Question about bartop arcade size and display aspect ratio/size?

[Lurker]

Features that I would recommend if they are relevant to your build

• External Lighting (LED mood lights, Marque or even LED buttons) will benefit from a power switch independent from the rest of the system. because somethimes you just want them off.

• Externally accessible volume control. Be it a small knob under the Marque or hidden on top or even a side button on the back is useful when you need to make a quick adjustment up or down.

• Flush mount USB ports are great if you plan on playing console games or arcade games with game pad controllers. Easy plug in and take away again without getting to the pi to add a controller.

• Some kind of door or hinge or other access to the the deck underside will make it easy to check button connections and change the joystick restrictor if you want to flip between 4 way and 8 way.

• The Marque is a great place to make into storage to hold game pad controllers. Even if the Marque is light up you can create a shallow light panel with storage behind it.

• Master power switch for the whole thing. LED rocker switches are fun. Metal toggle pole is very satisfyingly tactile.

• Small independent FN (hotkey) button. Sometime I include this sometimes not. But I have accidentally exited games before that use the select and start buttons in their menus

• Coin acceptor is a nostalgic way to limit kids play on the arcade games. "Yes, you are out of lives after just 3 mins. That is what we had to deal with when we where your age. Want another coin? Go pick up your room and I will give you three more coins."

Small bits of advice I have learned building cabinets

• Forstner bits are the best for clean accurate button hole drilling.

• If you put a hinge on your control deck make sure the button height does not cause it to hit the monitor bezel. That pissed me off when I realized I didn't account for the button

• Dry fit when possible with clamps before doing something permanent. I have found a lot of little things I over looked that way

• Make a cardboard box controller to test your button layout and make sure you like it. This also helps to map out your button wiring and make sure they have the wire reach to put your encoder or block where you want it.

• List out the features you want in your build so you remember to plan for how they will fit and work with the other details.

• If possible sandwich the left and right panels and cut them together. They will then be symmetrical and if you make a mistake it will not look obvious and at least it will be a symmetrical mistake.

annnnnnnd that's all I got for now.

[m2306]

@lurker That’s a lot of text for one that calls himself lurker! Thank you so much for the tips! I was going to ask about a dedicated hotkey next but now I know I want one. That’s just what I was thinking, that with the default hotkey combos I’ll invoke something other than what I actually wanted to do, with a dedicated key that wont happen.

After some research I cant see 16:9 as a good option. I’m currently looking for a 20” 4:3 or a 22” 16:10, I think either one will maximize screen size while not making the cabinet oversized in the process. I’ll report here once I get that far.

[grant2258]

the real thing that decides your width is one or two players.

If two people need to be controlling they need space to get to the controls

[Lurker]

@m2306 said in Question about bartop arcade size and display aspect ratio/size?:

@lurker That’s a lot of text for one that calls himself lurker!

I know. I'm trying a new thing and par..partis...participating uuuhhh

Introverts unite.
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We're uncomfortable.
We'd rather
Go
Home!

[m2306]

@grant2258 Yes, I understand, I plan to make enough room for two players. Then I’ll try to fill up the widht with the display. Big bezels are very retro but in a bad way.

[ultrakev9]

I've played enough bar tops to know that usually player one and two sit across from each other. The sides of the table are usually a bit wider than the screen so you have somewhere to set your drinks. A wider screen would either mean having less room for drinks or a much larger bar top to accommodate both larger screens and room for drinks.

I think it would be difficult to make a bar top with both players on one side and have room to set stuff on top of the table. I have not personally ever seen such a bar top gaming table.

Another idea would be to get a huge screen and then use aspect to make the active display much smaller. I'm guessing you're planning on covering the table with some sort of glass or high impact plastic/polyeurathane/etc. so you can use the screen as a giant coaster.

[DougA]

@ultrakev9
I think he is talking about a cabinet that sits on a bar, ie the top half of a standard cabinet, not a cabinet with a screen laying horizontally.

[Lurker]

@ultrakev9 said in Question about bartop arcade size and display aspect ratio/size?:

I've played enough bar tops to know that usually player one and two sit across from each other.

Your thinking of a cocktail cabinet. That is what they call it in the States anyway and the menu option in Pac-man to flip the image on player 2's turn is called "cocktail" so I'm treating that as the official designation.

Bar top and in particular a 2 player bar top looks in its simple form like...

(Children not included)

[m2306]

@lurker Yes, I’m planning something like the cabinet in the lower pic.

[ultrakev9]

Ah, gotcha. Seen plenty of those too. Nothing bigger than about a 21' screen would be fine.

I've actually never seen one that is a two player model with joysticks. It's always been one player or two player touchscreen.