While we've all become accustomed to using fancy analogue controllers these days, there's still a large sector of the market which loves a good, old-fashioned eight-way digital arcade experience – and to that end, accessory company iMP has produced the Gaming Mini Arcade Pro for Switch and Switch 2.
On the surface, this looks like a bartop arcade cabinet, but in reality, it's a cradle for your Switch console that allows you to use authentic arcade-style controls with games that benefit from digital input – such as old-school titles, shmups and fighting games.
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The iMP Gaming Mini Arcade Pro doesn't come preassembled, but putting it together (and taking it apart) is a straightforward process. Two caddy sections are included, one for the original Switch / Switch OLED, and one for the Switch 2.
Ensuring compatibility with both generations is a nice touch, but this really feels like it was designed for the newer variant; the cut-out for the screen is designed with Switch 2's larger display in mind, so the original Switch ends up looking like a toddler in a teenager's clothing.
The good news is that the Mini Arcade Pro's arcade-style controls are excellent regardless of which system you own. The clicky stick and buttons are smaller than you'd find on your typical bartop arcade cabinet, but they're a joy to use; within moments of booting up Street Fighter 6, I was pulling off special moves with the minimum of effort.
Shmups also benefit massively from this accessory — R-Type Delta: HD Boosted is a particular joy to play — and I also enjoyed romping my way through Absolum.
The central panel has all of the usual inputs (including a Home button which wakes your console from its sleep mode), as well as a switch which allows you to toggle the functionality of the stick – you can choose between the D-pad, left analogue stick, and right analogue stick. There's a 'C' button to bring up GameChat, but no 'Capture' button, oddly.
Spin it around, and there's space for you to clip in 12 Switch game cards and 12 MicroSD cards – a nice touch if you want to keep your software close at hand. My only reservation with this system is that the Game Card slots don't seem to grip all that well, and it doesn't take much to knock them out of the slots by accident.
My other major issue with the iMP Gaming Mini Arcade Pro is the artwork that has been printed onto the marquee, side panels, and the main control panel. The lettering is a little too childish for my liking, and while I'm not entirely sure, I think I detect the use of Generative AI to create the art itself. This obviously has no impact on the controller's performance, but it makes it look a little cheap, in my opinion.
The Switch's recent firmware update actually broke the Mini Arcade Pro's ability to wake the console via the Home button and the functionality of the 'C' button, but, in a move which hopefully shows how committed the manufacturer is to making this device a success, it has received a firmware update to fix the problem.
While I think the iMP Gaming Mini Arcade Pro's cheap-looking artwork counts against it, I can't fault the controller when it comes to delivering that old-school arcade experience. At £45, it's not likely to break the bank, either (although it's $90 in the US).
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Comments 24
I put a modded Wii in a arcade cabinet and a fridge! 😎
P.S. mini fridge and build from the ground up.
Too bad it’s $90 here in the US, looks like it could be a fun buy.
Thanks for the review, while not a priority for me I'll consider getting this at some point (or a further improved product of this kind if available then) - regardless, it's a pretty cool idea!
Definitely going to keep an eye on this one as it seems really cool. Nearly $100 seems to be a little on the high side, but would certainly pick one up if it goes on sale or drops to a more reasonable price point.
Looks like a neat device but that price is too high in my opinion, at least in the U.S.
This looks pretty freakin’ sweet and that price tag is a bargain!
I remember a similar project being on KS some five or six years ago. It's a cool idea but that artwork is absolutely shocking.
Looks neat. But is there a way to use it tate? That would be awesome.
cool idea but the art kills it for me
I'm very interested but the design slapped on this is a deal breaker, they should give us an option to buy it generic black or white idk...
@AllBLK @Djreisat @Nintendoid720
Yeah this is right up my alley. I would love this, but it may be a little bit for me at that price here in the U.S.
Even at 90$ US its pretty tempting. If it had a vertical mode as well, I think I'd be all over it.
Pretty abominable artwork on this, makes it look cheap as hell and strictly for kids. Easy pass.
Yeah if it wasn't for the god awful gaudy design I might consider it.
Is there anything on the bottom to grip it or keep it from slipping and sliding on a countertop?
"but this really feels like it was designed for the newer variant"
too bad. something like this would facilitate a nice post career life for my old Switch.
EDIT - I just looked at the art omg 😆
Glad that the artwork and font were mentioned. They put together this cool cabinet and then absolutely pooped the bed with that part.
Looks neat! But I'm surprisingly put off a little by lack of capture button - I use that thing All The Time! (I'm still loving snapping in MKW)
Though I suppose using this at all would be for select few games so maybe less of an issue
They should have used a more elegant art, but the device looks interesting. I was thinking recently that I'd love to put my Switch or Switch 2 inside a bartop-like thing in order to play the dozens of arcade titles in my collection, and the wooden cabinet that came with Toki Collector's Edition is meant to be used -if at all- with the joy-cons detached. The cabinet experience must be enjoyed with built-in controls.
Maybe if this gets rereleased in other art variants I might get it on a sale.
Cool, now I need a vertical one with good artwork.
Looks like a cool little device and a bargain at £45. As others have said though that artwork is puke inducing.
If Capcom could come up with something similar and add some SF6/Final Fight artwork and a capture button then I'd be all in. It would be perfect for SF6 and Capcom Arcade Stadium.
This is cool as hell. Now I want one !
And for the capture button, maybe we can just reconfigure the Chat Button, in the Switch OS, for capturing screenshots ?
Huh this looks pretty damn cool actually.
How much can it be disassembled? I wonder how hard it would be to redo the artwork yourself.
EDIT: The Amazon page seems to show the separate parts, wouldn't be difficult to replace the top and side artwork, but it looks like the fight stick is fully integrated with the front, so you'd have to work around that.
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