Retro Revival: Nostalgic Tech Is Making a Comeback

Old-fashioned technology is coming back into fashion, and we’re talking more than just dumb phones.

Take pagers, for instance. Earlier this month, Sega’s Japanese toys division announced on its YouTube channel the launch of an emoji-only toy pager. The device, dubbed Emojam, allows users to message each other with a set of visual symbols, including not only classic facial expressions but also a wide range of original characters. The toy has been getting media coverage, appealing to a widespread desire for a break from the complications of texting.

The old-school PC aesthetic is also having a moment. What started as an April Fool’s joke has made its way to market. On April 1, Japanese PC case creator SilverStone posted on social platform X about a joke product designed to make contemporary computers resemble massive, 1980s machines. Following the image’s viral success, garnering more than 787,000 views and 1,300 reposts, the company will launch the product for about $130, according to Ars Technica, with functioning ports and disc drives designed to look like they were meant to receive floppy discs.

【新製品発売】
復刻！！どこか懐かしい感じがするPCケース！
FLP01いよいよ発売?

5インチベイ？２基搭載！
SSI-CEBマザーボード規格まで対応！
USB Type-C 搭載

▼製品発売情報は下記画像をチェック◎▼ pic.twitter.com/yJsounqDfF

— SilverStone JP (@SilverStoneJP) March 31, 2023

In further tech throwback news, film companies are catching wind of some consumers’ nostalgic love of VHS tapes, especially for genre flicks. Last month, 20th Century Studios shared that it was releasing a limited run of VHS tapes of “Alien: Romulus,” according to The Verge. Dark Sky Films is releasing a VHS of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” as part of a 50th anniversary collection, per horror movie news outlet Bloody Disgusting.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence in demand for physical media as consumers have faced how reliance on streaming services’ ever-changing libraries can block their access to their favorite content. Waves of reports in the last year have highlighted these challenges, as viewers have found that many of their favorites are difficult or impossible to digitally locate. Digital video rentals and sales last year were up by about $140 million compared to 2022, per Statista.

Meanwhile, Nintendo is bringing back games from as far back as 1983 to its modern devices, per IGN. Plus, last month, in a move you almost certainly did not have listed on your 2024 bingo card, rock band Green Day released a playable 8-bit version of their song “Welcome to Paradise” as a Game Boy cartridge. Then there is Generation Z’s much-noted embrace of Y2K-era point-and-shoot digital cameras.

This resurgence of old-school devices comes as younger generations of consumers appear to have their doubts about modern technology, even exhibiting some pullback. For instance, the PYMNTS Intelligence study “How We Will Pay Report: How Connected Devices Enable Multitasking Among Digital-First Consumers” from last year revealed that the number of smart devices owned by the average Gen Z consumer decreased by 5.6% from 2019 to 2023.

As tech companies race toward cutting-edge innovation, the revival of old-fashioned technology offers a fascinating counter-narrative. It’s a deliberate retreat to simplicity and tangibility. From emoji-only pagers to retro PC cases and even VHS tapes, these trends may signal more than mere nostalgia; they could reflect a deeper cultural shift.

As digital fatigue sets in and concerns grow over the fleeting nature of streaming libraries and the dominance of connected devices, consumers are rediscovering the joy of physical, tactile and enduring media, whether it’s the warm glow of a Game Boy screen or the grainy charm of a videotape rewind.