If you have a Raspberry Pi connected to the television in the living room to play the occasional game through its emulators, pay attention to this table because it can be the ideal complement and the envy of all your friends. Although if they don't stop going to your house later with the excuse of having coffee with you when in truth they just want to play, it's not our fault.
The perfect table for the Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi can be used for just about anything you can think of. From creating a versatile multimedia player to a network storage system as well as various home automation and robotics projects. However, one of the main uses and where it performs best is related to emulation.
As you already know, this little board is capable of emulate classic video game systems such as arcade games or 8 and 16-bit consoles. That is why it is normal to find a multitude of accessories related to the theme, from covers in the design of retro consoles even gamepads. Although one of the best is, without a doubt, this Coffee Table.
Created by the Love Hulten company, this coffee table hides its biggest secret in its main drawer: two controls in the purest style of arcade machine. Thanks to them, once connected to the Raspberry Pi you could play MAME classics or other systems on the living room TV whenever you wanted and in a very similar way to what you could experience in the old arcades (assuming you are of a certain age). .
attractive? For us it is. The problem is that to get one you have to request it in a personalized way and that can make the cost more expensive. But having seen what it is like, why not create your own. Do you want to know how you could do it and what you should keep in mind? Keep reading.
How to build your table with controls for Raspberry Pi
To build a table like Love Hulten's, all you need is a bit of skill, patience, and the necessary components. The latter is the easiest to achieve, because on Amazon they sell numerous arcade kits made up of one or more joysticks and their respective push buttons (buttons).
The only thing you need to know is that these controllers offer two different connection options. On the one hand, there are those that go directly to the GPIO connector and require a bit more configuration. And that complicates a bit for those who do not have much knowledge. and on the other there is kits with boards with a USB controller which is much easier to connect.
The latter are the ones that we recommend you buy. They are not much more expensive and there are all kinds of them, both in terms of design and for one or two players. Some interesting options are these that we leave you below.
See offer on Amazon See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonOnce you have your Raspberry Pi, drivers, and everything working properly, the next step is to create your own table. Here if you have skill and the necessary tools you could create your own design. Or, much easier, adapt some already manufactured.
If you are looking for one with a drawer, just make sure that the height Allows you to insert both joysticks and pushbuttons. So, with a little patience you will be able to build your own coffee table and play your Raspberry Pi in a different way.
Finally, since you are creating your own table, remember that you can add other options such as a USB HUB to connect traditional wired gamepads or even a keyboard and mouse. Here everything depends on what you want or not to complicate yourself. But surely it is worth it and you get that accessory that all your friends will want to have later.