Picade Max (Beta) - Feedback

Waiting for the official product announcement thread, until then:

First, huge fan. I have bought both the Picade 2015 and 2020 and have spent countless hours tinkering, playing, and enjoying them.

I don’t have the money to invest in a beta unit, but I do have some questions and feedback

Questions

  • When is the next mainline Picade coming?
  • Is the back access panel on a hinge like the original Picade 2015 or held in with two feet and a rubber o-ring like the Picade 2020?
  • Does Picade Max Power HAT have additional power out leads? 5V, 8V, etc.? Will there be leftover USB ports on the Raspberry Pi 5 after setup? Will 12V power supply be enough and then some for accessories/mods like storage, fans, external drives, lights, etc.?
  • How are you handling rigidity? - May need some additional bracing at this size/weight. I’m thinking metal cross-braces to create rigidity and prevent it from “rhombus-ing”, like sway bars on a vehicle. Don’t know how to design this without it getting in the way of mounting on panels for board, monitor, etc.

Feedback

What I Like

  • 19" (!) 5:4 ration LCD monitor
  • STEREO
  • Raspberry Pi 5 support
  • PICO-8 license!
  • Volume knob
  • Including both 1-player and 2-player layout panels
  • Art template (as before, but thank you!)
  • Alternate marquee diffuser panel for LED/light setup
  • Mounting holes for a fan
  • Mounting holes for other boards (as before, but thank you!)
  • Picade Max Power HAT with proper 12V power supply to power everything without risk of under-powering
  • Picade Max USB controller board (with a ridiculous number of I/O and plasma support!)

OS/Software

  • This is largely up to the customer/user, but in the past you require running scripts/installers to get the various boards/HATs working on RetroPie, so this is important to ensure day-one compatability:
    • You recommend Recalbox which is closed-source and is more of a “product” where you have to donate to their Patreon to get “advanced” features
    • I invariably believe Batocera is the superior choice, and I would hope this is supported out-of-the-box as well: Reddit topic on Batocera vs Recalbox, main Batocera website
    • Good ol’ RetroPie support would still be welcome in absence of Batocera day-one, and in place of Recalbox, IMHO :)
    • Please, please continue to provide source to the scripts etc. used to configure anything as needed to configure for other setups

Cabinet Design

  • While convenient, the buttons on the side for controlling the monitor settings clutter up the cabinet design
    • These are rarely, if ever, used on the original Picades
    • Hotkey + joystick/buttons are useful for changing software dimming if brightness needs to be accessed quickly
    • Would look better if this could be removed and the buttons remain accessible inside

Artwork

  • Gotta be honest, not a fan
  • Logo looks great
  • “Player 1” and “Player 2” labels are clutter
  • Red with blue historically has some harsh contrast effects and is worse for some than others: Chromostereopsis - Wikipedia
    • Keep one color theme across the system, just like the galaxy effect of the Picade 2015 or the retro futurism effect of the Picade 2020

Buttons/Sticks

  • Coloring per player is fine - but see red vs blue comment above
    • If single colors are chosen per player, all actions buttons should be the same color - Having the black buttons above just doesn’t look as aesthetically pleasing
  • Too many colors that don’t fit an aesthetic palette with stark contrast, 4 (blue, red, white black)
  • There is a “mess” of buttons on the panel
    • Densely packed on top row
    • The quantity is high
      • 7 for the action buttons is pushing it with the original 6 fitting 99.99% games in arcade-style, save for something like Street Fighter 4 or rhythm games
      • There are 8 non-action buttons that I can see
        • Having “Select/Coin” and “Start” for each player is necessary, so that’s 4 required
        • I would argue at least 1 or 2 more needed for hotkey/etc.
          • Mapping one as a hotkey in RetroPie/RetroArch works great for any other functions and this is done simply on both the existing Picades
        • Picade 2015 has 6 non-action buttons (includes “Select/Coin” and “Start” for one player)
        • Picade 2020 has 4 non-action buttons (includes “Select/Coin” and “Start” for one player)
        • I can’t imagine why the extra 2 are necessary
    • I would argue that non-action buttons should first be moved to the front and side panels of the cabinet and colored black to blend in, like the previous iterations. If action buttons are to be on the control panel itself, just have the “Start” ones, like many, many arcade cabinets do
  • I would have something to say about using Sanwa or Seimitsu stick and buttons, but this is best left to customer to buy as they are highly preferential and would probably up the price of the kit about $30-$50

Thank you for reading!

I think, without actually having had a Picade Max built and hands-on with it, feedback can’t really be given on design practicality or stability of the cabinet yet.

I have pre-ordered my beta, and will obviously do my best to give as detailed feedback to the Pimironi team on the building process etc.

I do have to say off the bat, that the buttons for the monitor being accessible on the side of the unit is a very welcome feature, with my current 2-player bartop arcade machine missing this, it makes it a chore to change on the fly. Hotkey + buttons is ok, but when a hotkey + buttons has been setup for gaming use in such setups using RecalBox, it is just a nightmare and a recipe for accidentally pressing the wrong combination and ending/exiting a game prematurely etc.

From the Picade Max cabinet breakdown pictures from Pimironi’s own Gadgetoid, the unit as a whole look pretty solid. The placement of the built-in PSU has an I/O plate at the bottom right of the cabinet’s rear, adding what appears to be protection for the internal board (and its inputs/outputs) as well as adding some rigidity for the upright side panel.

I have seen that the panels are held together like the previous Picades, with interlocking panels, which is then further secured all round inside with metal ‘L’ brackets with 3 bolts each. I’m unsure if the previous Picades had these brackets, so I will go with your knowledge on that, having not owned previous models.

Obviously, the display itself has a metal plate on the back which gives the structure some rigidity, and there is a 6mm MDF ‘shelf’ that goes from one side to the other in the middle of the inside (where all the controller boards sit) which again adds a great deal of strength to the overall size and structure of the design.

I also enquired, from a personal project perspective, what the overall weight of the Picade Max would be, as my current bartop arcade that I built comes in at a hefty 17kg… and the Picade Max comes in at 8.5kg which was very impressive, and for me atleast, a great relief.

I will try grab the photos, and post them here… but overall, it looks like its a smashing bit of kit, and will most likely run like a peach when teamed up with the RPi5 and any frontend emulation you intend to use.

When it comes to using another SBC or mini PC etc, there may be some stumbling blocks, but without getting hands-on yet, it’s all speculation.

There is decent amount of space inside for most boards and setups, even multiple setups if you project is that way inclined.

Graphics themselves are personal preference, but having some included is always welcome, as is the fact the additional gamepad clear acrylic plates for both single and 2-player setups are included, as well as the standard graphics marquee acrylic plate & a extra additional diffuser plate for Pimironi’s own Galactic Unicorn matrix LED… for a fancy marquee (which I definitely will be opting for lol!).

Same with the buttons and Joysticks for me. The colourway isn’t a big thing for me personally… and most Picade Machines I have seen, the owners have opted to swap them all out for plasma-lit versions or something similar.

Genuinely excited to get building and playing around with it though. I wanted a Picade when I got my RPi5 at launch last year, however the 10” offering was too small for my ‘must have’ list and it also wasn’t designed with the RPi5’s layout and outputs in mind…. Which led me to ultimately build and design my own bartop cabinet.

Also, looking forward to seeing some graphic designs that are created for the Picade Max by create peeps on this forum.




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Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Agreed with not having it in-hands it’s hard to tell, I’m only drawing on experience with my last two generational units. Other than the clever shelf you mentioned, looks like they have double MDF on top. I just hope it’s enough. With my previous Picades, they are rigid and solid enough, but I can tell with scaling, the thinner MDF might have some trouble. They are wonderful weights for their size!

Also wanted to add that graphics and colorways are subjective and I’m no exception. Graphics really are not that bad, just not for me. And with Picade we are provided templates to make our own designs and print them out on card stock. Button color choice is seems a bit much, but I’ll be replacing them anyway.

Looking at the side buttons for monitor control with these new pics: they’ve grown on me. Certainly function over form, but not by much and not a hill I’d die on.

My only strong opinion is the top row of buttons on the control panel is a bit too much in number and placement. If they could just have two “Start” buttons center-top and the rest aligned on the side panels as black buttons as previous models, that would be 👨‍🍳 👌🏻😘

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It looks like the volume control is an encoder, wired up to the Encoder connector on the USB Audio board. I so hope that becomes a stand alone item in the store.

I would like to see a slightly smaller screen (17"?) just for the ability to have bezel artwork.

It’s funny you mention the button layout, because my custom built bartop arcade has the layout you mentioned (additional buttons on the side/front panels). I will drop a picture below.

Personally (and I am probably committing a massive Sin here!) but for non-arcade games that are more button heavy, I use a Bluetooth controller, like my 8bitdo Ultimate Pro or my Guilikit KingKong2. So, I guess I am indifferent when it comes to the top row of additional buttons.

I actually think the audio oomph is a big thing for me. My current setup has a stereo speaker system and it just adds a fantastic ‘modern’ experience to older games for me.

The template for the graphics for the Picade Max are available (I will post them here aswell) so the graphics wizards can have at them lol! I have already started to see what designs I want for mine 🤣



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For the graphics Wizards 👍🏻

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Very slick! I was eventually headed down a similar route and was going to build one before the first Picade release in 2015.

Is there any easy access to the usb ports on the Pi for plugging in and removing a wired mouse and keyboard without removing panels.

Pondering whether it would be possible to flip it between arcade machine and Amiga system without needing to remove panels.

Short answer is yes.

The rear panel of the cabinet has an interchangeable blanking plate, and two versions are supplied with the Picade Max.

One is Pi5 oriented and the other is oriented for a bigger PC board style PSU (from what I can remember).

However, the position of the Pi5 looks to be the users choice. The PSU hat that comes supplied with the Picade Max shouldn’t really affect that.

Two other options, to make it custom to your needs, would be to have a mount inside the case or even on the back of the cabinet to hold a keyboard etc. Or, cut your own section out the additional blanking plate to accommodate the 4 USB ports for easy access 👍🏻

OK so the box arrived… do we already have a link to the manual?

Ok, here: Assembling Picade Max (1/4)

Got an error 5xx when I first tried.

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Half way through my Picade MAX build, only to discover I am missing the Volume dial encoder board, and have been supplied with 2x LCD Keypads lol!

So, will have to put my build on hold until that arrives.

But, I have been filming the build process for a 2 part YouTube video I am doing for it.

Any Picade Max Beta customers got two Volume Dial encoders with their build by any chance?! 😂

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Hi All,

I just received mine Friday 8.9.24 and started building. Here is my feedback thus far:

Hardware
• The diagram of hardware as in the previous Picade products was very helpful in identifying the hardware.
• Labeling of the hardware packs is also helpful.
• Separation of the longer screws from the nuts helps easily identify the longer ones from the shorter ones.
Adding the side panels and speakers
• No mention of how many brackets and associated hardware for brackets for specific steps
Picade Max audio board
• No mention of plugging in the encoder cable
• Install mounting screws but don’t tighten before securing audio cables with zip ties to help with keeping the mounting board in place.
• The right speaker wire is shorter had to turn the speaker to face the marquee to not stretch the cable.
NVMe Base
• Note to use stand-offs from the NVMe base kit when mounting Picade Max, not the hardware provided with Picade Max.

I will be sure to post photos when I am complete with the build.

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Question.
Does anyone know what the amperage rating is for the 5v out on the Picade max power hat?

only got one. sorry.

What a great kit – having a wonderful time assembling it!

Feedback…

  • I mixed the stand-offs and screws before finding the NVME kit bag so had to re-do - part my own enthusiasm.
  • My base has both back corners slightly ‘mushed’ during transit - not enough that bothers and its out of sight; perhaps the packaging could be improved around the corners of the large loose pieces in box?
  • I like the extra feet - perhaps the instructions and picture should just say ‘use the provided 8 feet’?
  • Agree with the comments by @MontesDesigns, good idea about turning the speaker around.
  • The only tweak I can think of to the instructions, is to perhaps keep the Pi5 unfixed to the base initially - there is no easy way to get at the NVME base once it’s all assembled as you to have to start by removing the Power HAT.

As I’m ¾ through, may come back and revisit this.

Update #1 - fully assembled. Does look rather nice :D

Thought I would try Recalbox - it works in that I have navigation and games start. The button mappings are a bit off, but then I’ve not tweaked them yet.

One possible issue - sounds is fine… until I press the button in the volume - then silence until (I think) the next full power cycle. Still investigating, but did sound nice… for a moment. Happened twice now. Also, when I turn the volume control the ‘volume progress bar’ moves very slowly - like 2 minutes of slow progress. So something weird going on.

Update #2 - Sound, sort of!

Turns out there is a reset button on the picade audio board - hit reset and sound! After a bit, stops though.

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I got the stand offs mixed up not realizing I needed to use nvme ones. Instead I used the stand offs that were for the encoder. Thus having to take the pi back out so I feel your pain on getting to the nvme.

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I built my Max yesterday whilst catching up on the Olympics. It took about 5 hrs, the hardest bit was sorting the screws into little piles before the building commenced. The build instructions were very easy to follow and showed the majority of things clearly, other than the tiny audio cable, but finding where it needed to be connected (from the Audio encoder header) was simple enough.

I believe the 4 x 12mm screws holding the screen in place are too long. If screwed the whole way in, it causes light bleed at the 4 entry locations on the screen. I’m going to swap them for shorter screws later, as they are currently screwed out by about 3mm.

I would also suggest making the two player planel layout the same for P1 and P2 and also rotate the joysticks mount holes to make the sticks North/South East/West Vs their current “off vertical” mounting (if possible) for future revisions of the console layout.
The reason being is that I found playing Pacman a little “off” due to North/South being more North East/South West. There is also a little bit of upward flex in the control panel due to it only being held in place by 2 screws (Left edge and Right edge), maybe another bracket is needed at the center of the front edge ? (Not a show stopper in any way)

I was hoping that the power button would turn the machine on from a “shutdown state” but it only appears to do it from the initial plug of the power cable. Maybe I’ve wired it wrong ? (I’ve not checked yet) or maybe its just how a PI5 works when shutdown.

I’ve not worked out the functions of the screen buttons yet, but I’m sure that will be straightforward with some trial and error.

For testing I dropped Batocera (v39) on a 256gb MicroSD using Etcher, once booted I connected ethernet and dropped bunch of content on the card over network from my PC. Once I had mapped the controls (very easy with Batocera), I spent a good few hours testing different Systems/Games. I have a sinden lightgun, so thats the next thing I’ll be testing, as Batocera has out of the box support.

I’m already eyeballing the Unicorn Matrix and wondering if that would be a fun addition.

Extras that would be nice at the point of purchase…

Different button colour options > so you can pick a colour set vs being given a colour set
Selection of different art work for the control panel and marquee > would be nice to have ability to choose from a set of matching artwork (handy for the artless people like me)
Different panel layouts > single player, single + spinner, single + trackball etc

All in all, I’ll give it a 9 out of 10. Super easy to build, super fun to play, looks great and a much better size than the OG Picade from many moons ago.


NOTE/ I had a faulty power hat, which has been replaced (Amazing support, thanks v much).

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