How to Build Your Own Arcade Machine

You’ve finally decided to build your own arcade machine. A noble endeavor, indeed, and one that surely will require some skill and tools. Before you dive in, let’s acknowledge something right off the bat: you’re not constructing a NASA space shuttle (obviously), but it can feel like it at times, especially when you are elbow-deep in wires, buttons, and other hardware components that somehow seem to multiply each time you turn around. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before we can even think about that final boss fight on Street Fighter, building your own arcade machine will require some careful planning and elbow grease. Let’s get started.

The Cabinet

Most people will tell you to buy a pre-cut kit, and for the average human, that’s probably the best way to go. Yet, for the adventurous souls or those who believe themselves descendants of some ancient woodworking clan (or more likely just like to save money), cutting your own from sheets of MDF can be a rather, how shall we say, “character-building” experience. It will also allow you to build any custom shape you want. Of course, wood doesn’t cut itself, and thus you will need some tools. A jigsaw cutter will be essential in this process, along with a drill for drilling holes and some clamps to hold things together during the process. A miter saw will be very helpful for cutting the frame more precisely, but you can also use a jigsaw cutter for this. The Internet is full of arcade cabinet plans, so feel free to choose anything that fits your desires and space available.

As for the cabinet design, you have several options at hand. You can either build a standing arcade machine or opt for something simpler. In this case, if it’s your first build, choosing something like the wall mount arcade is recommended as the right way to go, as it’s much smaller and simpler to build. You’ll spend less money on the materials, and less time building it.

Hardware and Wiring

The cabinet doesn’t make the machine. It needs guts: wires, circuits, a monitor, a sound system. So many pieces to puzzle over. You’ll want to start by selecting the brains of the operation, your hardware. Raspberry Pi is often the go-to choice, since it’s affordable and versatile. But there are also builds based on the PC. Recycle your old computer monitor and throw in the speakers.

Now for the buttons, or better to say, the control board. When picking out your arcade buttons and joystick, you’ll find anything from cheap AliExpress generic ones to brands. Does it matter? It does. But at the same time, for the first-time project, it doesn’t. Honestly, half of these parts could be made of melted-down coat hangers and the machine would still work. But let’s not drift too far into nihilism. Choose your buttons and joystick according to your budget.

Wiring. Now, here’s the kicker. Connecting all those buttons to the brains of your machine. Use a USB encoder to connect all of the buttons to Raspberry Pi and you’re done. When running the wires, you’ll be met with two schools of thought: keep it tidy, organized, neatly zip-tied into little bundles, or embrace the chaos of spaghetti wiring, where everything works through sheer willpower and random luck. Either way, as long as everything works, it’s fine.

Software

RetroPie is the most common choice, a wonderful little system that include the bundle of emulators capable of recreating the experience of dozens of old games. The problem is, RetroPie or MAME or any other similar solution will require some work and troubleshooting. It’s not plug and play solution.

The Artwork

Let’s not forget one critical element of the arcade experience. The artwork. The visuals, the garish neon colors, and the blocky letters splashed across the sides of the cabinet. Some people will shell out cash for professionally printed vinyl graphics. Others may take to paint, perhaps a bold move for those untrained in the fine arts, but sometimes, it’s the imperfections that give character. Here, you can get really creative and either copy one of the legendary designs from the golden age of arcades or create something completely personalized and unique. Looks are the very first thing people will notice, so try to make it stand out.