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Full Size vs Countercade
The full cabinet wins on experience. The countercade wins on every measurement. Your ceiling usually casts the deciding vote.
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.
The measurements
| Full upright | Countercade | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor space | ~2 x 2 ft | None - sits on a surface |
| Total height | 5 ft, 5 ft 9 in with riser | ~1 ft 6 in plus the counter |
| Screen | 17-19 in | 7-12 in |
| Control size | Full | Full on better units |
| Posture | Standing at correct height | Depends entirely on the counter |
| Weight | 70-120 lb | 20-40 lb |
| Moves rooms | Awkwardly | Easily |
| Marquee / cabinet art | Full | Reduced |
Why the ceiling usually decides
A full cabinet with a riser reaches 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet, and the marquee sits above that. In a finished basement with a 7-foot ceiling, that is fine in the open and not fine under the ductwork, the soffit or the stair run. And the spot people choose for a cabinet - against a wall, out of the traffic path - is frequently exactly where the ductwork runs.
Measure at the spot. Not the highest point of the room. The low-ceiling page covers the whole class of problem.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Arcade1Up PAC-MAN Deluxe Arcade Machine | The full-size answer | 5 ft, 17 in LCD | |
| 2 |  Arcade1Up PAC-MAN Countercade | The countercade answer | 7 in LCD, full-size controls | |
| 3 | Creative Arcades Full-Size Cocktail Arcade Cabinet | The third option | Cocktail, 22 in LCD |
A cabinet for each format
#1 · The full-size answer
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.
Standing play at a 17-inch screen. If the ceiling and the floor allow it, this is the better experience.
- What works
- Standing posture is the arcade experience
- Larger screen for two
- What does not
- Ceiling height is a real constraint with a riser
#2 · The countercade answer
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.
Full-size controls on a counter, with no floor commitment at all.
- What works
- Fits anywhere with a counter
- Lowest price
- What does not
- Small screen; posture depends on the counter
#3 · The third option
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.
Seated play on a large screen in a table that reads as furniture - the format people forget exists.
- What works
- Large screen, SANWA sticks, doubles as a table
- What does not
- More floor than an upright
Where the full cabinet genuinely wins
- Two people watching. A 17-inch screen supports a spectator; a 7-inch screen does not.
- Presence. A cabinet is a piece of furniture people walk up to. A countercade on a shelf is something you have to notice.
- Longer sessions. Standing at the right height is more comfortable for an hour than hunching over a table.
- Resale. Full cabinets hold value better, for the same reason they cost more.
Where the countercade genuinely wins
- Rentals and shared rooms. Nothing is committed and nothing is permanent.
- Low ceilings. Entirely sidesteps the problem.
- Budget. Often less than half the price for the same control feel.
- Children. A countercade on a lower surface is reachable; a full cabinet is not without a stool, which is a trip hazard.
Method
Based on published cabinet dimensions, screen sizes, weights and control specifications, plus standard counter heights. We have not played these cabinets.
