arcade control and gamepad control coffee table

[bruiserh89]

Hey all

This might be an easily answered question. I am looking to make an arcade coffee table and as well as the arcade classics, I want to be able to play playstation 2 games as well. I now realise that will mean needing to use gamepads on my pc based coffee table.

My question is, if both arcade and gamepads are USB plugin, will this cause me any grief? will it work fine?

Does anyone have a cabinet with gamepads and arcade controls?

[thatpurplestuff]

They are running way behind schedule, but it sounds like the Kade miniConsole+ would fit your needs perfectly.  They expect to be deliver the Kickstarter product in Q1 of this year, and I'd imagine they would start taking orders soon after.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kadevice/kade-miniconsole-a-smart-open-source-retro-gaming

[Duhjoker]

I just got done building a mame cocktail cabinet with extra emulators. If you build your control consoles right you can add enough buttons to play any system with a working emulator. For me that was 10 buttons plus a coin mech and an exit emulator button hidden under a console. Setting up arcade controls is not that bad as far as skill goes but keep a map or set them up in way that you will remember what does what.

[Duhjoker]

They also sell wireless pc controllers in just about every make and model, you may have to buy a seperate adapter. Check the Bay.

[paigeoliver]

Also, consider really thinking for a moment, do you want to sit perched on the edge of your couch with a gamepad staring down at a coffee table or would you rather just sit back and play the game on the TV set?

Couch plus arcade generally doesn't mix. If you are sitting properly on the couch then you can't reach the controls and probably don't have a good angle on the screen.

[Duhjoker]

 Idk man i really like my cocktail cab/coffee table. But i did make it higher than my current couch cushions and i have stools. Plus i can still watch tv.

   Just build what you want then build it to suit to suit your needs.

[GSXRMovistar]

How about something like this:- http://8bitdo.com/nes30pro/

You can configure it so the buttons and d-pad match the inputs of your arcade controls and then the analogue sticks can be setup within the console emulators.

Thinking about ordering one of these for myself.

[bruiserh89]

They are running way behind schedule, but it sounds like the Kade miniConsole+ would fit your needs perfectly.  They expect to be deliver the Kickstarter product in Q1 of this year, and I'd imagine they would start taking orders soon after.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kadevice/kade-miniconsole-a-smart-open-source-retro-gaming

I didnt know about this! Great idea! I think I'm happy just going with 2x ps2 controllers for rather than have options for other anologue stick consoles from sega and nintendo. There seem to be plenty of dual ps2 adaptors to pc floating around on ebay.

My question was more basic as to whether you could have one usb port plugged to a usb adaptor and one to arcade buttons whether that would cause any issues with button mapping. Very new here obviously.

[bruiserh89]

I just got done building a mame cocktail cabinet with extra emulators. If you build your control consoles right you can add enough buttons to play any system with a working emulator. For me that was 10 buttons plus a coin mech and an exit emulator button hidden under a console. Setting up arcade controls is not that bad as far as skill goes but keep a map or set them up in way that you will remember what does what.

I originally wondered about this and posted a query about button requirements for ps2 but the common opinion was that games never played right because of the analogue sticks, so my fallback was to use ps2 controllers as well as buttons.

[bruiserh89]

They also sell wireless pc controllers in just about every make and model, you may have to buy a seperate adapter. Check the Bay.

Yeah have seen them. In hindsight my question was dumb, I was wondering if you could map controllers to different usb ports on a pc. One usb port taking the arcade buttons, the other taking the gamepads. I take it there is no issue with that. Which makes sense.

[bruiserh89]

Also, consider really thinking for a moment, do you want to sit perched on the edge of your couch with a gamepad staring down at a coffee table or would you rather just sit back and play the game on the TV set?

Couch plus arcade generally doesn't mix. If you are sitting properly on the couch then you can't reach the controls and probably don't have a good angle on the screen.

Mate, I do hear your rationale but I guess it's horses for courses. It's about making the cabinet fit the room. I have a stand alone garage conversion games room. Its pimped out with paneled walls, insulation, timber veneer trim, timber drinks ledge on one wall, coin operated wood pub style pool table. Walk up bar etc. The room is class, I realise this might be heresy but a standup cabinet or bar top would look tacky in there.

My mate is a cabinet maker and I'm going to get him to make a classy coffee table to hold it all. The room has a couple of leather couches and needs a coffee table. It will look like a normal coffee table that can turn into an arcade unit. Using black glass and fold out arcade controls.

For all that, I will only probably play it when mates are around and we can put up with a little hunched gameplay.

[bruiserh89]

How about something like this:- http://8bitdo.com/nes30pro/

You can configure it so the buttons and d-pad match the inputs of your arcade controls and then the analogue sticks can be setup within the console emulators.

Thinking about ordering one of these for myself.

Is there any reason I would use this over normal ps2 controllers with an adaptor? I'm not fussed about wireless.

[GSXRMovistar]

I'd expect with a standard controller you would need to setup something like Joy2Key so you could match the inputs to the existing key mapped controls.

[paigeoliver]

Hey, as long as you thought it out then go for it.

Also, consider really thinking for a moment, do you want to sit perched on the edge of your couch with a gamepad staring down at a coffee table or would you rather just sit back and play the game on the TV set?

Couch plus arcade generally doesn't mix. If you are sitting properly on the couch then you can't reach the controls and probably don't have a good angle on the screen.

Mate, I do hear your rationale but I guess it's horses for courses. It's about making the cabinet fit the room. I have a stand alone garage conversion games room. Its pimped out with paneled walls, insulation, timber veneer trim, timber drinks ledge on one wall, coin operated wood pub style pool table. Walk up bar etc. The room is class, I realise this might be heresy but a standup cabinet or bar top would look tacky in there.

My mate is a cabinet maker and I'm going to get him to make a classy coffee table to hold it all. The room has a couple of leather couches and needs a coffee table. It will look like a normal coffee table that can turn into an arcade unit. Using black glass and fold out arcade controls.

For all that, I will only probably play it when mates are around and we can put up with a little hunched gameplay.

[vwalbridge]

I have a stand alone garage conversion games room...

...but a standup cabinet or bar top would look tacky in there.