The big problem I have, I think, is that while the mini consoles are fun...they aren't a sustainable solution for game preservation. The Virtual Console was great, but it didn't extend beyond Wii and Wii U, which is ridiculous.

In my view, a console-agnostic digital service is the way to go. It would be a huge mistake, for example, for Nintendo to have to re-start its entire Nintendo Switch Online library from scratch on their next console - the existing service should transition seamlessly to new hardware and continue to be improved/expanded.

I don't see retro gaming itself as a fad; I think there's a genuine - and growing - desire to be able to access older games well beyond the life of the original hardware and storage media. But game companies have generally taken a super short-term view around game preservation, resulting in all these mini consoles and such. The only exception I can really think of is Microsoft (and perhaps GoG), who seem to be deliberately thinking about a longer-term approach to keeping older games accessible.