Microsoft MakeCode

Advice on ordering hardware for Arcade in Spring 2020

#1

Hi there,

Looking to get some hardware to update the cabinets I have - photos here of the last Make Code Arcade Games showcase at our University
https://funwillsavetheday.wordpress.com/2020/02/05/photo-gallery-of-make-code-rebel-home-ed-game-show-case-2019/

Boards: It seems the Pi Zero is out of stock just about everywhere. But I’ve got a budget for Pi 4’s.
But will the software work in the same way? anything else I need to know about?

Screens Has anyone tips on what screens offer either good value, or ease of use for this kind of DIY cabinet projects?

Cables: I have a good source for arcade buttons, but spade connector leads by themselves I am finding hard to find. I may end up buying a zero delay arcade kit - and using the leads from that but it seems wasteful

Any indeed other tips are welcome.
Thanks
Mick

#2

sorry just remembered about the adafruit solutions too.
Any pros or cons between the Pi4’s and the Adafruit ones?

#3

If you are trying to connect the arcade to an HDMI screen (like for a cabinet), you’ll need a raspberry pi. The Adafruit boards are for handhelds.

I believe we only support the Raspberry Pi zero (@mmoskal correct me if I’m wrong)

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#4

We support the Zero and 3A. The Pi4 might work but probably requires some configuration work on image… On a Pi4, you could also probably run the game in Chrome and plug the zero delay controller to the pi.

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#5

It could in principle work with Pi4, because the USB-C port can be enabled as USB device (as opposed to USB host). However, I’m not sure how would you connect it to a computer, since the computer won’t be able to provide enough power I think.

Also, this is not supported in our current images. Pi3A+ should be in principle easier to find, since retailers don’t lose money on them, unlike on Pi0.

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#6

I’ll test this on a pi4 as soon as I can. My Uni is shut down now and I don’t think I have a zero delay board at home. But yes this could be a good solution with up to date hardware. I may be able to get my hands on pi3a as well.