Retro Grenade DIY Hub: Pick Your Next Build

Fancy making something rather than just buying it? This hub gathers our favourite retro DIY projects in one place, from a simple Raspberry Pi box for the telly to a full arcade cabinet in the spare room.

How we ordered these: projects are listed by how much UK interest we think each one gets, using Google Trends comparisons plus our own judgement (see our search-demand notes). It isn't based on measured search volumes.

Our games rule: every project here is for legally obtained games only: backups of your own cartridges made with proper dumper hardware, homebrew and freely licensed games, or officially licensed collections. We don't link to ROM sites or explain how to download games. For the legal background, see our Raspberry Pi arcade guide.

Typical UK retail prices, checked October 2026.

About prices: all costs are rough UK estimates. Where we checked a retailer, we say so; prices change often.

1. Raspberry Pi 5 retro box for the TV

What you'll build: a small, quiet box that plugs into your TV and plays your legally obtained retro games with a USB or Bluetooth pad. It's the easiest project here and a good first step before a cabinet.

Difficulty: beginner. Flashing an image to a card and plugging things in.

Rough UK cost (estimate): about £120–£160 including a controller. A Pi 5 2GB, official 27W PSU, official case and micro-HDMI cable come to about £100 at The Pi Hut (checked 13 Oct 2026), before the microSD card and pad.

Parts list:

Best full guides:

Our pages: Raspberry Pi arcade guide · DIY NES and SNES

Safety: use the official power supply, keep the Pi ventilated, and don't open mains adaptors.

2. Build or mod your own fight stick

What you'll build: a custom arcade stick for PC or consoles, either from scratch in a box you make, or by swapping better parts into a ready-made stick.

Difficulty: beginner (part swap) to intermediate (custom box).

Rough UK cost (estimate): about £40–£80 for a parts upgrade, or about £80–£200 for a full custom build, depending on the encoder and brand of parts.

Parts list:

Best full guide:

Our page: Arcade kits guide

Safety: most part swaps need no soldering. If you do solder, use a stand, ventilate and wear eye protection. Wear a mask when cutting or sanding MDF.

3. Full-size arcade cabinet

What you'll build: a stand-up cabinet with a large screen, marquee and full control panel, powered by a Pi or a small PC. Alternatively, restore an original cabinet with real arcade boards.

Difficulty: advanced. Large-scale woodwork, heavy lifting, mains power and lots of wiring.

Rough UK cost (estimate): about £390–£550 for a full-size upright cabinet kit alone, as a flat pack (Knockout Arcades, October 2026). The screen, controls, PC or Pi and wiring cost extra, and an original cabinet to restore varies widely. This is a rough estimate.

Parts list:

Best full guide:

Our pages: Arcade kits guide · Raspberry Pi arcade guide

Safety: full cabinets are heavy and top-heavy, so lift with two people and keep them stable or fixed to a wall. Earth metal parts such as the coin door and control panel. Never open a CRT: they hold a dangerous charge after unplugging. On original cabinets, the power supply input, cabinet mains wiring and monitor chassis carry mains voltage; the JAMMA harness itself is low-voltage DC (5V logic and 12V for sound). If you're unsure, get a qualified electrician to check it.

4. Raspberry Pi bartop arcade

What you'll build: a tabletop arcade cabinet with a screen up top, a two-player control panel, speakers and a Raspberry Pi inside. It's the classic "proper arcade feel without filling a room" project.

Difficulty: intermediate. Woodwork, drilling and basic wiring, but no soldering if you use plug-in controls.

Rough UK cost (estimate): about £250–£450, depending on the screen and whether you buy a flat-pack kit or cut your own MDF; no single source gives a whole-build price. The Pi side is about £95 plus a microSD card (a Pi 5 2GB, official 27W PSU, Active Cooler and micro-HDMI cable; prices checked at The Pi Hut on 13 Oct 2026).

Parts list:

Best full guides:

Our pages: Raspberry Pi arcade guide · Arcade kits guide

Safety: keep all mains wiring inside a fused, switched strip rather than hand-wiring sockets, and keep it away from the low-voltage electronics. Leave vents in the cabinet. Cut MDF outdoors or with dust extraction and a mask.

5. Game Boy IPS screen upgrade

What you'll build: an original Game Boy with a modern, backlit IPS screen. It's far easier to see than the original green panel.

Difficulty: intermediate. Trimming plastic inside the shell, delicate ribbon cables and some soldering (the speaker, on many kits).

Rough UK cost (estimate): about £40–£80 for a kit and shell, plus the console itself. Kit prices vary by retailer and change often.

Parts list:

Best full guide:

Our pages: Game Boy history · DIY NES and SNES

Safety: take the batteries out first. Use eye protection when cutting plastic posts, a stand for the iron and good ventilation. Modding reduces collector value, so practise on a non-boxed console.

6. Replace a Game Boy cartridge save battery

What you'll build: a cartridge that can hold save games again. Many Game Boy carts use a small coin cell to keep saves, and it eventually runs flat.

Difficulty: intermediate. Simple, but it needs soldering and a security bit.

Rough UK cost (estimate): about £45–£75 if you need to buy the tools, then a few pounds per battery. The low end is a soldering iron and a small tube of solder, plus a gamebit screwdriver set; the high end is a starter soldering kit with iron, solder and stand, plus the same screwdrivers (The Pi Hut and Cool Spot Gaming, October 2026).

Parts list:

Best full guide:

Our pages: DIY NES and SNES · Game Boy history

Safety: replacing the battery wipes the save stored on the cart, so back it up first if it matters. Don't touch the cell directly with the hot iron. Use a stand, ventilate and wear eye protection. Dispose of old coin cells at a battery recycling point and keep them away from children.

Where to buy now

Most parts above are sold by eBay UK, Amazon UK and specialist Pi and arcade shops. Bitmap Books publishes arcade history books. We'll add shop links here once they're set up; there are none yet.