DIY Virtual Pinball Machine

I've always enjoyed a game of pinball, and I recently went down the rabbit hole of virtual pinball machines. I'd seen pinball games over the years, and enjoyed them, but never really LOVED playing them with a controller or keyboard. During some random late-night internet exploring, I discovered things have come quite some way...

So, I set about planning my own virtual pinball machine. I wanted to keep the cost as low as possible, as the main reason I don't want to buy a real machine is the cost. 

Parts List - First Round

First up, screens:

• 43" 1080p Sharp TV - Playfield (already had this)
• 24" 1080p monitor - Backglass
• $30 9" screen - Dot Matrix Display (DMD)

Next I needed a suitable PC. The specs I settled on were:

• Ryzen 5 3600
• RX 580 8gb
• MoBo, SSD, PSU, etc

Other bits and pieces:

• Zero delay USB board and arcade buttons ($40 from Amazon)
• Cheap PC speakers (will upgrade later)

This is all I really needed to start with the software set up. It's a bit of a process, and maybe something to tackle in another post, but there's a ton of great YouTube videos out there that do an amazing job of explaining every step. Check out TerryRed on YouTube to get up and running.

$50 Plywood = Pinball Cabinet

Now it's time for the cabinet, so I dived into SketchUp to see how much wood I'd need.

I picked up a 4' x 8' sheet of 3/4" plywood for the build, and set to work. The nice part about this design is that I use only straight cuts, so all you really need is a circular saw and a straight bit of wood to use as a guide, with a couple of clamps to hold it all still. I like that it's all cut from a single sheet of plywood, too. There's access at the back and underneath for wiring and such.

Here's what I am expecting to see when I'm done. Let's see what happens...

First cuts go well. I start by clamping two 2' x 4' pieces together, with the 'finished' outside surfaces facing inward to reduce any tearing from the diagonal cut. This way, I get two identical pieces for my sides.

With the back and front pieces cut, I clamp them together to see how I like it. Things are looking good, so I used the Kreg pocket screw kit to fix them all together.

I ended up cutting another piece of plywood to use as a support for the playfield monitor. I didn't have this in the original plans, so you'll need extra wood if you plan on doing this too. I used pocket screws to mount it into the cabinet.

I continued to assemble the pieces from my plans. Lots of pocket screws! Eventually, here's where I was left with. At this point, I'm pretty happy with how everything is assembled, and it feels solid. I sat it down on a old coffee table just to make sure everything works. I used a Forstner bit to cut holes for my arcade buttons, and made sure to clamp a piece of scrap wood to the back to make sure I get a clean hole all the way through.

Parts List - Second Round

Next, I decided to upgrade my stereo audio to 7.1 and add in some audio exciters. A lot of tables have some amazing audio mixing that let you hear the ball rolling around the table, and I had read that this set up does a good job of replicating the mechanical 'clunks' you hear when playing a real pinball machine.

• 4 x Dayton DAEX 58FP audio exciters
• 2 x Kinter MA170 18w mini amplifiers
• Vantek NBA-200U 7.1 external USB soundcard
• Cables and such

After a session with the soldering iron, I fixed the exciters to each of the four corners just beneath the playfield monitor, connected up all the wires, configured the soundcard and updated the audio settings in my virtual pinball emulator. Wow, what an upgrade. Every virtual pinball machine should have this included! 

What's Next?

Well, lots. Check back sometime to see where I'm at!

• I'm going to continue to finish the backbox for the backglass - mount speakers, mount DMD, install plexiglass
• Paint the whole cabinet with a primer
• Design and order some graphics for the cabinet
• Install some toughened glass to protect the playfield monitor
• Maybe get some real pinball legs
• Install a coin door for access to amps