DIY wall-mounted or bartop ARCADE MACHINE! (free plans!)

[@thepenultimateninja5797]

This is awesome. A couple of tips from someone who has built a few cabinets before: It might be too late now, but I would have had the woodworker guy add slots for T-molding around the edges instead of painting them. Secondly, I would have recommended the American 'Happ' style controls instead of the Japanese style. The American style controls are designed to work with thicker control panels, so it wouldn't have been such a struggle getting them to fit. It's a great cabinet though. I really like the idea of a wall-mounted one, because not every home has room for a full-size upright cabinet, or even a bartop (you still need something to place the bartop on top of).

[@RonyplayzYT]

I will definitely make one in the future and we don't hate your voice we love it that's why we watch you, we love you man 💚✨

[@TechDweeb]

Yeah I know who my real buddies are. Thanks for saying so 🤗

[@txchno_mango]

@@TechDweeb can u tell me what specific monitor u used like what model

[@txchno_mango]

@@TechDweeb same with what wood you used

[@LiveYourBestLife-Ever]

"Lots of games that you didn't get to try out when you were a baby" LOL that had me rolling!

[@jaded_titan8204]

Damn man, that is amazing. I love the retro orange hue on the screen!

[@TechDweeb]

Haha yeah totally. That's an orange color effect on the Gameboy with a CRT curvature filter. I've played lots of games from different systems on this since I built it and my favorite is playing the Orange Gameboy games. It's also been a chance for me to discover a bunch of game Boy games I didn't know existed.

[@jeffcox6539]

Wow. Wacko Warner teaching me to build an arcade machine.

[@williamblake2962]

Been trying to find a good video on this and just realized my main man Dweeb has one.

[@Chonnie]

i absolutely love your channel! this is an older video, but i initially found you from your anbernic content. i’ve been wanting to get an arcade machine for a while but couldn’t justify the cost of buying one and decided to see if i could make one. i’m still pretty intimidated but you definitely helped me break down the process and figure out where to get started. i appreciate you and all the content you put out. you do such a great job of making things entertaining and easy to follow along. thanks for this video!

[@Jean_Bono]

incredible i love the joystick integration , you make it looks so easy to do

[@DrGooseDuckman]

Anything rough, just sand lightly with a 220 grit sponge or paper (your woodworking guy would be able to put you in the right direction), and as long as you haven't broken through the orange color or any other color that you like just apply a coat of polycrylic or whatever kind of acrylic polyurethane you can find (water-based or waterborne water cleanup etc). Coat or two of that and you're good to go. I want against any oil-based varnishes or polies because they do yellow and they're binding properties are not going to be as great as acrylic on acrylic. Anyways cabinet looks sweet.

[@TechDweeb]

TY for the infos buddy! Just what I needed to hear.

[@nadiaezzarhouni300]

First fan to watch great video and arcade machine

[@valley_robot]

I've made 4 up to now they are really easy to make, total cost about 70.00 UK pounds, yours turned out nice mate

[@TechDweeb]

Nice! Are they wall-mounted? Do you ever make full size?

[@valley_robot]

@@TechDweeb they are all bar tops with a raspberry pi powering them, I've given the first 3 away and kept one for myself, mine use to be an atari 2600 themed one complete with wood panel, I repainted it and now it's star wars themed, I rearley use it but like you I always wanted one

[@zenrankin8876]

The best content you made so far. More of this please!

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks Dweeb. You'll love the next project I have in mind ;)

[@RaineyRetro]

Best arcade build video

[@soursoap9581]

My girl said your voice is annoying, i on the other hand subbed instantly upon hearing it

[@TechDweeb]

I seem have that effect on girls.

[@ted-b]

How cool is that? Nice one!

[@moka7242]

I will never make this…but I love watching the video. The extra nasal sound of the voice helps me sleep ☺️

[@Sadtiric]

I absolutely love what you did here! 💚I've been inspired to make an arcade cabinet ever since Bob Wulff did his with the Steam Deck powering it, and you know what, this might have convinced me to give it a shot, or at least to start planning a build of my own! Thanks for sharing the process!

[@potatosackTheTrue]

This is really cool, another great video

[@TOPAZBLUEFOX]

Dude you are very talented.

[@lazydude699]

This is soo sick!!!! Like seriously this doesn't look like something that was built from scratch. Keep it up!!!

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks LD!

[@mercyblack0101]

OMG😱❤️ A dream came true! Wonderful design and artwork TD! Shout out to the "wood working guy" and the "mashine shop guy"😅❤️🙏🏼

[@travissalberg]

Looks good dude, I like to do epoxy sides and mini pcs running but this is a good starting arcade

[@theboriszaytsev]

That's soooooo cool Dweeb. Sure wish I had one of my own.

[@TechDweeb]

Hope you get one of your own real soon buddy 😉

[@Di3mondDud3]

I stopped noticing your voice after a few minutes. But even when i did notice i think its great how you made your branding all work together. Ive actually been wanting to do something similar myself. I have a pachinko machine that one of these would look good mounted on the wall with.

[@74bobby]

It took me a minute to get past the voice over lol. The build turned out really good...

[@bryndal36]

Awesome setup dude.

[@562frankrivers2]

Love the video man you made it look so easy I’m questing why it’s taking me so long to even think about making my own arcade system

[@darrenhatley2899]

Hey great job, Really impressive and it looks brilliant. I to wished i had my own arcade when i was growing up in the 80s and 90s in England and thought it was a magical place. Your gonna have some times playing on your machine.Personally i dont think i'm clever enough to do one myself but i might give it a go, Keep up the great reviews. Regards Darren

[@ajstruhar2048]

I really love the idea of these been contemplating on building one as I'm an electrician and really good with that kind of stuff just not so. Much the software side

[@TheCoolDave]

Interesting, very interesting. I actually own 5 full size coin ops, including a Star Wars cockpit. I'm a good DIY person, this layout I could do in a weekend. I do have access to a few PCs that would do PS2, if not PS3 games (i7 from 4 years ago with 16gb of memory). The problem here is, I have too many devices that can do this stuff, I have a Steam Deck, I could put a USB-C dock that would give me 3 or 4 USB ports, under one of the devices and I could use all the controls to make it exactly like you have it. THE BIGGEST problem with having a bunch of portable devices that can do all this is, my save is on the other device, so I don't want to start a NEW game ... This gives me a LOT of ideas. I think I need to make sometime that can take my saves everywhere.... Hmmmm. Any cool creation, I look awesome, and I am sure it will bring many hours of fun...

[@TechDweeb]

Oh man, I'd love to try out that Star Wars cockpit. I love immersive arcade setups like that! Yeah you can totally use almost any emulation device to drive an arcade like this. A steam deck would work perfect. Heck you could mount the dock on the top of the cabinet, so you plop the deck on there and play on the arcade, then grab the deck and go.

[@ivancho5854]

Have you seen this? "Sync Roms and Saves Between Devices Easily in 2023" by OTG Gaming kzbin.info/www/bejne/goO2ipmGbrCebtE Hope it helps Dave. 🎮 All the best. 👍

[@TheCoolDave]

@@ivancho5854 I'll check it out, Thanks for the reply... It's the syncing of Roms, saves and States I would love. Just kind of wish it was built into RetroArch (saves and states syncing with the cloud)

[@ivancho5854]

@@TheCoolDave Yea, it's a shame that it's not built into RetroArch, but it's still doable. I think that you're going to love the video and if I recall correctly it's free and open source (and won't cost you a brown penny!). 👍

[@margaretwood1255]

That thing is amazing

[@TechDweeb]

Not bad right?

[@Bala11-i3k]

nice work dude

[@ryfly4723]

A lot of first born sons about to be named after you!

[@TechDweeb]

It's a good name. Has a timeless quality to it.

[@TheVeganMooncat]

Very cool mate

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks 🌕🐱!

[@lionoh]

Wow,here I am thinking about my next project while working on a current microcenter full arcade,About to have two now" XD This seems like a much more a 'Little" Beefier Version of The 1up Party Cade. That control panel seems like it would have room for it to be 8 buttons. I love the minimal concept and height of this bartop. I'd have to add a back door with hinge. Ty for the plans!

[@TechDweeb]

Good idea about the back door! I've been thinking of finishing the backside of this so that it could also work as a bar top unit. Good luck with the build!

[@tattoojunior106]

Great job. The artwork is amazing. You obviously(?) have a background in art.

[@TechDweeb]

I have all sorts of backgrounds in lots of stuff 🤭

[@IcebergTech]

I'd like to see a version that folds away discreetly into the wall, for people who are ashamed of their geeky tendencies. Like... er, some friends of mine.

[@TechDweeb]

Ooooh that's a cool idea!

[@gregghernandez2714]

There is a KZbin video where the guy basically builds a shoe cabinet and it houses his arcade build. Really nice, so that it can be stored away. One of the most impressive things about the video is the guys hand made tools that he uses, very cool. Personally if I were to take the time to build something this cool, I would want it to be the centerpiece in my living room when people come over. You know...let your geek flag fly!

[@mikearisbrocken8507]

I would do it for the aesthetics, but ashamed? Pfff. I would show it with pride.

[@hwfranjr]

I LIKE YOUR GOICE,NOT BORING!!!!

[@enoqbreaksit]

Love the vid and love the channel!

[@TechDweeb]

Appreciate you saying so!

[@youzernejm]

That is a nice cabinet, love the artwork. It could easily fit into something that's not a North American house. I might just try to make it for me one day, that's how much I like it. I'd probably go with a super tiny pc like the Lenovo m93p, or an s905x3 android box, as I really enjoy DIYing that part. Oh, I've got an idea for a next project - a virtual pinball that can fit in an average Tokyo studio apartment! Or a carmper van!

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks! Yeah a TinyPC would work great. I have one of those usff Optiplex machines and was thinking of using that, but the SCx does great for arcade stuff since I don't bother with high end emulation on this sort of device. And it's interesting you mentioning virtual pinball, that MIGHT be something you'll see from me in the future... ;)

[@youzernejm]

@@TechDweeb I was semi-kidding, as it can't be packed this compactly, but honestly, that would be a nice video :) and a nice machine

[@rphntw1n]

Love it dude.

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks bud!

[@rhyzon]

Damn, so nice. Saves space and looks really great. Emuelec really is great to setup a cheap and simple emulation station. Also, I'm slightly concerned about your cat... She hasn't meow'ed in several videos.

[@TechDweeb]

She refuses to come down from on top of the arcade cabinet. I think she's angry at me for something.

[@sigmaohiorizz106]

Hi like the arcade

[@TechDweeb]

Sup

[@luiscanifru]

thank you for the plans! Im new to the channel, but I like your content You just gave me an idea about my arcade cabinet that I want to build

[@RetroGamer-cn9or]

Really cool idea with the wall switch to turn the system on. I love the art you did. So cool that you can just freehand it on. Does the arcade sit flush on the wall and did you put anything like felt at the bottom where it touches the wall?

[@I_luvvflamingos]

Nice job! May have inspired me.

[@TechDweeb]

Go for it!

[@mikesansone2066]

Hey man I’m still waiting on that video on how to setup the super console x pro… I’m kind of an idiot so I’ve used your video as a step by step to make my arcade cabinet… also a list of other parts needed to tie everything in would be awesome. Love the channel, keep up the good work.

[@TechDweeb]

That video will be coming very soon. It's near the top of my list. Definitely this month. Sorry for the delay, sit tight my friend!

[@infinity2z3r07]

Thanks for showing some of the trials and tribulations Techdweeb. It turned out really great!

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks! Yeah I always seem to end up going through twice the trials & tribulations when I do this sort of thing. It's a family curse. 👻

[@ivancho5854]

This is amazing! I love your artwork which gives a great retro feel. But is it fire proof? Seriously, has it caught fire yet? Did you film it? 😜🔥 Keep up the good work Dweeb. Loving your channel.

[@TechDweeb]

No fire yet, but there's always time. Thanks buddy!

[@jarrencikanek9465]

it's been a long time since nerds inherited the earth

[@Chrisdumm1]

Just stumbled on this one. Beautiful work man. I love your artwork and creativity. It pours through everything you make! Quick question if you happen to see this comment. Do you still use this beautiful creation? I’m wondering if I built one would I use it? 🤔

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks buddy. I do still use it! It always gets some love when guests come over, but I personally use it all the time. However I use it in a very weird way. I love playing Gameboy games on it (with the orange colourization). I know it's weird to play mostly gameboy RPGs on an arcade machine, but it makes me so happy :P

[@Chrisdumm1]

@@TechDweeb That’s all that matters! I could see that. I had a crazy gameboy accessory in the 80’s that turned it into a mini arcade. You’re convincing me. Of course you usually do. 😅

[@devincurrie4145]

That's cool. I think it would be better if the screen was a bit inclined so can see better when looking down at an angle. Why use snap buttons instead of screw buttons? And I see that the monitor is landscape, it would be great to be able to physically rotate the display as needed for vertical based games in order to maximize the display output without (or minimize) black bars on the sides.

[@Darthdoodoo]

Your button board should be removable with a couple lil latches or hidden magnetic latches sou can flip it over to work on the buttons and stick

[@TechDweeb]

That makes good sense!

[@japohn]

I have a few questions about some, possibly, unrelated ideas for a build. I have an Anbernic handheld, how do I back up the image? Is the same as just copy and paste it onto another SD card? If I do this will it play on raspberry pi 3, 3+, 4 etc? I know that I can use a pi or other SBC for the guts of an arcade build, but I am not sure about cutting/pasting/copying/playing images on other devices.

[@TechDweeb]

If the card has a linux partition (or more than one partition) you'll need to backup the sd card using a utility (like win32diskimager). No, your anbernic sd card will not work on a raspberry pi (however you may be able to use the roms off the card on those devices). I suggest you just go with a fresh pi build and copy the roms over yourself, that'll be way easier than trying to make a rom collection from another device work.

[@GR8FLMD3AD]

I *love* your voice my friend!

[@userhiren-youtube]

Did the wood working guy use MDF or Plywood for arcade machine. Building one with my son and wanted to make sure we got the closest material that you had used for yours? BTW, this is an amazing build.

[@TechDweeb]

MDF. I don't think plywood would work as well because an arcade machine can take a lot of shearing force. Although the MDF is heavier, so you'll pretty much need a good solid wall mounting technique (mine worked great and is still holding strong).

[@userhiren-youtube]

What was the size of the MDF board? 3/4 ro 1/2?@@TechDweeb

[@usercloud4638]

Wow this is super creative!! How much did it cost you to make it?

[@TechDweeb]

TY! Less than $400.

[@ura617]

Thank you so much

[@JoseGarcia-nz3fk]

Exelente te felicito muy buen tutorial

[@ghostbaleada]

I would add laser guns to have the complete ar arcade experience

[@GizmoMaltese]

You have some decent artistic talent. More than me. I'm surprised the cabinet guy only charged your $250. You could have just bought a joystick extender from paradise arcade. Did you add a protective coating to the control board so that paint doesn't wear out over time?

[@TechDweeb]

Thanks! He actually charged me less cuz he's my bud, that's was the price when I asked what he would charge other people. Maybe he loves undercharging? Joystick extender - Wish I knew about that earlier Yeah I put a coat of varnish on it.

[@emptyvessel69]

Hey, TechDweeb! I recently came across your channel and I understand you're a bit of a retro game enthusiast? Do you have a collection? I'd love to see a vid on it some time!

[@TechDweeb]

Hey! Nah, I don't really have much of a collection. Back when I bought my original Xbox a million years ago I sold all my old stuff. BIG mistake, I know... I'll never forgive young TechDweeb for his shortsightedness! I have my OG xbox and xbox 360 stuff, my original gameboy and gba and a few random games, and of course all my newer stuff like my DS and my 2ds and Switch, but that's about it. A video showing off my collection would be pretty boring. But I'm amassing a pretty good collection of retro emulation handhelds so maybe it'd be fun to show it off someday.

[@Marlevlyn]

I’ve gone through your videos and I can’t find a video where you show us how to map the buttons he said that would be coming up

[@TechDweeb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3yvfH-gqt2dps0

[@Marlevlyn]

Thank you

[@APerson-sr9pj]

Hey buddy! What type of wood is that and what is the thickness of that wood if we want to diy it?

[@TechDweeb]

3/4" mdf

[@APerson-sr9pj]

@@TechDweeb thank you sir! Btw my wife and I we love your channel :D much love from fellow Canadians!

[@NicePool9972]

Have you ever given a thought to take this as business? I might want one

[@TechDweeb]

I was actually considering making a few to sell locally. I'll post about it in my channel if I ever decide to take orders.

[@NicePool9972]

@@TechDweeb Yeah sure

[@gregghernandez2714]

@@TechDweeb If you ever do decide to sell these arcade builds, you should ask your woodworker friend to let you watch him build it. You will see that it is not as hard as it looks. You can pretty much make all the cuts with a very inexpensive jigsaw. The trick is to have a nice sharp blade that is designed for cutting curves. You then just clamp, glue and screw the whole thing together.

[@ARKitectGaming]

What’s the light switch on the wall called where can I find it

[@TechDweeb]

amzn.to/3TndS8r

[@LightYagami675S]

Would it be easy to make a 1up arcade machine run like this?

[@AcidDotDrop]

Geek DIY instructions 101 Phase 1: Buy all the stuff and pay someone to actually build/assemble most Phase 2: ? Phase 3: Profit

[@thehurtk]

hmmmm...Walls need wood paneling also some chewed gum should be placed in their appropriate places. I always use to put mine right hand bottom of the screen or under my chair. lol still do...

[@menthealo3725]

What's the height from ground when attached to the wall ?

[@TechDweeb]

Mine is about 3 ft, but it depends how tall you are - with any arcade it should be of a height that when you're playing games your elbows should be at a 90° bend.

[@menthealo3725]

@@TechDweeb i thought it Was upper... Ok I'll see for mine tomrw. I'm 6'1. Do u play always stand up or do u use a bar stool sometimes ?

[@jarrencikanek9465]

could you make a bartop one?

[@TechDweeb]

This design works either as tabletop or wall-mounted. It's a big big for bar-height, in that case I'd probably remove the marquee at the top.

[@MIDNIGHT_M5E]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, How much did it cost ?

[@TechDweeb]

Well, I'll speak in Canadian prices. 300 for the cabinet creation, 100 for the super console x pro with the controllers, the monitor was five bucks because I bought it and it was broken and I fixed it, the buttons and joysticks were 40, LED light strip was 10 bucks, marquee printing and mounting was 20, obviously paint and markers but those can be reused for other things so let's say 10 bucks worth of paint, cheap $15 speakers. So total price was less than $500. Probably would have been cheaper if I was able to build the cabinet myself of course.

[@ien2023]

No trackball and no spinner?

[@TechDweeb]

I'm the worst

[@tadeumouzer8926]

the measures in the blueprint are in inches ?

[@seekerofarcades4634]

❤❤😃👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼nice

[@fanta9527]

MICHELANGELO.

[@xhiltonx]

Your biggest mistake was the 240 bucks you could of got one made for around 90 bucks from online 😂😂

[@lionoh]

Where's the link to this $90 bucks cut?

[@gregghernandez2714]

I doubt it, MDF is very expensive these days, especially the 3/4 inch thick stuff. Believe me, I know. I have made bar-top arcade cabinets in the past. You can find plenty of free plans all over the Internet. The nice thing is, is you need very few tools to make a very professional looking cabinet. A jigsaw, a drill, a circular saw, and some paddle bits is all you need to get started, plus some wood glue and screws. Your local thrift store usually has plenty of small monitors that work just fine.

[@sosaix]

Is the nasally voice really necessary?

[@JWG.LLC_The_Artist]

... ⅓ inch wood lmao? ... closet width wood comes in to ⅓ is ⅜ wich is like 1.12/3 inch (Carpentry / cabinet makeing is my day job) (The way the the Imperial system works is based on halfs: 1inch ½inch ¼inch ⅛inch 16th 32ed 64th ect there are no lines drawn on the ruler, measuring tape ect for thirds or any other odd divisions. (only halfs forths and other even divisons) Vs: The metric system which deals in multiples and divisons of 10 Both make absolute sense

[@TechDweeb]

Can you tell I'm not a wood guy?

[@JWG.LLC_The_Artist]

@@TechDweeb I understand, I personally hate Carpentry myself (I like tech stuff and making art and games as you know from the discord) but you know i gotta eat. I just figured you would be interested in knowing the tid bits. With a Dweeb's thirst for knowledge and all.