Arcade Building Glossary

The process of rendering low-resolution retro games at higher internal resolutions (up to 3840x2160) for display on modern 4K monitors. Produces sharp, clean visuals while maintaining the original art style.

An audio amplifier that powers the speakers in an arcade cabinet. Dedicated amps provide better volume and clarity than built-in monitor speakers. Common choices include Lepai LP-2020A and similar Class D amps.

An automated demo sequence that plays when an arcade cabinet is idle, cycling through game previews to attract players. Many frontends include an attract mode feature. Also the name of a specific frontend application.

A smaller arcade cabinet designed to sit on a table or bar surface rather than standing on the floor. Bartops are popular for their compact size and lower material costs.

Decorative borders displayed around the game screen to fill unused space on widescreen monitors. Bezels often replicate the original arcade cabinet's artwork and marquee.

Basic Input/Output System firmware required by certain emulators to boot. Console-specific BIOS files (e.g., PS1, Dreamcast) must be legally obtained from hardware you own.

A premium encoder board designed for fighting games that supports multiple consoles (PS3/PS4/Xbox/Switch/PC) with zero-lag input. The gold standard for competitive play.

A compressed disc image format used by MAME for CD/DVD/hard-drive-based arcade games. CHD files are large but necessary for games like Killer Instinct and Area 51.

The metal mechanism on the front of an arcade cabinet that accepts coins. In home builds, coin doors are often decorative or wired to function as a credit button. Some builders wire them to accept real quarters for authenticity.

The flat surface on an arcade cabinet where buttons, joysticks, trackballs, and spinners are mounted. The control panel layout determines how many players the cabinet supports and which games play best.

In RetroArch, a core is a self-contained emulator engine for a specific system (e.g., the 'Beetle PSX' core emulates PlayStation). Multiple cores can exist for the same system with different accuracy/performance tradeoffs.

The original display technology used in arcade cabinets. CRTs produce the authentic scanline look, have virtually zero input lag, and handle low-resolution content natively. Increasingly rare and heavy.

Software that replicates the hardware of a gaming system, allowing games designed for that system to run on different hardware (typically a PC). Examples: MAME, RetroArch, DuckStation.

The graphical launcher application that organizes and presents your game library. Frontends provide the visual interface — the 'menu system' — that users interact with to browse and launch games.

Manufacturers of American-style arcade controls with longer throw joysticks and concave buttons. Happ parts replicate the feel of classic American arcade cabinets from the 80s and 90s.

A keyboard encoder board by Ultimarc that connects arcade buttons and joysticks to a PC via USB, translating physical inputs into keyboard keypresses.

The delay between pressing a button and seeing the action on screen. Measured in milliseconds or frames. Critical for fighting games and rhythm games. Caused by display processing, emulation overhead, or encoder quality.

An interface board that connects a PC to a JAMMA harness, allowing a computer to use the cabinet's original controls and monitor connections.

Japan Amusement Machine and Marketing Association. A wiring standard that defines a universal pinout for arcade PCBs, allowing boards to be swapped between compatible cabinets using a single edge connector.

The panel at the bottom front of an arcade cabinet, below the control panel. Often houses speakers and provides structural support. Sometimes decorated with artwork.

The definitive arcade emulator that preserves thousands of arcade games. MAME is a moving target — each version may change ROM requirements, so ROM sets must match the MAME version.

The illuminated header panel at the top of an arcade cabinet displaying the game's name and artwork. In multi-game cabinets, the marquee often shows the cabinet's brand or a generic arcade design.

An engineered wood product made from compressed wood fibers. The most common material for DIY arcade cabinets due to its low cost, smooth surface for painting, and ease of cutting. Heavier than plywood.

The small mechanical switches inside joysticks and buttons that register inputs. Higher-quality microswitches (like Cherry or Omron) provide better tactile feedback and longer lifespan.

The main circuit board inside an arcade machine that runs the game. Original PCBs are the authentic hardware; JAMMA-compatible PCBs can be swapped between cabinets.

A stand-alone control panel on a riser, without an attached monitor or marquee. Pedestals connect to a separate TV or monitor, offering flexibility in display choice and cabinet footprint.

A small, affordable single-board computer commonly used in arcade cabinets for emulation. Runs Linux-based frontends like Batocera and RetroPie. Best for retro systems up to PS1/N64 era.

A plastic plate inside a joystick that limits its range of motion. Square gates (default on Sanwa) allow 8-way movement; octagonal gates add diagonal detents; round gates allow free movement.

A multi-system emulation frontend that uses interchangeable 'cores' (emulator engines) to play games from dozens of platforms through a single unified interface.

A middleware application that sits between a frontend and emulators, handling game launching, pause menus, bezels, and per-game configurations. Essential for HyperSpin setups.

A digital copy of a game's data, originally stored on chips in an arcade PCB or cartridge. ROMs are loaded by emulators to play games. You must legally own the original game to use its ROM.

A complete collection of ROM files for a specific emulator version. MAME ROM sets must match the exact MAME version being used, as ROM definitions change between releases.

Mounting a monitor vertically (portrait orientation) to properly display vertical-scrolling arcade games like Donkey Kong, Galaga, and 1942. 'TATE' comes from the Japanese word for vertical.

An advanced emulation technique that reduces input lag by computing future frames in advance. Available in RetroArch for systems with low enough overhead to emulate multiple frames per display frame.

A Japanese manufacturer of premium arcade parts. Sanwa joysticks (JLF series) and buttons (OBSF series) are the standard in Japanese arcade cabinets and fighting game communities.

A snapshot of an emulator's complete memory state at a specific moment, allowing instant save/load at any point in a game. Not available on original hardware.

A complete computer built on a single circuit board. Raspberry Pi is the most common, but alternatives like Orange Pi and Odroid offer different performance tiers for arcade builds.

The visible horizontal lines on a CRT display caused by the electron beam drawing each line of the image. Scanlines are a defining visual characteristic of retro gaming that many builders recreate with shaders or overlay hardware.

A tool (built into most frontends) that automatically downloads game metadata, box art, screenshots, and videos from online databases to populate your game library's visual presentation.

A visual filter applied by emulators to modify how games look on modern displays. Common shaders simulate CRT scanlines, phosphor glow, or LCD grid patterns to recreate the original arcade experience.

A rotary control (knob) used for games like Tempest, Arkanoid, and Tron. Spins freely in either direction. High-quality spinners use optical encoders for smooth, precise input.

A flexible plastic trim inserted into a routed slot along cabinet edges. Protects edges from damage and gives a professional, finished look. Available in various colors and chrome finishes.

The visual skin that determines how a frontend displays games. Themes control backgrounds, fonts, animations, and layout. Most frontends support community-created themes.

A rolling ball input device used for games like Centipede, Marble Madness, and Golden Tee. Arcade trackballs are larger than computer trackballs for better control.

Display synchronization technologies that match the monitor's refresh rate to the game's frame rate, eliminating screen tearing. G-Sync (NVIDIA) and FreeSync (AMD) are adaptive versions.

A transparent logo image for each game, typically displayed in a spinning wheel or scrolling list in frontends like HyperSpin and CoinOPS. Part of the 'three-asset rule' for visual completeness.

A budget USB encoder board (typically $5-15) that connects arcade controls to a PC. Functional for casual use but may have input lag compared to premium encoders like I-PAC or Brook UFB.