I love arcades.
When I was growing up in Pinson, Alabama, I used to walk to downtown every Saturday to spend my allowance. Pinson didn’t have a classic “Mayberry” main street, but it wasn’t far off. There was a pharmacy with a soda fountain, another pharmacy a block away with all the newest comic books… Even a hobby shop, at one point. I bought my first role playing game at said hobby shop, a D&D board-game knock off that I couldn’t name today if my life depended on it.
At one point the hobby shop closed, and it was replaced… By an arcade “parlor”.
It was at the peak of video game mania, and while it was small, it had the best of all the modern cabinets. TRON. Frogger. Pac-Man. My favorite (at the time) Defender.
It also had a pinball machine.
My memory fails as to what “brand” the table was, and I recall it was as generic as they come. But in between pumping quarters into the latest Atari coin-magnets, I played this table. A lot.
Then that Christmas, 10-year-old me got one of my favorite gifts: A pinball table.
Obviously it was not a REAL table; It was a toy that was I can’t even find a picture of online. But it had legs, and a spring-loaded ball launch mechanism. And lights! It played it a LOT. It was eventually abandoned when we got an Atari 2600, which was in turn put aside when I got a Commodore 64.
Have I mentioned I’m old?
Flash-forward to a couple of years ago. I started building my own home arcade, and got several 3/4 cabinets from Arcade1Up. I then started thinking about pinball, and considered buying a used table. A quick search into the prices of these tables quickly disabused me of that notion. Then I started reading about “Virtual” pinball, software and hardware that allowed you to build your own table and play multiple pinball games.
The past three months I dived deep into this domain and built my own table. It’s not much, but it’s got it where it counts. Here’s a (lengthy) post on what I learned, divided into three sections:
• Virtual Pinball on a budget
• Consumer virtual pinball tables
• A deep dive into the software and hardware.
Doing it on the cheap
First off, let’s define terms. Virtual pinball is basically playing pinball tables (either existing tables or fan-created tables) on devices large and small. You can play on your TV, on your phone, on a tablet, on pretty much anything that has a scree
There are three main benefits of virtual pinball vs. a traditional full size ‘real’ pinball table.
First, full size tables are mechanical (especially older ones). You need to be very handy with both electronics AND mechanical things in order to keep a full-time pinball cabinet running.
Second, full-size pinball machines are EXPENSIVE. Like, the cheapest ones “new” are between five and ten THOUSAND dollars. You can find old “used” tables for between two and four thousand, but then you will probably have to do some work on them. Maybe a LOT of work.
Third (and this is the most important thing to me) is if you have an actual full-size table you can only play… one game. Virtua pinball allows you to play SCORES of different pinball games. Variety is the spice of life…
There are “licensed” virtual pinball systems and there are “unlicensed” systems and do-it-yourself setups. I’ll cover the latter, later.
The number one virtual pinball platform is Pinball FX (AKA Zen Pinball). It’s available on Windows, on the X-Box, on Steam, on Android, on the Nintendo Switch… It’s everywhere.
There are other players, like Pinball Arcade, Zaccaria Pinball, and many smaller single-table apps. The advantage Pinball FX has is it’s library. They have partnered with a huge number of companies to either license existing tables or to create custom ones based on IP such as Family Guy or Fallout.
The other advantage of PinballFX is you can buy tables (or table packs) from Steam and play them on multiple PCs. And Steam has sales on a regular basis. So you can load up on tables when these sales occur (Pinball FX is FREE: classic razor/razor blade business model – they make their money off the table sales).
Almost all of these apps come with at least one sample table, so you can try it out. If you are REALLY cheap you can play some of these free tables to get virtual coins to “buy” new tables. But here’s where the cool part comes in… CABINET MODE.
Sure you can play Pinball FX on your living room TV where the table is “angled”… But you can also change the orientation of the screen in settings. So… Take an old 27” TV (or a large computer monitor) lay it FLAT on a table, connect your hardware to it via and HDMI cord and BAM you have a much more authentic “pinball” playing experience.
Yes with this (simplest) setup you don’t have the “backglass” (that shows the score and art) a “normal” pinball machine… But it’ll do. Again, this is the CHEAP thread on virtual pinball. IF you have a PC you CAN setup FX3 to use two monitors – here’s an old thread about that.
I prefer to play this “cheap” version of pinball with the Nintendo Switch. It has GREAT controllers – One controls the tilt and left flipper and the other controls the right flipper and plunger. If you use these controllers to play and do it while standing it’s actually a great workout. Not kidding.
There’s even a guy who designed 3D objects to “hold” the Switch controllers that you can place it on the table. Here’s a link:
So there you have it: You can use your existing hardware (PC, game system, what-have-you), a free app, and if you have an old TV you can connect it all and play it.
Now, onto “consumer” pinball tables you can buy right now…
Consumer virtual pinball
This section is about actual affordable virtual pinball cabinets you can buy RIGHT NOW: Their strengths, weaknesses and my recommendation.
First off, these are CONSUMER products. They are not the custom virtual pinball cabinets that people build and sell on places like eBay… Like this one:
As cool as these things are (and I know, I built one) if you are thinking about one of these be aware that you are spending a lot of $$$ for a computer, a frame, and a couple of HD monitors packaged in said frame – wired together with buttons and speakers. And as you can see from the example I linked to they are also EXPENSIVE.
You are better off buying a home cabinet from a company like Stern IMO.
There are three companies selling affordable home virtual cabinets: AtGames, ToyShock, and Arcade1Up. Let’s talk about ToyShock first.
Toyshock was “first to market” with their Haunted House table late in 2019. They sold a 3/4 scale pinball table for $399. It had a small 24″ LCD display along with 12 digital tables. It promptly sold out within a month.
The ToyShock pinball was definitely a “first gen” product and lots of shortcuts were made to get it to the $399 price point. I understand they are working on another couple of tables but they look like they are focusing on “mini-pinball” bartop tables. Meh.
Next, Arcade1Up.
Aracde1Up has brought me a lot of joy the past couple of years. They started making 3/4 scale classic arcades and I currently own five of them. Most retailed at $300 to $400, and thankfully I bought 3 of the five arcade cabinets I own on clearance (DEEP clearance in the case of two of them – $75 each)
As I’ve said before, I’m frugal (She Who Must Be Obeyed calls it “cheap.”)
Last CES (2020) they announced three virtual pinball tables. Also 3/4 scale, they are currently on sale for $549 to $599 from various retailers. Like the ToyShock Haunted House table, there are limited games on each table and each table is themed to a particular IP. Two are Disney: Marvel and Star Wars. The other is the one I was very tempted by (And one of my favorite pins ever): ATTACK FROM MARS.
BTW all of the Arcade1Up tables are done in partnership with Zen Studios, the makers of PinballFX. So the tables you can play on these tales are the ones they sell on their PinballFX platform.
These units have been delayed quite a bit. They were supposed to be out in November, but JUST NOW are arriving stateside.
Then there is AtGames. For a while AtGames was the laughing stock of the retro pinball community. No longer.
They are coming out with a near 1:1 scale virtual pinball table, for $599. It has a LOT going for it.
The Legends Pinball table has TWO screen (one for the play field and one for the backglass). It’s also internet connected so you can buy and download tables (the competitors do NOT offer internet connectivity and stores). And even better… It allows you to connect to OTHER GAME SYSTEMS to stream your pinball games.
So if you have bought a lot of PinballFX tables, you can play them on this table.
Since PinballFX has cut deals with Arcade1Up, they are not amused.
Final thoughts: What do I recommend? Well, it depends.
If you are budget-minded and you don’t need expandability or internet capability, then buy the Attack From Mars table from Arcade1Up. It has a great assortment of classic pinball tables, it’s got great cabinet graphics and it’s perfect for a small home and a casual pinball player.
Me? Well I wanted to buy one the instant it was announced. I decided to build my own first, but if I hadn’t it would have been an easy choice.
The AtGames Legends Pinball cabinet.
It’s “expandable”, internet connected, AND full size. As a man of great mass (6′ 4″, 230 pounds)I do not want to crouch any more than I have to.
If you have the money, it’s totally what I would buy if you want to play virtual pinball without making any compromises. Unless you are a do-it-yourselfer, which is the point of the next section…
Building your own table
This thread is about the software, the hardware, and the way you can build your own virtual pinball cabinet. Let’s start with building the cabinet.
You can look at the pinball cabinet in one of two ways… Functional, or decorative. Depending on your preference, you can go crazy, or you can be minimalist. I did the latter.
There are lots of plans and links online on how to build a pinball cabinet online, but I’d actually suggest an alternative: Use an existing old cabinet. Look at Craig’s List, eBay, and your local classified ads to see if you can find an “as is” pinball machine. You can gut the unworking contents and use the existing “box”. Another form of recycling.
You can also buy prefabricated cabinet “kits” like this one. Finally, many people have “gutted” the new consumer cabinets I discussed in my last thread to use that as a foundation for their own cabinet… Me, I think that’s wasteful.
But if you want to start from scratch, here’s a good place to go.
Myself, I built my virtual cab cheap: Using leftover wood from the foundation of a storage building I made the box holding my old 32″ TV, that was sitting unused in the garage. The legs were bought on Amazon, and the “backglass” monitor was one I also had leftover from an upgrade. The computer was also in the garage, one I had bought on eBay cheap a couple of years back. I added a dedicated video card, which was left over from a previous upgrade for my son’s PC.
Now, what type of specs do you need for a computer to run a virtual pinball machine? Surprisingly, any “modern” computer that has been manufactured the past decade should be more than enough. The key is the graphics. You’ll need a pretty good dedicated card, because some of the onboard graphics (i.e. the ones that are on the motherboard) may not be able to power both a playfield and a backglass. ESPECIALLY if you want to have a 4K playfield – more on that later.
I’ve even seen people running visual pinball apps off of old Mac Minis that they installed Windows 10 on. So if you want to go that route, feel free. The same advice regarding onboard video still applies, though the integrated video that comes on most Macs are usually pretty good.
One final piece of advice: Avoid those small “mini-PCs” that cost less than $200. The processing power and graphics performance is just not there for virtual pinball.
And one more thing: You can build the cabinet to not only contain the displays but the PC as well. Lots of folks like the “clean” design of having the motherboard mounted under the playfield display. Again, it’s all about personal preference and how much work you want to put into it.
You can use any game controller with a virtual pinball setup, and even use a keyboard. That is boring. Let’s talk about buttons, plunders, solenoids and more…
You can get a set of light-up LED buttons that are powered by a USB connected card for about $25. A plunger costs about the same… You can use a button instead of a plunger for an easier setup but if you want that authentic “feel” then go with the plunger.
Me, I 3D designed and printed the section that holds my buttons, but if you are more adept at woodwork you can build a box to contain these controls.
Now, two more things to consider adding: Solenoids and “Nudging”. Solenoids will basically provide force feedback by “tapping” on the pinball case in alignment with the ball and the actions on the table. It makes the gameplay more “real”. Then there is “nudging” – which is when you shake the pinball cabinet to affect the trajectory of the ball – though if you nudge too much you get the infamous TILT. There’s a lot of software projects that takes advantage of semiconductors and accelerometers. Here’s a prominent one.
These are two “pro” features and unless you are good at wiring and DIY software (as in compiling builds into executables) I would shy away from it. The results are impressive, but as a famous San Francisco police officer once stated, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”
Final thoughts on hardware: You can go “all out” and buy the latest and greatest hardware and displays to build your own pinball cabinet. If you have money to burn, go right ahead. But using a 4K display and the latest high-end graphic card is simply not necessary. Sure, you can do it for bragging rights, but in the end it won’t make much difference. I’m using a 720p TV for my playfield, and it’s fine. I plan on upgrading to a 1080p
OK, that’s it for the cabinet and the hardware. Onto the software.
The previously mentioned Pinball FX can be run on a PC, and of course there are tons of tables available for that game. But there’s a whole wide wonderful world out there. Customized, recreated and original tables.
There’s two primary “platforms” out there: Future Pinball and Visual Pinball. Visual Pinball is the more “mature” platform of the two, even though both have been around since about 2005. My preference is Visual Pinball, as it seems to have a larger community and better support. And the tables. Oh, my… the tables.
If a pinball table has ever existed, pinball enthusiasts out there has recreated it. They do it from catalog images, from scans of the actual pinball art, from photos… You name it. Not only do they recreate the art, they recreate the table’s physics as well. All with 3D objects to make it as real as possible.
And some of these table recreations look VERY real. Yes, it’s a 3D recreation of a physical pinball playfield, but with a high-end graphics card and an HD monitor it’s more than enough.
The fans recreate not only the tables but also the ROM chips that drive these tables.
And the MODS! Players have taken existing tables and “reskinned” them. Want a Battlestar Galactica pinball table? Kiss meets Scooby Doo? Galaxy Quest? You got it.
Installing Visual Pinball is easy – Here’s a link to an all-in-one installer.
UPDATE: Vpinball.com, the best place for all virtual pinball tables and software, went offline . The owner got tired of people basically downloading stuff off his site and then turning around and selling virtual pinball setups for thousands of dollars. So, for an alternate source, I recommend Vpforums.org.
Sidebar: There is some debate among the “legality” of some of these virtual pinball tables. The thing is: I’m only playing tables I’ve paid to play before. I’ve not spent any money for these tables, as they are free to download. And finally, I’m never going to “resell” or charge anyone to play them in my home. Additionally if a visual table is available on Visual Pinball, I pay for them.
This is also why I’m not a fan of people who build and sell (overpriced) visual pinball tables. Because they often include games with the sale. Now they SAY that they aren’t selling these games, just the hardware… But, umm. Yeah.
So, if you feel that morally you shouldn’t “steal” any of these tables, then stick to the original fan tables. You’ll still get plenty of enjoyment out of them.
The great thing about Visual Pinball is you can look at the source code. You can tweak the physics of the table. And you can change the “camera angle” for tables, though for some tables when you tweak these settings sometimes you “break” the table. So be sure to not save the table if that does so (You can always redownload the table as well of that happens).
Another thing you can do with Visual Pinball is download enhancement packs. If you install the PinUp System alongside Visual Pinball, you can download “PuP Packs” that allow you to have custom videos and backglass for certain tables. Example: AC/DC.
The final enhancement you can setup for your virtual pinball cabinet: A front end. There are two prominent frontends: PinballX (which I can’t seem to get to work) and the PinUp Popper, which is integrated with the previously mentioned PinUp Player.
Closing
I’ve engaged with a lot of interesting communities in my life. Tech nerds, hard core Star Trek fans, toy collectors, and many more. I’ve enjoyed most of these interactions and tried to learn from all the people in all these different “head spaces.”
The virtual pinball community is another amazing community that I’ve dived into the last six months. Some of the most talented smart and kind folks you’ll ever find. These people obsess on recreating pinball tables they love… And then they give their work away to all comers.
The fact that I now can now have my own pinball table, and one that plays all my favorite “real world” tables, makes me happy. And it’s thanks to this community that I have that opportunity.
Captain Kirk in an episode of the original Star Trek said, “The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play.” (A genuine No-Prize goes to the person who remembers what episode this line comes from).
I agree, and while I focus on my work, I also focus on NOT working, on having a little fun a long the way. I suggest you do the same.
Play on.