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There is no single “right” DIY arcade cabinet. The ten projects in Make:’s 2014 roundup range from a full MDF MAME machine to cardboard experiments, sit-down furniture, tabletop cabinets and acrylic micro-arcades. Choose the shape first, then match the computer, screen, controls and fabrication method to your room, games and skills.
The examples below come from Cabe Atwell’s Make: roundup, published October 4, 2014 (the page also displays December 3, 2015). Its prices, kits and hardware references are historical inspiration rather than current shopping or compatibility advice.
Choose the cabinet format before buying parts
Footprint determines nearly every other decision: screen size, control-panel depth, speaker placement, storage and whether players sit or stand. The roundup covers four useful families.
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| Format | Projects in the roundup | Best fit | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upright cabinet | Nintendo-themed MAME; Borderlands 2; Project MAME | A dedicated game-room machine with a familiar arcade stance | Largest footprint and most sheet-material work |
| Tabletop or bartop | Porta Pi; BarCade; Project MAME tabletop | A desk, counter or shelf where a full cabinet will not fit | Requires a separate table or stand and careful screen viewing angle |
| Furniture hybrid | Coffee-table arcade; Multi Arcade System | Shared living spaces and novelty builds | More complicated access, ventilation and day-to-day practicality |
| Miniature | CupCade; Raspberry Pi Micro Arcade | Small displays, display pieces and compact experiments | Tiny controls and screens are less comfortable for extended play |
| Improvised prototype | TrashCade | Testing an idea with reclaimed materials | Low durability and limited finish quality |
The source does not establish comparable build times, present-day costs or performance results, so treat this as a design map rather than a buying guide.
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Ten projects, and what each teaches
1. Nintendo-themed MAME cabinet
This is the classic full-size route: an MDF cabinet with custom graphics, Happ joysticks and buttons, a trackball and a PC. It suits a dedicated room and a broad game library because the control deck can support both conventional joystick games and trackball titles. Plan the control layout and monitor position before cutting MDF; those dimensions drive the cabinet’s width and depth.
2. Borderlands 2 cabinet
The Borderlands 2 build uses MDF, a PC and a custom control panel with illuminated buttons and two 8-way joysticks. The article reports 20 LED buttons, plus a keyboard encoder and concealed access to a keyboard and mouse. That combination is useful when you want a two-player panel but still need desktop input for maintenance. Leave a service opening or removable panel so the encoder, keyboard and mouse can be reached without dismantling the cabinet.
3. Porta Pi tabletop cabinet
Porta Pi is a compact, laser-cut tabletop design built around a Raspberry Pi, a screen and buttons connected through GPIO. Make: described wood and plastic kit options and 7-inch and 9-inch screen choices at the time. The concept is a good fit for a shelf or desk: draw the control spacing around the actual display and Pi enclosure, and provide strain relief for the power and display cables.
Rank #2
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
4. BarCade tabletop machine
Mike Trello’s BarCade reuses old computer hardware, a sideways CRT and a custom interface board. Make: reported a $40 project cost in 2014 because the builder already had parts; that is not a current budget estimate. CRT weight, heat and high-voltage service make this a historically interesting reference rather than a straightforward modern plan. If you recreate the idea, use appropriate safety practices and do not open or modify a CRT unless you understand the hazards.
5. Project MAME cabinet
Project MAME offers upright and tabletop versions made from MDF or HDF, with a PC, LCD screen, speakers and a control board. The builder shared plans that the article described as open source. This is the most adaptable template in the list: select the form factor first, then scale the monitor opening, speaker locations and control panel to your available space. Confirm that any plan or license is still available before redistributing files.
6. TrashCade
TrashCade deliberately uses cardboard, tape, reclaimed materials and a PC. It is ideal for validating screen height, joystick reach and cabinet proportions before committing to wood or acrylic. Treat it as a prototype: protect the electronics from crushing and heat, and expect the structure and finish to degrade faster than a sheet-material cabinet.
Rank #3
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- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
7. CupCade mini cabinet
CupCade is a Raspberry Pi miniature with a small screen and physical controls. The roundup notes soldering and configuration work, so it is better suited to makers comfortable with wiring and software setup than to a no-tools weekend build. Its 2.8-inch display emphasizes portability and character over a conventional arcade viewing experience.
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8. Coffee-table arcade
This sit-down cabinet uses a table base and a slide-out control arrangement. It can disappear into a living room more easily than an upright machine, but the furniture has to carry the monitor, controls and electronics while remaining comfortable as a table. Design the slide mechanism for cable travel and service access; a trapped cable can make an otherwise elegant build frustrating to repair.
9. Multi Arcade System
The Multi Arcade System combines a PC running MAME with a mini fridge. It is a novelty concept, not a construction recommendation. Appliance integration adds weight, ventilation, condensation and electrical-clearance concerns, and it complicates moving or servicing the cabinet. Borrow the visual idea if you like, but keep the gaming electronics and cooling systems independently serviceable.
Rank #4
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10. Raspberry Pi Micro Arcade
This very small acrylic cabinet pairs a miniature joystick and buttons with a small LCD and an OLED marquee. The article lists a 2.4-inch display for the micro-arcade build. Acrylic can produce a clean, compact enclosure, but it needs accurately cut parts and careful fastening to avoid cracks. Use it for a desk display or short sessions rather than expecting the ergonomics of a full-size control panel.
Match the computer to the project
PC-based cabinets
The Nintendo-themed, Borderlands 2, BarCade, Project MAME and Multi Arcade examples use PCs. A PC gives you room for a larger case, conventional storage and desktop peripherals, but reserve ventilation and a way to reach the keyboard, mouse and control interface.
Raspberry Pi builds
Porta Pi, CupCade and Raspberry Pi Micro Arcade use Raspberry Pi boards. Their small size suits tabletop and miniature enclosures, while GPIO wiring makes the physical controls part of the build. Board, operating-system and emulator support change over time; verify current software documentation rather than relying on a 2014 configuration.
Best Value
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- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
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Design the controls around the games and players
The projects demonstrate that “arcade controls” can mean very different hardware:
- Joysticks and action buttons: the normal starting point for arcade-style games. Specify player count, mounting depth and button spacing before cutting the panel.
- 8-way joysticks: the Borderlands 2 cabinet uses two. They suit games that need diagonal directions, but the correct restrictor and encoder depend on the games and operating system.
- Trackball: the Nintendo-themed cabinet adds one for trackball-compatible titles; it needs a deeper panel and a suitable interface.
- GPIO buttons: used by Porta Pi and other Raspberry Pi concepts. Confirm voltage, pin assignments and grounding in the current build documentation.
- Keyboard encoders and control boards: useful for translating button presses to a PC and for keeping wiring organized. Check operating-system support and simultaneous-input behavior.
- Miniature controls: CupCade and the Micro Arcade trade comfort for size, so measure the actual joystick shaft and button bodies before selecting an enclosure.
Materials and fabrication: pick the method you can finish
| Method | Examples | What it enables | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard and tape | TrashCade | Fast, reversible prototypes using reclaimed materials | Weak joints, heat and short service life |
| MDF or HDF | Nintendo-themed, Borderlands 2, Project MAME | Rigid full-size panels and paintable surfaces | Dust control, edge finishing and accurate cuts |
| Laser-cut wood | Porta Pi | Repeatable compact parts and tabbed assemblies | Kerf, material thickness and kit availability |
| Acrylic | Raspberry Pi Micro Arcade | Transparent, precise miniature enclosures | Cracking, scratches and careful fastening |
| Reclaimed hardware | BarCade | Reuse of displays and computers already on hand | Unknown dimensions, weight, heat and age |
A practical build sequence
- Define the room and players. Measure the footprint, decide upright versus seated play and choose one- or two-player controls.
- Choose the display. Record the actual screen dimensions, mounting points, orientation and viewing height. The roundup includes historical examples from a 2.4-inch micro display up to a 19-inch screen, with room in one design for 20- or 21-inch displays.
- Select the platform. Use a PC when the cabinet needs desktop access or larger hardware; use a Raspberry Pi when compact size and GPIO wiring are priorities.
- Draw the control panel. Place joysticks, buttons, trackballs and service controls around real component dimensions, player reach and cable clearance.
- Prototype the ergonomics. Cardboard or inexpensive scrap material can test panel angle, screen height and knee clearance before final cuts.
- Build service access and ventilation. Include removable panels, strain relief, airflow and a safe route for power cables.
- Configure software legally and carefully. Install the emulator and controls, test every input and keep a recovery path for the operating system.
- Finish only after testing. Paint, graphics, marquee lighting and trim are easier to redo before the electronics are permanently enclosed.
ROMs, emulators and legal responsibility
Make: described MAME as an emulator and warned in its 2014 article that ROM use is illegal in many countries. That broad historical warning is not jurisdiction-specific legal advice. Copyright, preservation and personal-use rules vary by country and by game; use only game files you are authorized to possess and play, and check current law where you live.
How to choose among the ten
- Want the familiar arcade experience? Start with the Nintendo-themed, Borderlands 2 or Project MAME upright designs.
- Have only a desk or shelf? Compare Porta Pi, BarCade or the tabletop Project MAME version.
- Need a low-risk first experiment? Build a TrashCade prototype, then reuse its measured layout in MDF.
- Prefer a tiny maker project? CupCade and the Raspberry Pi Micro Arcade demonstrate progressively smaller screens and controls.
- Need furniture integration? The coffee-table concept is more practical than the fridge hybrid; the latter is best treated as a novelty reference.
These projects show the range of home arcade making: a cabinet can be a piece of furniture, a compact computer enclosure or simply a temporary cardboard test. Select the form factor and control scheme that you can safely build and maintain, then treat the 2014 examples as design inspiration rather than current product specifications.
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