Already in September, or at the latest in October, the first copies of the arcade slot machine will be delivered to the first buyers. A project that may become a hit at any event has just appeared on Kickstarter.
Admit it, who among you hasn’t dreamed of having your own arcade machine in your living room? The problem is that these huge boxes take up half the room and look like a relic of the past. Californian inventor Les Cookson came up with an idea that solves this puzzle once and for all. His Swap Arcade just launched on Kickstarter and it looks like a piece of furniture that everyone would love to have.
The automatic piece of furniture will come to your living room
Magic is about transformation. In arcade mode, it is a full-size machine, 178 centimeters high, with a 27-inch HDMI screen, two Sanwa knobs and eight buttons per player. All this according to the standards of serious gaming machines. However, just fold the upper part and in a few seconds it turns into an elegant wooden cabinet with a height of 91 centimeters that looks like a normal piece of furniture. The front door is only decorative, but inside you will find shelves for consoles, cables and controllers.
The heart of the device is a Raspberry Pi 4 with pre-installed Batocera and a starter set of 100 games that the community will choose themselves after the campaign ends. But that’s not all. Thanks to the Brook Zero-Pi Fighting Board controller, you can connect Switch, PS2, PS3, PC and even Switch 2. Cookson has thought of everything: the storage space opens only after unfolding the machine, and the cooling system ensures that the raspberry does not overheat.
Returning to childhood costs money. The early Kickstarter bid is $1,097, with retail price jumping to $1,697. You also need to add shipping, which won’t be cheap because the device weighs 45 kilograms. Finishes available include Natural, Walnut and Dark Tobacco, and for DIY enthusiasts there is unfinished wood to paint yourself.
