The first step in building your gaming powerhouse is to find an old arcade machine to transform. Options like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are sensible for picking up machines local to you. You’ll also need a new monitor. For the easiest connection and a modern twist, you can use an HDTV or old computer monitor. Alternatively, you can go for an old-school look with a CRT TV, available to buy second-hand on several websites or at local thrift stores.
Next, you’ll need to consider what controls you want to add to your machine. It’s important to do your research here and make sure you have the correct controls for the games you want to play. Again, eBay is a good resource for hunting for classic game controls. Some games, like “Galaga,” just require a joystick and two buttons, whereas others may require trackballs and additional buttons. It’s important to get an idea of what range of games you wish to play and how sophisticated you want your machine to be before buying controls.
The final crucial piece of hardware you’ll need is a USB encoder. This handy little device is responsible for mapping inputs from your arcade controls to a modern computer, such as a Raspberry Pi. You can buy this piece of hardware for cheap, or, for the DIY extremist, you can retrieve one by taking apart an old USB keyboard.
