Build your own Raspberry Pi-powered arcade machine with authentic controls, a bright 10" display and a punchy speaker, all in a cabinet that fits on your desk.
Picade combines the satisfaction of building something yourself with the joy of a proper arcade cabinet. Assemble it, set up your games and get busy chasing high scores.
- Proper arcade feel: a sturdy, powder-coated MDF cabinet, joystick and low-profile arcade buttons.
- A screen made for retro gaming: a 10" 1024 × 768 IPS display with a 4:3 aspect ratio and wide viewing angles.
- Bleeps, bloops and soundtracks: a built-in 3" speaker.
- Make it yours: use the included retro artwork or create your own with our artwork templates.
Approximate assembled dimensions: 310 × 260 × 250mm (H × W × D).
Designed for Raspberry Pi 5
The cabinet has room for a Raspberry Pi 5 with an Active Cooler, plus an optional NVMe Base if you’d like to add SSD storage. It accommodates the single NVMe Base; NVMe Base Duo won’t fit. See the assembly guide for fitting details.
The included Picade X HAT connects to your Pi’s GPIO header and handles the controls, sound and USB-C power. It provides inputs for the joystick, six player buttons and four utility buttons, plus a mono audio DAC with a 3W amplifier. The illuminated power button lets you switch on and shut down safely.
Play (and make) tiny games
Every Picade includes a PICO-8 licence and cheatsheet. This fantasy console gives you tools for making, sharing and playing tiny games, with thousands of community creations to explore. Start playing, then try making something of your own.
What you’ll need
Add the following, sold separately:
- Raspberry Pi - we recommend Raspberry Pi 5
- Suitable USB-C power supply
- microSD card
- Active Cooler, recommended for Raspberry Pi 5
Allow around two to three hours for assembly, with a cross-head screwdriver and a small flat-blade screwdriver to hand. Our step-by-step assembly guide walks you through the build.
What’s in the kit
- Pre-cut, black powder-coated MDF cabinet panels
- Acrylic screen cover, marquee and console pieces, with printed artwork
- Joystick with black ball top
- Six player buttons and four utility buttons
- 3" speaker (5W, 4Ω)
- Illuminated power button
- 10" IPS screen, HDMI driver board and keypad controls
- Picade X HAT
- Wiring, cables, fixings and grippy rubber feet
- PICO-8 licence and cheatsheet, Picade pin badge, stickers and poster
Software and compatibility
We recommend RetroPie for emulation. Our software setup guide covers installation on Raspberry Pi 5, configuring the controls and sound, and getting started with PICO-8. Allow additional time for software setup after assembly.
You can also use an older Raspberry Pi with a 40-pin GPIO header. The kit includes a micro-HDMI cable, so models with a full-size HDMI connector need an alternative cable. USB-C power connects through Picade X HAT.