there are subtle differences. some people want the real hardware. some people want to need a stack of cartridges or tapes and to go through the motions of com

there are subtle differences. some people want the real hardware. some people want to need a stack of cartridges or tapes and to go through the motions of committing to a decision such as which game to play. if it is virtual, or emulated, there's almost no weight to decisions you make, because it's so easy to switch games if you don't immediately like the game you chose. I find that I don't give things a chance as I would if I had to get up and walk to change a cartridge in a real SNES, as an example. if emulation works for you, then emulate. go crazy. I don't get emulation, and I'm not going to tell someone that they're wrong for liking it, because they aren't. for some, emulation isn't enough, that's all. there are also technical reasons people don't like emulation, but most people don't care about those as much as they care about the experience of the old school systems.