Picade Max

SKU: PIM708 Brand: Pimoroni

Picade Max is a deluxe one or two-player arcade cabinet that you build yourself...

$1,694.95 AUD, inc GST

$1,540.86 AUD, exc GST

Available with a lead time
Expect dispatch between Aug 11 and Aug 18

Picade Max is a deluxe one or two-player arcade cabinet that you build yourself.

Pimoroni has had a lot of requests to make a bigger, more versatile, 2 player version of Picade and after a lot of work Pimoroni are very excited to share it!

Here are some of our favourite features:

Glorious 19" Screen
Selected for its 5:4 aspect ratio (1280x1024 pixels) which is perfect for retro gaming. This IPS panel has vibrant colours and remains clearly visible from any viewing angle.
Arcade Joysticks + Low-Profile Buttons
Connected up via a new standalone RP2040 powered Picade Max USB Controller board. The dedicated microcontroller lets Picade read lots of inputs accurately with super low latency!
High Quality Stereo Audio with Volume Control
Built-in speakers powered by a custom RP2040-based USB stereo 3W per channel sound card. A tactile rotary encoder allows you to adjust the volume at any time, no more fiddling with it in software!
1 & 2 Player Control Surfaces
For the first time on Picade you can deck out your unit with either a one or two player layout. Both are included!
Black Powder Coated Cabinet
Sturdy 6mm MDF with a hardwearing powder-coated finish gives a premium feel, while retaining family-friendly proportions that don't take over the room. Stronk, not Chonk.
Vibrant Artwork
A galactic red vs blue theme is provided for the marquee and console panels. Alternatively, see below for details on how to design your own!

Made for Raspberry Pi 5

Picade Max sports a trio of custom-designed, dedicated, boards that augment your Raspberry Pi 5 by providing the power, audio, and control handling features.

Picade Max Power HAT - provides plenty of power to your Raspberry Pi 5 and the included display. Just plug in the 12V power supply and the electrons will start shifting. Also includes support for the illuminated soft power button which will gracefully shutdown your Raspberry Pi when turning off Picade.
- Powers your Raspberry Pi 5 and the display
- Input: 12V (PSU supplied)
Picade Max USB Controller Board - handles all of the button and joystick inputs (up to 24 of them!) and reports them back to your Raspberry Pi as if they had come from a regular keyboard or gamepad. This should make it easy to configure with many popular emulators.
- Push fit DuPont connectors for buttons and joysticks
- 2x 4-way joystick inputs (including analog) + up to 30(!) arcade buttons
- Connects via USB-C
- Powered by RP2040 (firmware on GitHub)
Picade Max USB Audio Board - dual-channel 3W amplification with an onboard RP2040 acting as a USB soundcard. The connected rotary encoder gives precise volume control.
- 2 x screw terminals to attach speakers
- I2S audio DAC with 3W amplifier (stereo)
- Volume control via separate encoder board
- Connects via USB-C
- Powered by RP2040 (firmware on GitHub)

Picade Max is so much more than just a snazzy looking cabinet and a screen!

PICO-8 Fantasy Console License Included!

PICO-8 is a fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games and other computer programs. It feels like a regular console, but runs on Windows / Mac / Linux. When you turn it on, the machine greets you with a command line, a suite of cartridge creation tools, and an online cartridge browser called SPLORE.

It's a whole lot of fun and there are thousands of games, demos, experiments, and creations already out there for you to try - it's the perfect gateway experience to start dabbling in game development!

Included with your Picade Max is a free license key for PICO-8 worth $14.99!

Choose Your Own ~~Adventure~~ Emulator

There are a wide range of emulators supported on Raspberry Pi. The Picade Max electronics have been designed to behave like a standard game controller which means mapping controls should be straightforward no matter which emulator you prefer to use.

Here at Pimoroni we've been enjoying using Recalbox which provides comprehensive emulation of over 100 different consoles, handhelds, and computers - phew!

Picade Max Kit Includes

Picade Max comes in kit form and you'll need to build it yourself when it arrives. The build process takes between 2 and 4 hours depending on how ready your caffeine supply and how deft your fingers are.

You need to supply a Raspberry Pi 5 and microSD card. The only tools necessary are a couple of basic screwdrivers.

Assembly instructions are available online.

Contents:

Black, powder-coated, pre-cut MDF panels
Two console options with artwork (one or two player layout)
2 x joystick with black ball top and push-fit arcade buttons
2 x 3" speaker (5W, 4O)
Volume control dial and illuminated power button
19" 1280 x 1024 IPS panel with HDMI driver board
External screen controls keypad
Picade Max Power HAT
Picade Max USB Controller Board
Picade Max USB Audio Board
12V power supply
All necessary cables and adaptors
Grippy rubber feet + fixings

Assembled dimensions: 51cm x 44cm x 39cm - perfect for a counter top or desk!

Notes and Secret Features

We've done our best to make the Picade Max cabinet as hackable / customisable as possible! Note that these serving suggestions are minimally documented and should be deemed 'experimental', 'YMMV' and 'here be dragons' whilst Picade Max is in beta - but we'd love to hear about it if you try them out.

An alternate diffuser piece with mounting holes and standoffs is included for if you want go totally extra and add a Galactic Unicorn LED matrix as your marquee ???? (Unicorn is not included)
There's a selection of extra mounting holes in the base, for if you want to install a mini PC/ITX (and power supply) instead of a Raspberry Pi.
We've added mounting holes in the back panel for adding a large (200mm) rear mounted fan.
Picade Max Power HAT, USB Controller and USB Audio boards all have Qw/ST connectors for if you want to add sensors or other I2C... things. There's also some spare ADC pins available on the USB Controller board.
Want to make your own custom artwork for your Picade Max? Click here to download a PDF template for the printed pieces.
Picade Max is designed for use with Raspberry Pi 5, but it will work just fine with any version of Pi with a 40 pin header.
Picade Max is compatible with our very popular NVMe Base for Raspberry Pi 5 meaning that you can even have an M.2 NVMe SSD powering your most epic arcade build - that's gonna be real fast!

Product Comments

Start the conversation

Exact shipping can be calculated on the view cart page (no login required).

Products that weigh more than 0.5 KG may cost more than what's shown (for example, test equipment, machines, >500mL liquids, etc).

We deliver Australia-wide with these options (depends on the final destination - you can get a quote on the view cart page):

$3+ for Stamped Mail (typically 10+ business days, not tracked, only available on selected small items)
$7+ for Standard Post (typically 6+ business days, tracked)
$11+ for Express Post (typically 2+ business days, tracked)
Pickup - Free! Only available to customers who live in the Newcastle region (must order online and only pickup after we email to notify you the order is ready). Orders placed after 2PM may not be ready until the following business day.

Non-metro addresses in WA, NT, SA & TAS can take 2+ days in addition to the above information.

Some batteries (such as LiPo) can't be shipped by Air. During checkout, Express Post and International Methods will not be an option if you have that type of battery in your shopping cart.

International Orders - the following rates are for New Zealand and will vary for other countries:

$12+ for Pack and Track (3+ days, tracked)
$16+ for Express International (2-5 days, tracked)

If you order lots of gear, the postage amount will increase based on the weight of your order.

Our physical address (here's a PDF which includes other key business details):

40 Aruma Place
Cardiff
NSW, 2285
Australia

Take a look at our customer service page if you have other questions such as "do we do purchase orders" (yes!) or "are prices GST inclusive" (yes they are!). We're here to help - get in touch with us to talk shop.

Have a product question? We're here to help!