Below is a list of what I think the Picade is missing—however, this being an innately hackable product, omission of these features was likely intentional. Therefore, these issues shouldn’t reflect poorly on the Picade; rather, they present an opportunity for some great modding and learning opportunities.

We will be posting guides for each of the following mods in the near future. Be sure to follow howchoo on Facebook to get a notification when they're up!

Power button (missing on original only)

The new Picade has a power button, but the original Picade does not. This isn't too abnormal, seeing as the Raspberry Pi itself doesn't have a power button, either. But it would have been nice to include a simple shutdown/wake circuit in the Picade PCB.

Lit marquee

That's right, I said it. This cabinet deserves to be flashy. A backlit marquee is just one more way to bring your cabinet closer to arcade quality.

Portability (battery)

Without a proper battery, this cabinet leaves you tethered to an outlet. With a little work, you too can have a mobile arcade!

LED buttons

Why bother with opaque hardware when you can bring a little light into the equation? One thing is for sure: LED buttons are lit.

You can see a good example of LED button use in our DIY arcade stick guide.

Mentioned here Pi Retrobox: Build Your Own DIY Raspberry Pi All-In-One Arcade Joystick Bring the arcade to your tabletop!

External USB buttons

Have a specific function? Why not give it a specific button? Adding additional USB buttons is a great way to add custom functionality.

Second gamepad

The Picade is an awesome setup—but what about player 2? We have plans in the works to create an awesome experience for those must-play multiplayer titles. While you can connect a second controller by plugging it into the Pi in the back of the Picade (or via bluetooth), it would be great if there were USB ports up front!

Mentioned here How to Use a Wireless Bluetooth Controller with RetroPie No more wires!

Volume control

Presently, the Picade volume is adjusted via two buttons on the left side of the cabinet. This is a bit confusing for new players; we're definitely ready to upgrade this component by adding a volume wheel using a Raspberry Pi potentiometer.