I found a great way to re-use old HDMI cables

• Your old devices aren’t picky with HDMI
• Sometimes, it’s worth keeping that old junk

If you’re anything like me, then you have a lot of HDMI cables from over the years that have no home. Instead of tossing them into the trash can, I just tucked them away in a box in a closet. It wasn’t until I started getting more into retro gaming that I realized how much old HDMI cables come in handy.

You might be caught off guard by me mentioning HDMI cables and retro gaming in the same breath, but the Xbox 360 is two decades old at this point, so I’m counting it. The thing with these old consoles is that they didn’t use any fancy HDMI cables like you do today. There’s no need to worry about anything like HDMI 2.0 or 2.1 with a console like the Xbox 360 or PS3, so my old cables will do without having to check what they are. I’m very happy that I held on to these after all these years because I would hate to have to unplug other things or buy new cables. Instead, I picked up a 32-inch 720p TV, set it up, and plugged in my old consoles using cables from their time.

Your old devices aren’t picky with HDMI

Any cable will get the job done

The PS3 and Xbox 360 didn’t have 4K resolutions to worry about, so while your new HDMI cables will work with these consoles, you don’t have to use them because you won’t see any performance gains. One of the advantages of the HDMI format is its compatibility with all generations. My old cable works with my new TV and vice versa. The only thing missing is the features offered with faster cables, so I’d really only recommend using new cables with old things, just so you don’t miss out on anything.

As an early adopter of the Xbox 360 and many other HDMI devices of the time, it’s no surprise that I’ve amassed a large collection of cables over time. You’ll also notice that many devices you buy come with a cable bundle, so it’s very easy to end up with more cables than you know what to do with. I always felt weird about tossing out electronics, so I just kept all my old cables.

At the time, I didn’t think I’d ever go back to old consoles, but that was obviously foolish. If I didn’t have these cables, I’d be dealing with the mess of having to remove HDMI cables from my current devices, like my Apple TV 4K, and plug them into my Xbox 360. Fortunately, I was able to avoid that, and I’m grateful for it.

Sometimes, it’s worth keeping that old junk

What’s old is new again

Tech is such a strange thing because while it’s constantly advancing, there are still many reasons to keep old devices around. I’ve been getting more into Game Boy as of late, and in 2025, I bought two Game Boy Colors and one Game Boy Advance. Many of the games I’ve played — Dragon Quest 3, Donkey Kong Country, and Super Mario Land — are all available on modern hardware. There’s something charming about going back to something older and playing it there. All three of these games were the first time I ever played them, and I was glad I could do it this way.

What I’m trying to say is that there’s no reason to get rid of old things if you have the space for them. All of these old HDMI cables sure came in handy, even if some of them are decades old at this point. I somehow found a use for them, and I’m sure many people will find themselves in the same boat when the time comes. Your HDMI cables might seem useless now, but when we’re on a totally different format, if that day ever comes, you’ll be glad you have these cables.