Image Credit: CoburnKDM / Reddit
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Summary
- Raspberry Pi arcade with magnetic, swappable control panels is a retro gamer’s dream.
- Five control layouts can be swapped in ~20 seconds via embedded neodymium magnets.
- Build videos and 3D files let you 3D-print and run this adaptable cabinet on a Pi or Mini PC.
You know, I really like SBCs, retro gaming, and modular computer hardware. They’re definitely up there among the things I want to read and report about. As such, when I learned that someone had made their own retro arcade machine using a Raspberry Pi with a modular system for swapping out the controls, I knew I hit gold. And the best bit is, its creator has uploaded build videos and 3D printable files so you can make your own at home.
This…
Image Credit: CoburnKDM / Reddit
Sign in to your XDA account
Summary
- Raspberry Pi arcade with magnetic, swappable control panels is a retro gamer’s dream.
- Five control layouts can be swapped in ~20 seconds via embedded neodymium magnets.
- Build videos and 3D files let you 3D-print and run this adaptable cabinet on a Pi or Mini PC.
You know, I really like SBCs, retro gaming, and modular computer hardware. They’re definitely up there among the things I want to read and report about. As such, when I learned that someone had made their own retro arcade machine using a Raspberry Pi with a modular system for swapping out the controls, I knew I hit gold. And the best bit is, its creator has uploaded build videos and 3D printable files so you can make your own at home.
This Raspberry Pi modular arcade cabinet is a retro gamer’s dream
Over on the Raspberry Pi subreddit, user CoburnKDM showed off their amazing new project. Regular arcade machines have an issue where the controls are pretty static; you’re pretty much restricted to whatever comes with the board, regardless of what game you put on it. But what if you could change what the arcade cabinet had for its controls to suit what you’re playing? Well, that’s exactly what this project does:
I’ve been working on solving a problem: arcade cabinets are expensive and often locked into one control layout. So I designed a modular system where the entire stick panel is swappable using magnets.
For now I have designed 5 different layouts for different scenarios and game types. Each panel connects with neodymium magnets embedded in the 3D printed frame - takes about 20 seconds to swap between layouts.
As the icing on the cake, CoburnKDM combined this with a Raspberry Pi, which is fantastic at emulating retro games. The end result is a system that can play any retro game, with an arcade cabinet that can adapt its controls to suit any game, and now I’m jealous. Excellent work, CoburnKDM.
If you’d like to see more of this project, check out the build video to watch it come together. If you just want to see it in action, take a peek at the showcase video. And if you want to try making this bad boy for yourself, pop over to the Makerworld page to find all the files you need to print one out.