Look, anyone with a serious gaming den probably has an impressive gaming TV to go with a fleet of consoles or a sick gaming desk to serve as the heart of a battle station. We don't think there's any problem with that, but there's a lot more that can be done to deck out a recreation room. One of the niftiest options is an arcade cabinet.
You'll find arcade cabinets that will let you feel like you've just traveled through time, giving you access to a horde of classic games alongside familiar arcade controls. In many cases, a quality arcade cabinet can even exceed the cabinets you would have actually seen in arcades. Many of these models include anywhere from several games to thousands of games all in a single cabinet. Even if you don't have room for a full-size arcade cabinet, you can get in on the retro fun with a handful of mini and tabletop arcade cabinets. So, if you're ready to relive arcade classics, check out our top arcade cabinet picks – and click here to find them in the UK.
TL;DR – These are the Best Arcade Cabinets
- iiRcade
- AtGames Legends Ultimate
- Arcade1UP Galaga Arcade Machine
- Prime Arcades Cocktail Arcade Machine
- My Arcade Data East Classics Mini Player
- My Arcade Bubble Bobble Micro Player
- Tiny Arcade Space Invaders
- Arcade1Up Midway Legacy
- Namco Pac-Man Pixel Bash
- SNK MVSX Arcade Machine
1. iiRcade
Best Arcade Machine
A lot of arcade machines come preloaded with a ton of games, and then that’s that. With the iiRcade, you’ll get started with a handful of games, but the cabinet comes with 64GB of built-in storage and is ready for you to load up with the games you want on it. iiRcade’s app will let you select games from its store and they’ll automatically download and install onto the arcade. iiRcade’s library is already loaded with titles, including classics like Dragon’s Lair and Double Dragon as well as some newer hits like Dead Cells. There are over 200 licensed games in the library so far, and more are added weekly.
The iiRcade cabinet features a 19-inch LCD display with a 1,280 x 1,024 resolution and packs stereo speakers that can pump out those classic chiptunes at 100W. You’ll be well kitted out for solo or duo play with the pair of 8-way joysticks and 19 buttons. The cabinet comes with some modern touches as well, like the Wi-Fi connectivity for getting games, Bluetooth connectivity for wireless audio, and HDMI output if you ever feel like switching over to your TV.
2. AtGames Legends Ultimate
Best Multi-Game Arcade Machine
What’s better than a big old arcade cabinet that’s packed full of games? How about one that’s packed full of games, still brings some awesome retro styling, and manages to take up a smaller footprint in your home? That’s what the AtGames Legends Ultimate manages to do. This great arcade cabinet skips that old-school CRT display for a 24-inch HD display that lets the cabinet hug your wall a bit better than a classic cabinet would.
Thankfully, you don’t need a massive cabinet to have a big game library. The AtGames Legends Ultimate arcade machine packs in 300 games from classic arcade games to Atari and Sega Genesis games alongside the range of controls you need to play them. If you ever tire of the games available directly on the machine, you can set the cabinet up to stream games from a local PC, effectively giving you access to an unlimited library.
3. Arcade1UP Galaga Arcade Machine
Best Cabaret Arcade Cabinet
It's easy enough to see the appeal of having a throwback arcade machine in your home. But, old technology had a tendency toward being big and bulky. Cabaret models keep the design a bit more on the svelte side, and that's the case here with the Arcade1UP Galaga Arcade Machine.
This model stays trim at just 19 inches wide. It would also normally stand at just under 46 inches tall, but it includes a hefty riser that can boost it up to 61.8 inches tall. It features both the classic Galaga and Galaxian arcade games plus original artwork on the cabinet.
4. Prime Arcades Cocktail Arcade Machine
Best Cocktail Arcade Cabinet
Let’s face it: standing is for suckers. Back in the old days of arcades and bars that also had arcade machines in them, someone was like, “Hey what if we could set our drinks on an arcade machine and play at the same time?” And so, the magical cocktail arcade machine was born.
This particular unit from Prime Arcades includes 1,162 classic games (412 vertical and 750 horizontal) including Galaga, Street Fighter II Turbo, and a whole lot more. And just to make sure you’re getting the most out of your newfound freedom from the tyranny of standing, it even includes the chrome stools.
5. My Arcade Data East Classics Mini Player
Best Tabletop Arcade Cabinet
If you’re short on floor space, there’s always the option to stick a fully functioning arcade machine on the tabletop. This unit from My Arcade features 35 titles from the Data East classic collection, including BurgerTime, Joe and Mac Returns, and Street Hoop.
The games are displayed on a 4.25” LCD screen and controls include a miniature joystick (which you can screw off for a regular D-Pad) and arcade buttons. Plus, the authentic Data East design on the cabinet is pretty rad. Big things really do come in small packages. MyArcade also has a MiniPlayer dedicated to Namco's classic collection if you'd rather play games like PacMan and Galaga.
6. My Arcade Bubble Bobble Micro Player
Best Mini Arcade Cabinet
Now we're getting into the realm of portable arcade machines with Bubble Bobble Micro Player. It has a tiny 2.75-inch screen with a matching pair of itty-bitty arcade controls.
This arcade machine will easily fit into the palm of your hand, so you can pack it into a bag and it makes for a great tabletop decoration as well. Of course, it's not as capable or impressive as some of the bigger machines on this list, but the Bubble Bobble Micro Player is also a small fraction of the cost of its bigger competitors and won't take up nearly as much space in your home.
7. Tiny Arcade Space Invaders
Best Tiny Arcade Cabinet
Big, expensive arcade cabinets just aren’t in everyone’s budget. Thankfully, this Tiny Arcade cabinet costs under $29. This Space Invaders machine is, as the name suggests, super tiny. Think keychain-size tiny.
But amazingly, this little wonder plays the full and original Space Invaders on an even tinier screen. The controls work great, too. It's small enough to serve as a little novelty decoration on your office desk, and you don't need to let anyone else in the office know that you can actually play on it when you need a quick mental break from work.
8. Arcade1Up Midway Legacy
Best Fighting Game Arcade Cabinet
Before you get into a big huff thinking that IGN has selected Mortal Kombat as the best fighting arcade game over Street Fighter, Tekken, Soul Caliber, Dead or Alive, King of Fighters, Darkstalkers, BlazBlue, Smash Bros., or any of your other favorites—we're not, we just love this cabinet.
Arcade 1Up's Midway Legacy Cabinet will make you nostalgic for the 90s. This baby is loaded up with twelve classic games including three Mortal Kombat games, Defender, Joust, Rampage, and Gauntlet. The machine itself is designed to look like the iconic Mortal Kombat II. The added themed riser makes it comfortable to play sitting or standing, so be ready to get sucked into the game for hours. Midway Legacy's light-up Marquee and coin door sticker will transport you back to simpler days, but this time you won't be spending your allowance on quarters or worrying about someone stealing your machine.
Priced under $600, you get 2 sets of robust controls that will get you kicking, punching, blocking, and running. The real feel, full-size joysticks labeled with moves for Mortal Kombat II have a nice response and the games play just like they used. Although this unit has an LCD screen rather than CRT, there isn't any smearing or ugly ghost effects. Everything looks as crisp and colorful as the original games were down to the pixelated blood squirts. If you're ready to take a leap back in time and help Raiden defend the Earthrealm, save your quarters and grab this cabinet.
9. Namco Pac-Man Pixel Bash
Best Pac-Man Arcade Cabinet
Hey, it’s a Pac-Man party and everyone’s invited! Except for Inky, get lost Inky. While most of the cabinets on this list are manufactured by third parties using emulators to install huge numbers of classic games, this Namco Pac-Man Pixel Bash machine is pretty unique.
After all, it’s sold by the legendary Namco, and if you’re familiar with Namco’s popular Namco Museum collections for consoles, this is essentially the same concept, but in between full- and cabaret-sized arcade cabinet with a 19-inch monitor. This unit comes with 32 classic titles including Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, and more in a well-made, eye-catching machine.
10. SNK MVSX Arcade Machine
Best SNK Arcade Cabinet
From the King of Fighters and Samurai Showdown to Metal Slug and Fatal Fury, these iconic arcade franchises all came from one place: SNK. So, what better way to relive those classic arcade experiences than a dedicated SNK Neo Geo machine loaded with 50 games.
The SNK MVSX Arcade Machine delivers a large batch of titles from those classic franchises, as well as Real Bout, World Heroes, Sengoku, and more. For $500, you're getting access to a classic library that'll deliver plenty of play time. And, it provides an option to play through either the arcade or the home console versions of the games. The cabinet itself offers room for you and a friend to play shoulder-to-shoulder, as it stands 57-inches tall, has a 17-inch display, and features full-size arcade controls for two players. Fortunately, you won't have to go running for quarters if you run out of lives with this cabinet.
Where to Get the Best Arcade Cabinets in the UK
Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam
Mark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
