Arcade Machine Buying Guide: Suitcase, TV Set or Mini?

Suitcase or TV set, 17″, 21″ or 22″, battery or mains: the table of four models and the method for choosing.

To choose an arcade machine, start with one question: where will you put it? A suitcase arcade machine with a built-in screen opens up anywhere, a TV set is easier to put away, and that choice, more than screen size, decides everything else. Here's the method, then a table of the four models in the catalog.

All four play two-player at the same time, with two joysticks and six action buttons per player, and all output over HDMI: you plug in, switch on, play. The differences come down to the screen, the battery, the weight and the advertised number of games.

Suitcase, TV set or full-size cabinet: three formats, three uses

The wooden full-size arcade cabinet, the kind you find in arcade halls, goes down once and never moves again: we don't sell one. This guide covers the two formats you can put away when you're done.

A TV set is easier to store: one panel, one cable, one socket. If you'd rather have a stick that plugs into the TV with two controllers, look at our arcade TV sticks and plug & play consoles. For every format in one place, the multi-game arcade machines collection has them all.

Built-in screen or not?

With no screen of its own, the T2 needs a TV, a monitor or a projector: the picture comes out at 1280×720 over HDMI or VGA. It suits you if the living-room screen is already there and you want to keep the floor clear.

With a built-in screen, a suitcase is self-sufficient. You undo the latches, lift the screen, plug into the mains and the game starts: no TV to find, no cable to hunt for. The HDMI output is still there when you want to move up to a bigger screen for guests.

Either way, setup takes a handful of steps. The T2 box contains the power adapter and an HDMI cable; the V17 box contains the power adapter with its cable, an HDMI cable, two spare buttons and the manual. You don't need to buy anything else to start your first game.

Which screen size: 17″, 21″ or 22″?

Pick the diagonal according to how far you'll sit. Two of you, side by side, in front of a suitcase on a table, a 17″ screen stays comfortable and is easy to carry. Beyond that, 21″ and 22″ give you larger sprites, at the cost of extra weight. Only the 22″ shows Full HD: it's a 1920×1080 IPS panel covering 99.99 % of sRGB.

The V17 is the only one with a battery: it runs up to 4 hours away from a socket, which matters if you take it on holiday or to a friend's place. The V21 is the lightest of the three suitcases, with crystal-ball joysticks and a metal frame. The V22 is the only Full HD one: closed, it measures 52 × 33 × 6 cm, open it stands 38 cm tall, with two combination locks.

How many games do you really need?

The advertised figures are ceilings: up to 29,800, 26,000 or 10,000 games depending on the model. Nobody plays them all. What changes how you use the machine is how you find a game: categories (fighting, action, shooting, sports, puzzle), search, recent games, pause, saved progress. Exact features vary from one model to the next, and each product page lists them.

A lower number isn't a flaw in itself. The V22 advertises fewer games than the others and bets on the screen instead. Conversely, if you want to dig through a very large catalog, the V17, with its search by initial letter, is the most comfortable.

Playing with two or four, plugging in and carrying

Every machine seats two players at the same time on the panel. To play with three or four, the V17 accepts two USB controllers plugged into a USB hub, the V22 takes USB controllers on its two ports, and the V21 supports four-player games. Those controllers are not supplied.

On the connection side, the principle never changes: you open it, power it, pick your game. A suitcase closes back up with its latches. On the V21, take the joystick off before folding the screen down.

Before you order, check four things. Space: the V22 measures 52 × 33 cm closed and, once open, needs a table deep enough for the joysticks. Power: only the V17 has a battery, the others need a socket nearby. Weight: from 3.5 to 6.5 kg net, plus the box on top. Menu language: neither the V17 nor the V21 has a French menu, as the questions below explain.

Still torn between an arcade machine and a handheld? The six-question quiz sorts the formats by player profile, and our guide to the best retro gaming console covers the small pocket formats.