Jason Miller

When your arcade machine won’t turn on, the silence is deafening. I know because I’ve stared at a dead Galaga cabinet in my garage at 11 PM wondering where to start. After fixing dozens of cabinets over the years, I’ve learned that almost every “won’t turn on” problem traces back to one of five things: … Read more

Arcade machines are built to take a beating, but even the toughest cabinets eventually develop issues. Whether you are running a home arcade with a handful of classics or managing a route of coin-operated games, knowing how to fix common arcade machine problems saves you time, money, and frustration. In this guide, our team walks … Read more

When I bought my first arcade cabinet back in 2018, I made every mistake in the book. I skipped inspections, ignored a sticky joystick, and let dust pile up inside the control panel. Two years later, that cabinet was on the fritz more than it was playable. The fix wasn’t a bigger repair budget; it … Read more

If you have ever walked past an old Pac-Man or Donkey Kong cabinet and noticed a faint maze outline glowing on the screen long after the game was paused, you have already seen CRT burn-in on arcade monitors in the wild. I have spent the last several years restoring vintage cabinets here in our shop, … Read more

Shipping an arcade machine is not like shipping a piece of furniture. These cabinets weigh anywhere from 200 to 500 pounds, house fragile CRT monitors or LCD screens, contain sensitive circuit boards, and often represent thousands of dollars in collector value. One bad drop on a liftgate can crack a screen, snap a joystick mount, … Read more

Shipping an arcade machine is one of those costs that catches buyers off guard. You find the perfect cabinet on eBay or at an auction across the country, and then you realize the shipping might cost as much as the machine itself. I have been there, and so have thousands of collectors on Reddit and … Read more

Arcade machines are expensive because they are commercial-grade gaming cabinets built with heavy-duty materials, specialized hardware, and licensed content, all produced in low volumes for a niche market. Unlike a home gaming console that gets mass-produced by the millions, an arcade cabinet is essentially a piece of commercial furniture with industrial controls, a built-in display, … Read more

How much does an arcade machine cost? Arcade machines range from $120 for a basic countertop unit to $19,000 for a top-tier commercial racing rig. For most people reading this, the realistic sweet spot sits between $300 and $4,000 for a quality home arcade cabinet, while serious commercial machines typically run $5,000 to $15,000+. I … Read more

If you have ever cracked open an arcade cabinet and wondered what that metal box with cooling vents actually does, you are not alone. A power supply is the part that takes what comes out of your wall outlet and turns it into something your arcade board, monitor, and lights can actually use. Without it … Read more

Arcade games in the 1980s cost 25 cents per play for standard titles, with premium games charging 50 to 75 cents. That quarter was the universal currency of the golden age of arcades, and a single coin typically bought you 3 to 5 minutes of gameplay. Adjusted for inflation, that 25-cent play in 1980 is … Read more