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Arcade Kits: Sticks, Buttons, Cabinets and Bartops
In short
There's nothing quite like the clack of a proper arcade stick. Whether you want a fight stick for the sofa or a full cabinet in the spare room, this guide covers the main parts and the decisions you'll face.
Fun fact: Sanwa's popular OBSF buttons come in two sizes, 30 mm for the main action buttons and 24 mm for start, select and credit. They snap into the panel, so there's no nut to screw on.
The full guide
Joysticks
Arcade sticks fall broadly into two camps:
- Japanese-style sticks (Sanwa and Seimitsu are the best-known makers) have a ball top, light springs and short throws. They're the favourite for fighting games.
- American-style sticks (Happ and similar) use a bat-shaped handle and a stiffer feel, like the classic US cabinets.
Most sticks use a "gate" to set the direction pattern: square gates, octagonal gates and circular gates suit different games. Many sticks let you switch between 4-way and 8-way, which matters for maze games like Pac-Man.
Buttons
- Size: 30mm buttons are the standard for player buttons, with 24mm for start and select.
- Style: Japanese buttons are concave and sensitive; American buttons often have a stiffer, longer press.
- Connection: most modern buttons use push-on spade connectors, so no soldering is needed.
Encoders and wiring
To connect sticks and buttons to a computer, Raspberry Pi or console, you need an encoder board. Zero-delay USB encoders are cheap and are recognised as a standard USB controller. For fight sticks you plan to use on modern consoles, compatibility needs special boards. Label every wire and keep a diagram – you'll thank yourself later.
Fight sticks
A ready-made fight stick is the easiest way into arcade controls for consoles and PC. A common path is to buy one and later swap in your preferred stick and buttons. Our arcade-to-console page explains why arcade-style controls mattered so much to home ports.
Bartops
A bartop is a small cabinet that sits on a table, with a screen at the top and a control panel at the front. It's the sweet spot for many builders: big enough to feel like an arcade, small enough to live with. Flat-pack kits typically use MDF panels and suit a screen of roughly 17 to 24 inches. Expect to drill, glue and paint.
Full cabinets
Building or restoring a full-size cabinet is a serious project. Classic cabinets weigh a lot and take up real floor space. Restoring an original cabinet is a different job from building a new one: think carefully before modifying a rare original, as it reduces collector value.
If you want an official route instead, licensed arcade-style cabinets and mini cabinets are widely available from several brands.
What to put inside
- A PC or Raspberry Pi running emulation software (see our Raspberry Pi arcade guide). Use only legally obtained games: homebrew, freely licensed titles or backups of your own original games made with legit dumper hardware.
- Original arcade boards, such as the Neo Geo MVS, if you want the real thing. See our Neo Geo page and Capcom CPS page.
- A modern console with official arcade collections.
For the nerds (click to open)
Parts at a glance (Sanwa examples)
| Part | Example spec | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Action buttons | Sanwa OBSF-30: 30 mm mounting hole, snap-in | Fits panels about 2–4 mm thick |
| Start/select buttons | Sanwa OBSF-24: 24 mm mounting hole, snap-in | Commonly used as service buttons in commercial fight sticks |
| Button terminals | 2.8 mm (0.110-inch) on OBSF buttons | Make sure your encoder's wiring harness has 2.8 mm connectors to match |
| Joystick | Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT: 5-pin connector, 35 mm ball-top (LB-35) | Comes with a square restrictor gate that you can swap for an octagonal one |
Thin snap-in buttons suit metal or thin wooden panels. A thick wooden panel may need recessing from underneath. Measure your parts before you drill.
Safety and where to buy
Safety notes
- Mains: keep 230V wiring in enclosed, earthed fittings. Fit a fused, switched mains strip and a cable strain relief. If in doubt, get a qualified electrician to check it.
- CRTs: never open a CRT monitor. They store a dangerous high voltage long after unplugging.
- Original arcade power supplies: the PSU's mains input, the cabinet's mains wiring and the monitor chassis all carry mains voltage, so only open them if you know what you're doing. The JAMMA harness itself carries low-voltage DC (+5V, +12V and −5V), plus video and speaker signals.
- Earthing: metal parts such as the coin door and control panel should be connected to earth.
- Ventilation: a PC or Pi and a monitor in a closed box get hot. Leave vents top and bottom, or fit a quiet fan.
- Lifting and tipping: full cabinets are heavy and top-heavy. Always lift with two people, and keep tall cabinets clear of children or fix them to the wall.
- Soldering: ventilate, use a stand, wear eye protection and keep the iron away from flammable panels.
- Tools: cut MDF outdoors or with dust extraction and a mask.
Where to buy now
Find arcade stick kit on eBay UK (opens in new tab) (Ad: affiliate link)