Your personalized arcade controller
Build it, play it.
Mac and PC compatible, GameThing gives you the ability to plug and play. Your computer will recognize it as a keyboard, so any game you can play with a keyboard already works. Use GameThing with PC games, console emulators, internet games, and more. Explore vast libraries of free and legal vintage titles and download all the games you love.
GameThing Customizer
From button layout to joystick colors, GameThing can be personalized however you wish. Use the customizer below to preview different styles. Don't hesitate to contact us for more layouts or options. Virtually anything is possible!
Our homegrown GameThing customizer connects you to the manufacturing floor. We're able to take your selections below and export them straight to the laser cutter so that you receive exactly what you wanted.
Authentic arcade components, à la carte.
The GameThing frame is designed digitally. The entire frame is cut with a laser allowing for an unprecedented amount of repeatability and customization. Button layout, frame dimensions, color, engravings, materials, etc. Your perfect arcade stick is a only a few clicks away.
All the components were specifically chosen to replicate the sensations of a real arcade. The joysticks are Sanwa brand, the industry standard joystick, with its distinctive stainless steel shaft and spherical ball top. The buttons are imported into the US directly from the manufacturer because they are the ones our testers unanimously chose in a blind test as the best. The plastic used in this acrylic top is the same as in stand-up cabinets to protect playing surfaces. From the audible click of the controls to the smooth texture of the control surface, GameThing gives you that visceral arcade feeling of being able to really button mash.
Even though we've found the best components we could, we never found a suitable electronics controller and so we built our own. We based the design on the Arduino so that you can easily modify and program anything you want into your GameThing. We released the source code as open-source so you can add LEDs, create button macros, or even make it wireless!
Components
- Frame: Laser Cut MDF & Acrylic (9.75 x 7 x 2.75 Inches)
- Joysticks: Sanwa JLF 8-way
- Buttons: GameThing 24mm Arcade Push Buttons
- Controller: Open-source Arduino
Open-Source
GameThing wouldn't exist without the open-source movement and the shared knowledge found on the internet . That's why we're sharing everything we've learned about custom arcade encoders by open-sourcing our code. We jumped at the opportunity to give back to the community that taught us so much over the years. Download our code by clicking below and come back to read our blog for development updates.
Designed and built in California
GameThing isn't just a game thing. GameThing is the customization, support, and experience of playing games together.