For a proper retro gaming aesthetic, many gamers prefer to use old CRT monitors. Older games look better on these monitors because the original programmers took their visual characteristics into account. Finding a CRT from the 90s or early 2000s is one option, but a better option is a broadcast video monitor (BVM), which is a very high quality CRT with a few other features, Like being able to mount a Wii directly to the expansion port on the monitor itself (nits).
As the name suggests, these monitors are made for broadcast television production. As such, they don’t have the typical video connections that might be found on consumer devices. Instead, they use modular cards to interface with the display. Due to the open design of the cards made for Sony’s monitors, the Wii was able to make one of these cards by “trimming” unwanted portions of the console’s PCB and mapping its video and audio outputs to the slot connectors. The only thing required is to plug the power cord into the Wii and connect a couple of controllers.
While the Wii might not be the retro that everyone thinks it is, it’s still a console that came out at a time when many people still had a CRT as their primary home TV. Like some older consoles, the Wii doesn’t require a CRT, but it fits easily into this single-board design. If you don’t own a CRT but still want the feel of a CRT, you can get that effect by retrofitting a more modern monitor.
thanks [Jonas] tip!