Build GuideCabinet Mode · Pro

Mac mini + Velocity =
the ultimate arcade cabinet.

Drop a Mac mini M4 inside a cabinet, connect a monitor, wire up your joysticks and buttons through USB, and you have an arcade cabinet that plays more games than any physical cabinet ever built — 40,000 MAME arcade titles, every major home console from the 1970s through PS2 and GameCube, Windows PC games via GPTK 4, and cloud streaming.

~$1,100 complete build40,000+ MAME titles19 systemsMac mini M4

No single arcade cabinet in history has covered this much ground.

Velocity's controller bridge maps any USB HID joystick to the right input format automatically across all 19 emulated systems. Everything runs at full speed on the base Mac mini M4. A professional custom cabinet build with new components runs $3,000–$8,000. This build outperforms all of them for under half the price — and plays 40,000 more games.

Cabinet Mode · Velocity Pro

Arcade-first UI. Controller-only. No mouse required.

Cabinet Mode replaces Velocity's desktop interface with a full-screen, joystick-native launcher purpose-built for arcade cabinets. Navigate your entire library — MAME titles, retro consoles, Windows games — with a joystick and buttons. No keyboard. No mouse. No visible macOS. Just the arcade.

🕹️

Joystick navigation

The entire interface — browsing, launching, settings — works with joystick and buttons only.

📺

Full-screen always

macOS UI is hidden. The cabinet experience is everything on screen from power-on.

🎰

Attract mode

When idle, Cabinet Mode cycles through game art and previews like a real arcade cabinet.

⚙️

Input mapping

Velocity automatically maps USB HID joystick inputs to the correct format for every emulator.

The Build Guide

Five things. One cabinet.

The Mac mini M4 is the perfect arcade brain — silent, fast enough for GameCube at 8× resolution, and small enough to mount inside any cabinet. Here's everything you need.

The Brain — Mac mini M4

~$599

The base Mac mini M4 is everything this build needs. It runs every emulated system at full speed, handles GPTK4 Windows games, runs completely silent under arcade workloads, and draws only 10W at idle — which matters when the cabinet runs all day.

CPU

Apple M4 (10-core)

GPU

10-core GPU, Metal

RAM

16GB unified

Storage

256GB SSD

Ports

3× USB-C, 2× USB-A, HDMI

Power draw

10W idle / 38W peak

Size

197 × 197 × 35mm

macOS

Golden Gate+

💡 16GB is sufficient for everything in this build. 24GB only helps if you run multiple modern Windows titles simultaneously.

Controls — Joystick + USB Encoder

$30–$120 per player

Arcade controls connect to USB via an encoder board. The encoder presents to macOS as a standard USB HID gamepad — plug-and-play, no driver needed. Velocity maps inputs automatically.

Zero-Delay USB Encoder

$10–$18

Recommended

The standard choice. Supports 1 joystick + up to 12 buttons per board. Two-player builds need two boards. Plugs into any USB-A port — immediate detection.

Where to buy: Amazon · ArcadeForge · Ultimarc

Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT Joystick

$22–$28

Industry standard

The gold standard of arcade joysticks — used in professional fighting game cabinets worldwide. Tight gate, consistent travel, built to last decades.

Where to buy: FocusAttack · Akishop · Paradise Arcade

Sanwa / Seimitsu Buttons

$3–$5 each

Mix to taste

Sanwa OBSF-30 for snappy click. Seimitsu PS-14-G for slightly stiffer feel. 6-button layout: 6 × 30mm + 2 × 24mm for coin/start.

Where to buy: FocusAttack · Paradise Arcade

Budget kit (all-in-one)

$25–$45 per player

Starter build

Complete kits on Amazon include encoder + joystick + buttons in one package. Not arcade-grade, but functional. Search: 'arcade joystick kit USB'.

Where to buy: Amazon

Display

$120–$350

24" 1080p IPS

Recommended

Perfect for a cocktail table or classic upright. Sharp, bright, HDMI native. LG 24MK430H or similar. ~$130.

27" 1440p IPS

Premium

For a larger standup or 4K upscaled retro. Mac mini M4 drives 4K at 60fps no problem. Dell S2722DC or similar. ~$250.

15.6" portable 1080p

Compact build

Ideal for a mini cocktail or tabletop build. USB-C powers and delivers video in one cable. EVICIV or Lepow. ~$100–$140.

The Cabinet

$250–$1,200+

DIY flat-pack kit

$250–$450

Software Setup — Velocity

Install Velocity

Download from the Mac App Store. Requires macOS Golden Gate on Apple Silicon. Velocity manages emulator installation automatically.

Point Velocity at your ROM folder

Velocity scans any folder and identifies every supported ROM by file name and hash. MAME ROMs in a flat folder, console ROMs however you organize them.

Connect your USB encoder

Plug in the Zero-Delay USB encoder. macOS detects it immediately as a USB HID device. In Velocity: Controller → Auto-map → press any button. Done.

Enable Cabinet Mode

In Velocity Pro settings, toggle Cabinet Mode on. The next launch switches to full-screen joystick UI. Hold coin + start simultaneously to exit back to macOS.

Set macOS to auto-launch Velocity

System Settings → General → Login Items → add Velocity. Cabinet Mode starts on boot. Your arcade is ready from power-on.

Total build cost estimate

Mac mini M4

$599

USB encoders (×2 for 2P)

$20–$36

Joystick + buttons (×2)

$60–$120

Display (24" 1080p)

$120–$160

Cabinet (flat-pack)

$250–$450

Velocity Pro

TBD

Total range

~$1,050 – $1,370

A professional custom arcade cabinet build with new components runs $3,000–$8,000. This build outperforms all of them for under half the price — and plays 40,000 more games.

19 systems, 53 curated games

See every supported system, emulator, and quality rating — or browse the full game library.

All systems →Game library →

Requires macOS Golden Gate or later · Apple Silicon only

Mac mini + Velocity =the ultimate arcade cabinet.