Arcade is Recalbox's favourite playground: from a quick game of Street Fighter II on the sofa to a full cabinet driven by its own control panel. This page gathers the starting points, from software to hardware.
First things first, arcade has one golden rule: your romset must match the emulator version. That is the number one reason games refuse to start.
An arcade build is a control panel (joystick and buttons) wired to the machine. Three ways to do it, from simplest to most involved:
| Solution | Who for | Read |
|---|---|---|
| USB encoder | everyone, every board (including Raspberry Pi 5 and PC) | USB encoders |
| Keyboard encoder (iPAC, X-Arcade…) | panels that are already equipped | Keyboard encoders and X-Arcade |
| Direct GPIO wiring | Raspberry Pi 3, 4, Zero 2 — no extra board | GPIO controllers |
Once the panel is connected, the Recalbox 10.1 controller configurator offers 4, 6 and 8-button arcade stick artwork directly: you press the buttons in the order shown, without knowing anything about their numbering.
For the full build (woodwork, screen, cabinet-specific system settings), see the bartop / arcade cabinet configuration. And to add a coin slot, see connecting a comparative coin mechanism.
Want to skip the woodwork? The Recalbox shop offers the RecalTower kit and the RecalTower case for Raspberry Pi 5.
Recalbox can also take the place of the PCB inside an original cabinet:
On a CRT, light gun games become possible again: see Light guns on Recalbox (GunCon 2, Wiimote, JVS cabinet guns).
A build that refuses to cooperate? Come and describe it on the Recalbox Discord, with a photo of the wiring.