build a raspberry pi arcade machine
Grab your Raspberry Pi and add a dash of retro gaming to your life with this customisable retro arcade cabinet
Raspberry Pi, the lowpriced, credit- card-sized PC, took the computing world by storm when it first launched in 2012. Whether set up as a home media centre, a machine to surf the net, or for programming a robotic arm to do all your evil bidding, the diminutively sized Pi is a powerful tool. It’s perfect for gaming, too, particularly if you fancy emulating classic consoles such as the SNES, the Mega Drive and even your old Game Boy.
But what the Pi offers in functionality, it lacks in looks – playing Sonic or Tetris through a circuit board just doesn’t deliver those warm, retro-gaming feels. Cue Pimoroni and the Picade, a build-ityourself arcade-cabinet kit comprising everything you need to build a fully functioning desktop arcade machine for your Raspberry Pi, complete with joystick.
Also in the pack are black-powdercoated cabinet panels and micro-switch buttons, speakers, custom-assembled wiring looms and an eight-inch LCD panel. All you need to bring to the party is a power supply and the Raspberry Pi itself – Pimoroni recommends the 3, 2, B+ or A+ models for best performance.
Once you’ve built and rigged your retro machine, the hardest part will be deciding which part of your gaming youth to relive first. Tough life, eh?
Start your adventure today
Naturally, you’ll first need to buy the Picade pack from shop.pimoroni.com for £180. You’ll also need to pick up a compatible Raspberry Pi if you don’t already own one. Got those? Good – now download and set up a retro- gaming emulator like RetroPie.
Next, locate a cross-head and small flat-head screwdriver, and start building. On average, it should take a good few hours to complete. Be sure to watch Pimoroni’s instructional video closely.
Finally, have fun personalising your Raspberry Pi arcade machine with custom artwork, using templates supplied on the Pimoroni site.