Bartop Arcade Cabinet From Scrap and E-Waste

The bartop arcade cabinet system operates by integrating salvaged computing hardware, a custom control interface, and an audio setup into a scratch-built scrap plywood enclosure. At the heart of the setup is an old Dell Inspiron all-in-one PC running Linux Mint, which acts as the central processing unit and hosts the software stack. The operating system boots directly into the Pegasus Frontend, a customizable game launcher that organizes and launches arcade titles using the MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) software. User inputs are handled by an IL-knockoff joystick and matching arcade buttons wired physically into the system. Rather than using a dedicated microcontroller or USB encoder interface board, this build utilizes a controller hack by disassembling an Xbox 360 gamepad and soldering the arcade controls directly to its internal button matrix contacts. This allows the PC to natively recognize the arcade inputs as a standard gamepad over USB. Audio output is routed from the PC to a pair of Logitech amplified desktop speakers housed inside the cabinet to deliver retro sound effects. A relay module is incorporated into the internal wiring to handle power distribution safely across the system components. Structurally, the reclaimed plywood chassis is protected and visually enhanced using vinyl laminate and PVC edge trim, while acrylic sheet overlays shield the display and control panel surfaces from wear.