Netflix just dropped a new version of Stranger Things season 1 that's remastered — or demastered — to give the sci-fi horror streaming hit an all-new, '80s-inspired look. For any Netflix subscribers looking for a reason not to pay for the streaming service's high-end 4K plan, the new Stranger Things: VHS Special Edition is the strongest case against upgrading.

Stranger Things: VHS Special Edition was released on Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the Duffer Brothers' show, which debuted on Netflix on July 15, 2016. But the new special edition of Stranger Things season 1 is taking its retro presentation even further, adding VHS-style video effects to the first eight episodes.

"Rewind and relive the first season with a video store vibe that's glitchy, grainy and gloriously vintage — just like you'd have rented it in 1983," Netflix's official description of Stranger Things: VHS Special Edition reads. In addition to intentionally degraded visuals, the first season is now presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, mimicking the standard TV format of the time.

In addition to the release of Stranger Things: VHS Special Edition, Netflix unveiled a new poster from longtime series artist Kyle Lambert to commemorate the show's 10th anniversary.

Stranger Things debuted on Netflix in 2016 and quickly became a breakout hit for the streaming service. Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, the coming-of-age sci-fi horror series drew from a wealth of '80s influences, including the work of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, Stephen King, and Wes Craven, with some H. P. Lovecraft-inspired, otherworldly horrors sprinkled on top.

Netflix released a total of five seasons of Stranger Things between 2016 and 2025, culminating in a climactic series finale on Dec. 31, 2025. The highly anticipated finale was shown in movie theaters as well as on streaming, and while it provided closure for fans, reactions to the fifth and final season — particularly its final two episodes — were somewhat mixed.

Although Stranger Things has officially ended, Netflix will continue the franchise with spinoffs, including the ongoing animated series Stranger Things: Tales from '85 and the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow (which is also coming to Netflix). The Duffer Brothers have also teased a live-action spinoff "with a clean slate: completely new characters, new town, new world, new mythology." Whether Netflix is still going forward with that, now that the Duffers are working with Paramount, is unclear.

Stranger Things fans will get another new release later this month, when Arrow Video and Netflix launch Stranger Things: The Complete Series on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. No word yet on a full-series VHS release.