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Update []:
It's official – CeX has listed 'Retro Birmingham' on its website (thanks, VGC).
While this stops short of being an official announcement, the listing on the company's 'find a store' page is surely all the confirmation we need that the retro outlet is coming – and it looks like it will be next door to one of CeX's current Birmingham branches on Bull Street, just over the road from the city's previous flagship shop, which was recently buried.
Original Story []: If you've been reading this site for a while, you'll no doubt be aware that I have a particular fondness for Computer Exchange, otherwise known as CeX.
This isn't based on the modern-day iteration of the store, I should note, but the original '90s and 2000s format, which was focused almost entirely on video games and even extended to Japanese and North American imports. I got my Japanese Dreamcast from CeX close to launch, as well as systems like the Neo Geo Pocket Color and Bandai WonderSwan.
Once upon a time, CeX even had its own dedicated retro store in London, and I visited it on multiple occasions, picking up a bunch of Japanese Mega Drive and Saturn titles, as well as a fully boxed Sega Nomad.
CeX shifted away from selling imports in the 2000s and is now most famous for buying and selling a wide range of tech, including DVDs, computers, cameras, phones, and much more. More recently, it has returned to the world of retro, selling classic games for vintage systems – but these have been limited to regional releases and not imports, for the most part (I spotted some Japanese Virtual Boy games in the York CeX not long ago).
According to a new rumour, CeX could be returning to the concept of a retro-only outlet, and this one will include both NTSC-J and North American releases.
This inside knowledge comes from the YouTube channel Retro Ghetto, and was spotted by our friends over at Retro Dodo. "I can officially confirm, this is definitely going to happen," says the channel's owner. "Launching this holiday season or Early 2027."
Two stores are on the cards, apparently, with the first being located in Birmingham's Bull Street – not far from the beloved CeX branch where I bought all of my imports in the '90s and early 2000s (which was filled in recently, much to my dismay). It will, according to Retro Ghetto, be smaller than your typical CeX store.
Internal sources are apparently mulling over calling these stores "ReX" (Retro Exchange) or CeX Retro. The report states that they will sell NTSC, PAL, NTSC-J items, returning to the glory days of when CeX was the UK's leading importer of video games. They may even stock arcade titles, according to Retro Ghetto.
I'd personally love to see CeX return to dedicated retro stores, even more so if they decide to stock imports. Will it be quite the same in a world where eBay exists, however? Share your thoughts below.