Guides
Practical guides to choosing, buying and building a home arcade machine, written from the sourced listings in this directory.
Arcade machine dimensions: how much space you need
Home arcade machines in our listings run from about 13 inches tall (countertop) to 79 inches (premium uprights), with specialty cabinets up to 86.4 inches; Arcade1Up full-height cabinets are 60 to 67 inches tall, and full-size uprights 68 to 79 inches tall and 19 to 55 inches wide.
Build or buy an arcade machine? A cost breakdown from real listings
Building is usually cheaper only when you already own a screen, a computer and woodworking tools; once you buy those, a full-size build lands in the same $500 to $1,900 range as many prebuilt cabinets, and it comes with no games.
Cheap arcade machines: what $150, $500 and $1,000 actually buy
About $150 buys a 7-inch Arcade1Up Countercade for a tabletop, $500 buys a 5-foot Arcade1Up Deluxe cabinet with a 17-inch screen, and $1,000 buys a 19 to 24 inch screen cabinet such as an Arcade1Up Supreme or AtGames Legends Ultimate (prices as of October 1, 2026).
Choosing a home arcade machine
The best home arcade machine is the one that plays the games you want, fits your room and seats your players: start from the games, measure the space, count players, check the licensing label, then pick mass-market, premium or DIY within your budget.
How much does an arcade machine cost?
A new home arcade machine costs $129.99 to $9,895 in our 79 U.S.-priced listings: countertop machines under $200, Arcade1Up full-height cabinets at $499.99 to $699.99, custom and licensed cabinets from about $1,000 to $4,000, and specialty machines above that.
How to build an arcade cabinet: a planning guide
To build an arcade cabinet, pick a cabinet type and a plan or flat-pack kit, cut or assemble the cabinet from 3/4-inch MDF or plywood, mount a joystick-and-button kit with a USB encoder, add a screen and a small computer, then wire, test and finish it.
Is Arcade1Up discontinued? What the Basic Fun takeover means for buyers
Arcade1Up is not discontinued: Basic Fun acquired select assets of the brand in December 2025, announced new cabinets on February 14, 2026, and new Supreme Series machines are listed for fall 2026.