Modder makes portable arcade cabinet dreams come true

One modder has created a lineup of portable full-sized arcade cabinets built from custom Raspberry Pi 4-powered laptops.

Kian Ryan, a modder and Raspberry Pi aficionado, has created a lineup of custom arcade cabinets that can not only play your favorite retro games but are also easily portable.

The portable arcade cabinets are powered by custom-built Raspberry Pi-powered laptops. These custom laptops are made up of a mix of Cooler Master GA241 gaming monitors connected to Raspberry Pi 4’s running the open-source emulator, RetroArch.

For the arcade cabinet buttons, Ryan sourced modified Sanwa JLF arcade sticks with Link EX Groove Quick Release and a total of 10 buttons. All the electronics were then packed into hand-made folding cases.

The main bulk of the project, the cabinet itself, was designed by Ryan in Fusion360. Pieces of the cabinet were then cut from sheets of MDF and later painted to look more authentic.

As first reported by Tom’s Hardware, what made the end result truly portable is that these hand-made Pi-powered laptops can be easily slid in and out of the MDF-based arcade cabinet.

Instead of trying to make room to transport an army of huge full-sized arcade machines, Kian Ryan’s custom-built cabinets could be disassembled and flat-packed to take to and from events and conventions.

While the portable arcade cabinets were impressive enough, they received some minor upgrades after their first big event. Ryan added a trackball, as well as an extra set of buttons for some 2-player action.

If you want a closer look at these nostalgia-inducing cabinets, they’ll be making an appearance at the International Discworld Convention 2024.

However, you will need a spare ticket not only for the event but also for Birmingham in the UK, where they’ll be on display, showcasing the classic Discworld point-and-click adventure games.