Who has not wanted to create their own home arcade? It is a dream many gamers share, one that dates back to some of the first gamers that have ever lived on the planet. But, how does one go about creating an authentic home arcade for a price that does not end up with you taking out a loan? So, in the interest of helping those who have had the dream for a while to make it come true, we have decided to create a quick list of gadgets and devices that can help you have a nice arcade at home. Now, remember, the devices we are recommending had to strike the perfect balance of cheap and quality, so some of you might find the devices either to be a little underwhelming or a little out of place, but we have found them to be in the golden mean of cheap and useful.
Another quick note – the arcade we are building contains mostly vintage games, but the design will be versatile. So if you want to set up a more modern flavoured arcade, or even a casino flavoured arcade, we have your back. Just make sure you plan it all out in the beginning.
The cabinet
When setting up an arcade, what you are looking for is to capture that aesthetic from the 80s that so many people who have never lived in the 80s feel nostalgic for. The work of capturing that Aesthetic is not going to be easy, but it is going to be rewarding. The first thing you are going to want to do is set up a cabinet that you are going to be playing your games on. To do so you will need the frame (relatively easy to build yourself if you know your way around a hammer, nails and some wood) a controller, and a screen. If you want to get a screen, it is best to consider some of the slots machine screens that an AU casino online news website recently announced to be one of the best in the industry. Although, these are mostly manufactured in Australia, so it would be a good idea to consider what other slot machine screens you can get wherever you are from. We are talking about slots machine screens because they support a large range of colours, are interactive and can even be programmed for specific tasks, if you want to.
Then, you need to consider the controller. Using some of the schematics available online, you should be able to build yourself a classic controller and embed it within the cabinet yourself. If you feel like spending a bit of money, you might even be able to electronically extend the buttons out of an old XBOX controller, in order to be able to use it for your cabinet controller. If that’s too much work, just attach an old controller or a new one to the cabinet and then you’re done.
What to run it all on
When it comes down to running the games, you need to start thinking about the cheaper options. If you are trying to play classic games, exclusively, it might be a good idea to find a simple solution. Something like a Raspberri Pi is able to support emulation systems that would allow you to enjoy the classic Street Fighter, Contra and whatever other game you might be looking to play.
Otherwise, even building a rudimentary PC could enable you to enjoy the majority of the older games you might be looking to play. Of course, if you are trying to play the most recent fighting games, then you will have to spend a whole lot of money on building the system, but that is up to you. Combining the screen, the operational hardware and the controller, you will be able to enjoy most of the classic games without much to worry about.
The centrepiece
You might build one cabinet, or if you want to drop the ash, even have several cabinets that you can run at the same time, for some competitive gaming action. But, no arcade is usually complete without a centrepiece. One Item that stands out. This could be your PC, your console, or if you are a true arcade connoisseur, something of the actual arcades. Maybe a pinball machine, or something along the lines of that. It is not easy to get your hands on a classic pinball machine, but which is why we are not going to encourage you to go out of your way to try and get one. Instead, use your PC and set up a huge screen in the centre of the room where you can enjoy whatever you are doing. After all, having a home arcade is more about comfort and fun than creating an authentic experience all the way from the 80s. Just make sure you don’t spend too much money creating the room and make sure you enjoy the entire process while you are at it.
