An avid retro games collector has claimed a Guinness World Record after creating a system where his collection of 444 consoles can be simultaneously connected to a single TV. Ibrahim Al-Nasser from Saudi Arabia rigged up the machines using a complex multiple KVM switch system (with supporting PC), explaining that he got fed up with plugging and unplugging consoles and adaptors so that he could enjoy his massive collection.
A typical Smart TV in 2024 will come with three or four HDMI ports, an RF-in, and some USB support. Many users will only use the physical ports for consoles and similar, as mainstream entertainment typically reaches our screens via the internet, making Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections standard essentials. It isn't great for game console collectors who want to dip into their extensive game libraries more than occasionally. In Al-Nasser's case, he embraced the challenge of getting his 444 consoles 'on tap' whenever he felt the whim to play something.
The issue facing the new world record holder wasn't only the number of consoles in his collection but also the question of the range of sometimes obscure video-out connections they supported. He proudly boasts that his KVM switching system supports many gaming-capable machines, spanning the Magnavox Odyssey (released in 1972) to the PlayStation 5 Slim (released in Q4 2023). Between those extremes, the video gaming collector said he had a wide range of consoles, home computers, plug-and-play games, HDMI game sticks, android games, and more. Some of the hardware would need custom cabling and adaptors for the abundant array of HDMI and RCA switchers employed by Al-Nasser.
The console collector seems quite proud of his cable management in the video. He explains that he used "all the tools available in the market" to minimize wiring and reckons the room looks like a museum rather than a typical tech enthusiast's den.
Al-Nasser provided a brief tour of the room where these 444 consoles were connected to a single TV. We see multiple HDMI and RCA switchers around the room, grouped into categories like home computing and mini-consoles. Accompanying the consoles is a PC with what looks like a 57-inch widescreen and a spreadsheet interface populated with the various consoles/systems that can be piped to the big TV.
The seamless use of his KVM system was demonstrated in the video, where Al-Nasser switched on a small selection of the more modern consoles in his collection, and their boot screens appeared on the big TV without any physical un/plugging or configuration tweaking. For older consoles, it seemed necessary to flick a selector switch on one of the RCA input switches before powering up the system. Before this manual switching, he checked the computer screen for the RCA switch number/reference. Where available, employing some SCART video adaptors could have helped make some mid-age consoles and computers conveniently auto-switch to their output.
Out of all the gaming devices old and new, the Sega Genesis (AKA MegaDrive) has a special place in Al-Nasser's heart. He appeared to have several consoles with expansions like the 32X and MegaCD available for gaming fun. How many of you agree that this 16-bit Motorola 68000 machine is the ultimate retro console?
One area of console usage we think didn't get enough attention in the Guinness video is how game controllers were handled. Some parts of the video showed a construction that looked like a rotating tower of controllers. We guess some of the older hardware would need the extra step of getting a wired controller plugged in to do anything other than enjoy the nostalgic moment delivered by the boot screen/sound.
