As some video game enthusiasts who have visited Japan may know, Japanese arcade video game cabinets have gone through a different history than most other countries when it comes to popular formats. For one thing, table cabinets, otherwise known as cocktail cabinets were very common in the 80s, not only in arcades but also in coffee shops and bars. You can still find some of them in major Japanese video game arcades to this day, but more so in independently operated arcades specializing in retro gaming.

Those who love the mood of retro video game arcades and enjoy playing emulated arcade games at home may now have a new option available to them!

PCCADE (パソケード pronounced pasokēdo), a Japanese shop based in Hachioji, Tokyo, specializing in mostly PC but also home video game system docks made from refurbished arcade game cabinets, has created a prototype of a table cabinet dock for the Nintendo Switch!

They were inspired to start the project after seeing this Tweet by a gaming enthusiast suggesting both upright and table cabinet docks for the Switch so they could enjoy Arcade Archives:

And here's what they came up with:

Captured from video. | Reproduced with permission from パソケード (@pcccade)

This is the スイッチ専用テーブル筐体コントローラー Full HD Table Type Arcade Cabinet Switch Docking Model. You can see all the details on the product page here, but it's equipped with a new Sharp 22-inch commercial use full HD LCD monitor, a headphone jack, a USB port to connect to your Switch and a real coin box with the A button reacting when a 100-yen coin is inserted. The button panel can handle a single player or two players sitting side by side.

When you play it, it will be just as if you were in a video game arcade!

Captured from video. | Reproduced with permission from パソケード (@pcccade)

This video shows the dock in action when playing games like Street Fighter, SEGA AGES Gain Ground and even really old school Famicom titles like Ninja Jajamaru-kun.

There's no word on if and when PCCADE will make more of them (the prototype is listed as "sold"), but retro game enthusiasts in Japan* have good reason to hope it will.

* Unless you have very deep pockets and can afford shipping a cabinet abroad, not to mention find someone to visit the shop and handle things on your behalf, this service is limited to Japanese residents who are able to visit the shop.

.

PCCADE's post announcing the prototype elicited several comments praising the project and expressing interest in buying it should it become avaialbe. Follow their Twitter account for updates!


By - grape Japan editorial staff.