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On March 16, 2026, GameStop posted on X a new policy declaring the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U as officially “Retro Consoles.” If you grew up playing any of these systems, GameStop is quietly letting you know that your childhood has officially been classified as “Retro.” If you were in your 20s+ when they came out, it’s time to schedule that colonoscopy you’ve been putting off. The three systems mentioned in the memo were introduced in 2005, 2006, and 2012, respectively. It would make sense for GameStop to set the “Retro” classification to 20+ years, but the Wii U proves otherwise.
GameStop Classified 7th-Generation+ Consoles As “Retro”
Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 are 7th-generation consoles, while the Wii U came out in the following generation. In its memo, which is posted below, GameStop revealed that the decision was made because of three primary factors: “The presence of component cables, the lack of Fortnite, and the realization that they launched when George W. Bush was still president.” Overlooking the fact that Barack Obama was president when the Wii U was released, the rationale about component cables makes sense. The systems are truly out of date with respect to compatible hardware, so the decision makes sense.
Outside of causing some mental distress in Millennials, what does this decision mean? Well, it’s actually beneficial to customers in the short run, as GameStop offers a 10% bonus in trade credit for any system or software that’s classified as retro. Unfortunately, the deal expires today, on March 21, 2026, so if you’ve been thinking about trading in your old games or hardware, you’d better run to the closest GameStop and get it taken care of, or you’ll have to do so later without the 10% incentive. In addition to taking in retro consoles, GameStop now accepts defective or broken ones as well, so long as they power on.
