I'm sure I'll get downvoted for this, and that's fine. I'm generally opposed to anything that erects barriers between me and a game, even if it's as simple as configuring a controller and even if it affords tons of benefits otherwise. I especially like dedicated hardware that has multiple uses, like a Mega SG supporting SMS, GG, etc with its jailbroken firmware. I am not opposed to FPGA, I just opt for commercial options using this technology instead (clone consoles, flash carts, etc).
MISTER RETRO GAME SOFTWARE
I think software emulation is good enough for most situations if I'm unwilling to buy dedicated hardware, especially if it's optimized for the running environment. I don't want to spend ~$400 for a hacky little box that plays retro games I'd much rather spend ~$100 for a hacky little box and have the add'l flexibility of a "real" OS. What I don't like about a lot of the community-driven emulation options, regardless of how it's being emulated, is that they lack polish and they're a hassle to configure (compared to just plugging in an OEM controller, for example). I'm not interested in a MiSTer for myself until they're a little more commercially available. Hope this helps! It may still not be for you, and a pi may still be YOUR best solution. It is really exciting for those of us who have been jumping through various hoops for years in order to get the best gameplay and a/v experience with classic games. So while certainly not for everybody wanting to play retro games, a mister is the absolute best recommendation I can make for someone who wants to play the machines that it can handle with near flawless gameplay accuracy.
MISTER RETRO GAME MODS
However, the $300 or so for a GREAT mister setup (you can probably get everything you need for less) is still FAR LESS money than the best current alternative, which is owning original consoles, doing necessary mods to improve video quality, and purchasing flash cart solutions to have access to all games in the library of any given platform. I cannot ALWAYS tell right away that a game is emulated, but bad emulation can render a great game terrible. Many people have a strong preference for a device like the mister because of its speed and accuracy.
![mister retro game mister retro game](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41FGFFFw1JL._AC_SX425_.jpg)
With many games and systems, the gaming experience can be very close to real hardware.
![mister retro game mister retro game](https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,pg_1,q_80,w_800/bc7ea2d4d603fc85be7ed5c9c3d8854f.jpg)
I despise the elitism game, and will not say that you are wrong. It may seem to you like the experience of playing on a pi is just as good as the real thing. The actual experience of playing on games on mister is essentially indistinguishable from playing on real hardware.