Texas Gamer has the world’s largest collection of VIDEO GAMES – with an estimated value of $2.1 million

It’s the world’s largest collection of video games, worth a whopping $2.1million (£1.69million) – but the owner insists he’s not done yet and plans to build on his expensive hobby.

Antonio Romero Monteiro, 45, from Texas, USA, has broken the Guinness World Record for largest collection of video games.

The avid gamer, whose multi-million dollar collection began in 1987 when he was just 10 years old, has amassed a whopping 24,268 video games.

Mr. Monteiro now holds the record for largest Xbox item collection, largest Sega item collection, largest Nintendo item collection, largest PlayStation item collection, and largest video game collection overall.

Antonio Romero Monteiro, 45, (pictured) from Texas, USA, has broken the Guinness World Record for largest collection of video games worth $2.1 million

Since he bought his first Sega Genesis game more than 30 years ago, his burgeoning collection has grown to occupy an entire room, meticulously organized by system and then alphabetically.

The collection includes a wide range of games, but also a range of accessories for a variety of consoles.

Upon learning that he had set five world records, Mr. Monteiro jumped for joy during a work meeting.

He said: “Originally, my collection was centered on buying and repurchasing some of the games I played when I was young.

“I see video games as an art form in which creativity and storytelling transcend to limitless possibilities.

“Each generation of video game systems offers further potential to realize creativity and share limitless stories, challenges and experiences.

“One of my most treasured memories are video games and their experiences with family and friends.”

Gamer’s Paradise has everything from the very first Nintendo game consoles to the latest video game releases.

But with the sheer volume of games, not even Mr. Monteiro got the chance to play them all.

Mr. Monteiro now holds the record for largest Xbox item collection, largest Sega item collection, largest Nintendo item collection, largest PlayStation item collection, and largest video game collection overall

His collection started with his love of playing video games, but collecting games and accessories soon became his main hobby.

Mr. Monteiro’s favorite game is called Super Nintendo, Super Castlevania IV.

He added, “I have some very fond childhood memories of playing Castlevania.”

With a collection the size of Mr. Monteiro, losing games can be pretty easy, but his dual inventory system helped him keep track.

He uses an app that catalogs every game he owns and uses a custom database to compare the games he owns and the game he’s missing to complete his collection.

The internet was his salvation for finding video games of the past that would otherwise be nearly impossible to find.

Mr. Monteiro explained, “It can be quite difficult to find retro games and systems in local video stores, especially when you reach the last 15 percent of a collection.

Mr. Monteiro’s favorite game is Super Nintendo’s name, Super Castlevania IV, because it evokes “good childhood memories.”

“Some of the rarest games have taken me years to find a good copy at an affordable price.”

This expense of the rarer games has kept Mr. Monteiro from completing one of his beloved Nintendo DS collections.

He said: “I am currently working on completing my Nintendo DS collection and am on the last 98 games out of over 1,500 games in this collection.

“There are two games in this collection that were pretty hard to come by at an affordable price, but persistence and patience are a must for any collector.”

Mr Monteiro said his collection allows people to reminisce and share their own memories of playing games that are long gone for most.

To keep the older games in good shape for people to play, Mr. Monteiro devised conservation methods to prevent the years of video game history from eroding.

He added: “Climate control is a must for game conservation.”

Despite his huge collection, he managed to keep it a secret from most of his friends and family, who were surprised by his record-breaking newfound titles and were unaware of his gaming hobby.

Despite setting five world records, Mr. Monteiro isn’t done yet and plans to complete the North America collection for all major video game platforms.

Mr Monteiro said: “My guess is I’m about 1,700 games away from reaching that goal. However, I am in no hurry to achieve this goal and plan to enjoy the journey.”

For those hoping to one day break a world record too, Mr. Monteiro has simple advice: “As cliché as it sounds, follow your dreams.

“If you set goals and slowly work towards them, you’ll be surprised at where you find yourself over time.”

Mr. Monteiro previously set the world record for his video game collection in 2019, where he owned 20,193 games.

In the last two years, his collection has grown by more than 4,000 games.

It would be impossible to play all the games he’s collected, and admitted to ABC in 2019 that “there are many, many unopened games.”

He said he has a “very patient, loving wife” who puts up with his collecting antics.

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