Picks
The Best Countercades and Tabletop Arcades
Full-size controls on a tiny footprint. The controls are what make it an arcade; the cabinet mostly is not.
How these picks were made: from published manufacturer specifications, governing-body standards and the room arithmetic - not from first-hand use. We have not played on these tables. Read the method.
A countercade is the same electronics as a full cabinet in a shortened housing that sits on a counter, a table or a shelf. It is the most under-rated format in home arcade, because the thing people actually respond to in an arcade is the controls - and a good countercade has full-size ones.
What you keep and what you lose
| Countercade | Full upright | |
|---|---|---|
| Controls | Often full size | Full size |
| Screen | 7-12 in | 17-19 in |
| Floor space | None - sits on a surface | ~2 x 2 ft |
| Height needed | Counter plus ~1 ft 6 in | 5 ft to 6 ft total |
| Two-player comfort | Cramped | Good |
| Posture | Depends on counter height | Standing, correct |
| Cost | Lowest | Middle |
| Moves between rooms | Yes | Not easily |
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arcade1Up PAC-MAN Countercade | The straightforward choice | 7 in LCD, 3 games | |
| 2 | Creative Arcades Full-Size Cocktail Arcade Cabinet | A seated setup | 22 in LCD, SANWA, 412 games | |
| 3 |  Arcade1Up PAC-MAN Deluxe Arcade Machine | If floor space exists after all | 5 ft, 17 in LCD | |
| 4 |  AtGames Legends Ultimate Home Arcade Machine | A big library instead | Full height, trackball |
The picks
#1 · The straightforward choice
Arcade1Up PAC-MAN Countercade
Three PAC-MAN games on a 7-inch LCD with full-size controls, sized for a countertop. The footprint is the feature.
Three PAC-MAN games on a 7-inch LCD with full-size real-feel controls. The controls being full size is the entire argument - a shrunk joystick would make this a toy and it is not one.
- What works
- Full-size controls on a countertop footprint
- Cheapest route into a real arcade control feel
- Light enough to move between rooms
- What does not
- 7 in screen is small for two people
- Three games
#2 · A seated setup
Creative Arcades Full-Size Cocktail Arcade Cabinet
Commercial-grade build with SANWA sticks, a trackball, a 22-inch LCD and 412 titles. Two players sit facing each other across the screen.
Not a countercade, but the format people compare against: commercial SANWA sticks, a trackball, 22-inch screen and 412 titles, in a table that doubles as furniture.
- What works
- Arcade-operator components
- Large library and screen
- Furniture in a finished room
- What does not
- Needs real floor space
- Seated play is not for everyone
#3 · If floor space exists after all
Arcade1Up PAC-MAN Deluxe Arcade Machine
Listed at 5 ft tall with a 17-inch LCD, 14 games and WiFi leaderboards. The mainstream home cabinet.
Included as the comparison. If you have 2 feet by 2 feet of floor and 6 feet of ceiling, the full cabinet is the better experience for not much more money.
- What works
- Standing play and a 17 in screen
- What does not
- Needs floor and ceiling the countercade does not
#4 · A big library instead
AtGames Legends Ultimate Home Arcade Machine
A full-height cabinet with a large built-in library, add-on streaming and a trackball. The platform cabinet rather than the nostalgia cabinet.
If the countercade's small library is the reservation, this is the opposite extreme.
- What works
- Very large library and a trackball
- What does not
- Full-height footprint and setup
What to look for
- Full-size joystick and buttons. The single most important specification. Shrunk controls make a different, worse product.
- Weight and base grip. A light countercade slides across a counter under enthusiastic play. Rubber feet and some mass both help.
- Screen size relative to use. 7 inches is fine for one player; 10 to 12 inches makes two-player games watchable.
- Cord length and orientation. It has to reach an outlet from a counter, which is usually higher and further than the designers assumed.
- Two-player layout. Some countercades fit two sets of controls into a narrow panel, and the players end up elbow to elbow.
Where countercades actually go
- A bar counter in a basement. The ideal: correct height, standing play, already a social spot.
- A sturdy side table at the right height. Check the height before the table, not after.
- A shelf unit. Works if the shelf is deep enough for the cabinet's base and rated for the weight.
- A desk. Height is usually too low, and you will feel it after twenty minutes.
How these were chosen
On published control size, screen dimensions, cabinet dimensions and library. The counter-height guidance is derived from standard arcade control-panel height and standard counter heights; we have not played these units.
