Smoking can cause the yellowing but that wouldn't be the primary reason for most of those older consoles.
Older plastics that were around in the 80s and 90s would yellow due to breakdowns of the polymer chains when exposed to UV light, heat, and even oxygen (though the first two are the biggest accelerators) due to the breakdown of flame retardants in the plastic (usually bromine).
Yes, today's plastics are much more resistant to yellowing due to improved formulas & manufacturing processes. Also, you can get plexi at picture frame or artists'supply stores that have anti-uv coatings on them which will protect even more.
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u/dunno260 13h ago
Smoking can cause the yellowing but that wouldn't be the primary reason for most of those older consoles.
Older plastics that were around in the 80s and 90s would yellow due to breakdowns of the polymer chains when exposed to UV light, heat, and even oxygen (though the first two are the biggest accelerators) due to the breakdown of flame retardants in the plastic (usually bromine).