Secondary monitor for displaying controls?

[Twoflower]

I've got a (possibly insane) idea for an addition to my MAME cabinet.

Problem I'm facing is that I'm using an X-Arcade, with its giant array of eight generic black buttons. Each time I switch games I need to figure out all over again what button does what. It's confusing enough to me, the seasoned player, but for folks who are visiting during game parties they're dumbfounded.

My idea is to get a tiny monitor, such as the five-inch displays intended for use with Raspberry PIs, and hook it up as a second monitor to my GeForce card. (OS is Windows 10, by the way.) Then, when I launch a game, I switch the image displayed on this monitor to a custom graphic that shows the button layout for the game that was just launched.

What do you think? Overkill, underkill, is there a better way of doing this, will this work at all? I have no idea if these dinky monitors designed for PIs will even work under Windows, for instance. Is there a better bit of hardware for the job?

I'm just brainstorming at this point, so any solutions to the core problem (have controls visible while playing game) using the hardware available (Win 10, HyperSpin, MAME, a 1600x1200 LCD main monitor) are welcome.

[yotsuya]

I'm not sure they have enough resolution to make whatever text tags you have on the buttons readable, if you're planning to use something like CP wizard.

[Twoflower]

A five inch monitor is 800x480 resolution. I think that'll be more than enough to read labels on a simple diagram of the button layout.

(Again, this is assuming I can use it as a secondary monitor in Win10. I don't know if I can, these things were designed for Raspberry Pi, even though they're basic HDMI devices.)

[yotsuya]

A five inch monitor is 800x480 resolution. I think that'll be more than enough to read labels on a simple diagram of the button layout.

(Again, this is assuming I can use it as a secondary monitor in Win10. I don't know if I can, these things were designed for Raspberry Pi, even though they're basic HDMI devices.)

Ok, then why are you asking? Just do it then.

[Twoflower]

I'm asking because I don't know if this is the best solution (displaying an image on a secondary monitor). For instance I didn't know CP Wizard existed until you mentioned it and I googled it just now. I also don't know if anybody else has experience with this sort of tiny monitor and can warn me off a mistake before I make it, or confirm that it's a good approach.

Basically I just want to know how people are handling the problem of displaying controls. Other software, other hardware, second monitors, popups, I don't know. Solutions I haven't thought of, or confirmation my proposed solution is the best way to go.

[yotsuya]

I use LED Blinky for that, myself