Arcade machine for sale – but which one should you buy?

February 16, 2023

You’re most likely here because you want to buy an arcade machine and you think you know what you want – but (and this is why we wrote this blog) when you start searching you realise just how many suppliers and machine options are available, and it can quickly become a bit of a nightmare.

We’ve wrote this article to try and take the pain out of buying an arcade machine and help you choose one of the best toys you’ll ever own.

TYPE OF MACHINE

The main types of machines on the market are BAR TOPS, COCKTAIL and FULL SIZE upright arcade machines (We are not including smaller handheld, plug in to TV or sub £500 machines in this review),

BAR TOPS

If you want to save space or put your machine away after use then a Bar Top might be a good option so if you a not too bothered about an arcade machine as a piece of permanent furniture then Bar Tops could be a good option. There are some things to consider - We had a friend who bought a bar top machine. At first glance it looked really cool. He went for a high spec and it cost him over £800 with a stand. It was only after he got it home he realised there were issues – ones which made him deeply regret his purchase.

The issues were that a 19” screen was too small (so look for a 24”), and it distorted/stretched some of the games (e.g. Pac-Man). The sound was poor because there’s no room for a large bass or sub-woofer. If you are looking for the feel of an arcade machine but space is an issue, a bar top maybe an issue but check the screen size, sound, games and try one out first.

COCKTAIL or SIT DOWN ARCADE MACHINES

Cocktail arcade machines are cool – they can be a real centrepiece and have the face-to-face gaming and your sat down - appeal that no other machines offer. But to us the appeal stops there – there are a few things that people don’t think about before buying a cocktail machine which they need to consider:
Space – because you have the footprint of the cabinet and the footprint of 2 people sat on stools either side cocktail machines need much more space than you would think – they require a bigger footprint than a full size arcade machine.
Games – this is an issue for us. You can’t play 2 player games like Street Fighter, Simpsons, Turtles and 100s more as each player needs to be sat on the same side to play. There are some cocktail machines which have 2 sets of controls on the same side but that defeats the whole object of a face to face cocktail arcade machine. So you lose some of the best games ever made if you choose a cocktail table.

FULL SIZE ARCADE MACHINES FOR SALE

Let’s cut to the chase. Full size arcae cabinets are the daddy. If space isn’t an issue and you have a good budget, what machine would you buy? There you go – you’d opt for a full-size arcade machine every time – with the full graphics packs they look awesome. The sound (120 watts is the best) is epic. The 24” FHD screen size is the optimum screen size – not too big and not too small for someone only standing a foot away.

Full size arcade machines look cool even when switched off. When they are on the lighting from the marquee and on many machines the buttons and even remote control RGB under glow looks amazing.

One of the problems with full size machines is the variety of options. It’s a bit like buying at airline ticket – your trip is advertised for £50 but when you add all the options it’s £500 – how disappointing! We don’t like options, which is why Arcade WOW machines are fully loaded, with everything you’ll need, for one price – 15,000 games, 24” full HD screen, 120watt sound system with huge sub-woofer which you can easily control, overhead marquee lighting, led button, remote control under glow, premium quality UK build as standard – NO OPTIONS – all these features come as standard.

You can tell from this article we love the old school full size arcade machines – let’s face it, these are what we fell in love with when we were kids – so why get a substitute which will always make you feel like you want more. If you are going to take the plunge, get a full size machine, get the most get 10,000s of games so you’re never left wanting and don’t stress over options! Come see us at WWW.ARCADEWOW.CO.UK

Arcade machine for sale – but which one should you buy?

Also in News

Best Arcade Machines in the UK

Which Arcade Machine for your home?

The best video arcade machines - here is our best video arcade machine list!

Follow