of “retro-inspired” without actually being decades old.

These days, a large number of companies are making “handheld consoles” like the R36MAX or Trimui Brick. Technically, they aren’t dedicated gaming devices; you could even use one to replace your desktop PC. But they also use buttons and control layouts reminiscent of classic gaming handhelds like the Nintendo Game Boy, a staple of the ’90s. Thanks to their modern specs, you can even play more advanced games from beyond the era that inspired them.

Of course, none of these devices are officially supported by anyone other than their manufacturer. As such, you’ll have to find the games to run them on yourself. Certain listings for these retro-inspired handhelds do come with some titles pre-loaded, but the legality of this sort of thing is questionable at best. Tread with caution when searching for these devices yourself, and be prepared to do some extra tinkering if you want to bring out the full power of a modern-day Game Boy.

You might’ve heard of the digital Tamagotchi pets plenty of times back in the ’90s, only to never see any mention of them again. Believe it or not, these products still exist — in fact, Tamagotchi is popular again today, with plenty of models gathering immense attention. It’s even crossing over with other franchises to let people play with their favorite fictional characters. For fans of “The Mandalorian,” there’s a Grogu Tamagotchi that allows owners to feed and play mini-games with the show’s little green mascot.

Tamagotchi as a whole goes beyond the little digital pets you already know. An animated series from the 2000s and multiple dedicated video games are just a few examples of how big this brand has grown. You might think digital pets are an antiquated part of the last century, but they’re still thriving today in hundreds of different forms. And yet, the core products haven’t changed all that much from what they once were.

Flip phones lack the vast functionality of today’s smartphones, but that also makes them absurdly inexpensive — and you can still get your hands on a brand-new one today. The TCL Flip 3 can be had for just about $30, offering the essential calling and texting that you need to stay in touch. It even includes a built-in camera so you can replicate the old, low-quality photos taken in the ’90s, if you want a taste of extra nostalgia.

Today, flip phones are an example of older tech that younger generations are embracing with open arms. They’re also known as “dumb” phones due to their lack of internet connectivity and app compatibility, which is a boon for people looking to cut themselves off from doom scrolling and data harvesting. In other words, there’s a reason to get a flip phone even if you aren’t purely looking for a phone that feels like it would fit perfectly in the ’90s.

You might think that dedicated MP3 players, CD players, and cassette players are ’90s gadgets only millennials will remember, but all of these devices are still around today. The Tomashi portable cassette player will let you use your tapes from decades ago, and the Megatek portable CD player looks like the boomboxes people would carry around on the street. Then there’s the FiiO Echo Mini, an MP3 player that looks like a cassette player to further emulate the ’90s style.

These days, MP3s can just be loaded onto your phone and played at your leisure, but CDs and cassettes can’t be used without hardware specifically designed for them. You probably already have older players of your own if you have that sort of physical media around the house. However, you can at least rest assured that it will be possible to replace them with newer alternatives if age has worn them down.

Official controllers for older game consoles aren’t being produced anymore, but third-party companies and even mainline brands are still producing gamepads based on the designs of the ’90s. The 8Bitdo Sn30 Pro is a prime example of this, harkening back to the smaller controllers used by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It’s not a one-to-one recreation thanks to additions like the control sticks, but it shouldn’t feel too different to the average controller from back in the day.

Although these newer controllers aren’t made for older consoles, some companies still support them. For example, the Hyperkin Scout actually features a connector that can be used with the old SNES. The console and its controllers might have been out of production for many years, but with something like this, your old device won’t be unusable even if you’ve lost the gamepads that came with it. And this isn’t exclusive to the SNES, as third-party controllers are still being made — even for consoles from beyond the ’90s.

It might be hard to justify getting a digital camera in 2026. The best phone cameras of today are more than capable of taking beautiful photos on their own. However, the dedicated picture-focused devices of the ’90s have never been completely phased out. Something like the Kodak PIXPRO FZ55-BK is available in brand-new condition today, and while its $160 isn’t exactly cheap, its design captures the pre-2000s essence perfectly.

Digital cameras are the most common type of camera you’ll find today, but film cameras are still being made, too, and it’s easy to get your hands on the film rolls needed for them. Older methods of taking photos are actually quite timeless, and the convenience of phones doesn’t always provide the highest-quality pictures. Handheld cameras still have their place in this era, even without all the insane functionality and capability you’d find in smart devices.

If you were to travel back in time to the ’90s, you probably wouldn’t find anything like the Portta VHS to digital converter. This device takes advantage of ’90s nostalgia by letting you preserve your physical media. Just hook it up to a dedicated VHS player and you’ll be able to record any tapes you might have lying around. You don’t necessarily need a dedicated item for this, as it’s just a matter of recording what’s displayed on a screen, but it’s an easy way to keep your memories intact.

There are dedicated services out there that will digitize your tapes for a small fee. However, if you have a lot of old media, getting this device is going to be more worthwhile in the long run. Plus, Portta’s particular offering comes with some extra features like the ability to livestream modern games. It might not technically be retro-inspired, but it wouldn’t have been built if it wasn’t for the VHS-laden culture of the ’90s.

TVs of the modern era are practically all flat-screen smart devices, nothing like the CRTs of old. And while older TVs are still widely appreciated, finding one in brand-new condition isn’t a simple task (though it is indeed possible). All that being said, some manufacturers still acknowledge the classic designs of “chunkier” TVs while offering access to streaming services and other modern niceties. If you dig around in the right places, you can find models that can replicate the look of those older sets, at least.

Take Feihe’s small smart TV, for instance. On top of having a larger chassis and a smaller overall footprint, it also comes with physical dials and buttons. It might not have an actual CRT display, but the design is assuredly retro-inspired, and its compact form makes it easy to show off to your friends. If you aren’t a fan of this one’s looks, though, there are plenty of other portable TVs with similarly nostalgic designs and features — including built-in FM radio.

Floppy disks aren’t exactly useful in the modern era, especially as solid state drives (SSDs) continue to climb up in price. However, some brands have looked into referencing these older items while keeping them relevant for today’s tech-savvy customers. The Hagibis floppy disk style SSD enclosures are a prime example of this. You can insert your solid state drive into these specially-shaped enclosures, letting you technically use a floppy disk as a storage device again — even if it doesn’t connect in the same way.

These are nostalgia pieces, through and through. The physical look of an SSD enclosure doesn’t actually change anything about its functionality; it’s basically a plastic shell housing some minor electronics. That has allowed other manufacturers to provide even more nostalgia, with some enclosures looking like cassette tapes. Of course, those can’t be used in the aforementioned cassette players, but it’s something else you can look at if you want more of a ’90s feel around the house.

It’s a little difficult to call a vintage watch like the Casio A168W “retro-inspired” in the same way as other items on this list. That’s because its design literally hasn’t changed since its release in 1995. It’s a very simple digital watch, and it has been for more than 30 years. It’s still being manufactured today, so you can technically get a brand-new version, and it will be practically guaranteed to feel and act the exact same way it would have in the ’90s.

There are plenty of other vintage watches like this one, but outside of smart watches, many timepieces still reference looks and designs from ages ago. In fact, forget about looking for versions based off of the ’90s — you can easily find analog watches that are hardly any different from those of the ’60s. In a way, you could say that these old-style watches are timeless, and their undeniable utility hasn’t changed after all these years.

DVDs were around since the ’90s, but they became much more prevalent in the early 2000s. That’s part of why DVD players aren’t sharing a spot with MP3, CD, and cassette players on this list. However, they’re still worth highlighting here, especially with devices like the Roadom portable DVD player. It has a built-in screen and a large-backed design, once again hearkening back to the CRTs of the late 20th century.

Some other modern DVD players look like miniature ’90s home entertainment setups, while yet more simply bring their functionality to high-definition smart TVs. You have a pretty wide variety of options, and luckily, they aren’t likely to go away anytime soon. Despite the prevalence of Blu-ray technology, DVDs are still being made, even for the latest movies. So while modern players might not be made with them in mind, physical media of old movies from decades ago can still be enjoyed on the latest devices.

Back in the ’90s, few people would have needed a digital vault for their online passwords. But the Password Safe still follows the style of devices from that era thanks to its physical buttons, simple screen, and compact design. Even though it’s not exactly a retro device, it’s easy to see this being a staple of the digital world of a few decades ago. All it really needed was for online communities to be as widespread as they are today.

This sort of device is basically the closest equivalent you’ll find to the electronic organizers of the old days. Just about all of their features are superseded by smartphones now, and trying to find one will only lead you to non-digital pouches designed to physically organize your tech. Right now, the Password Safe is as close of a look as you can get into these older devices without getting secondhand contemporary examples.