@jtvoar16
Emulators are great for the casual gamer, and there are certain features that aren’t available on the original systems. That said, to the game connoisseur, there isn’t any comparison. Many emulated games have graphic rendering issues, which reduces enjoyment, but the real issue is controller response time.
When using a USB controller, the input goes through the USB into the computer and is then interpreted by the computer’s processor into usable data for the emulator which them registers the appropriate button-push. Through these steps, there is a short, yet very noticeable lag time. One of the best things about old games was the simplicity of the hardware. Button response time was always lightning fast.
For a casual player, money and space limitations make a strong argument for the emulator, but for the person who really enjoys old games, there really is no comparison.