Before you buy a home arcade cabinet, measure these four things
A full-size cabinet is the dream. It's also heavy, tall and pickier about your house than you think.
Owning the arcade cabinet you pumped quarters into is one of the most common grown-man dreams. Plenty of guys get one and love it. Plenty of others discover it doesn't fit through the basement door.
1. The path in, not just the spot
Measure every doorway, stairwell and turn between your truck and the final spot. Original upright cabinets are tall, deep and awkward to tilt. Many owners get them in only after removing doors or taking parts of the cabinet off.
2. The floor space
Leave room to stand and play, plus space behind or beside it to open the cabinet for repairs.
3. The weight
Original cabinets with tube monitors are heavy. Upstairs rooms and two-person moves are where most of the regret happens.
4. The power and the noise
Old machines can draw real power and run warm. They're also loud, which matters if anyone else in the house is trying to sleep.
The easier route
Smaller replica cabinets made for home use are lighter, cheaper and often hold several games. Purists will tell you it's not the same, and they're right. For most people it's close enough, and it fits.
