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Power consumption is the foremost problem for those who are looking to buy an arcade machine There is a lot of misconceptions about how much electricity an arcade machines uses so we are here to set the record straight!
A few people think that arcade machines use a lot of electricity, while others believe that they don’t use hardly anything at all. The question needs to be answered because this is the only way to end this debate.
Do arcade machines use a lot of electricity? Put simply, arcade machines don’t use a lot of electricity. Although they do use some electricity, their consumption is very little compared to many modern day devices.
Most modern arcade games that you will have in your home will cost you under 5 cents per hour to run. So if you play your arcade machine a couple of hours a day it will only cost you a couple of dollars a month in electricity costs.
In our testing, we used an international electricity meter checker called the “P4400 Kill-A-Watt Electricity Meter by P3.” This meter can help you determine the exact amount of electricity used right from the time you plug the device into it.
We have used the Donkey Kong Arcade machine for the testing purposes, and to help you understand how we got the answer to our question.
When we plugged the device into the electricity meter we were extremely surprised by what we found out!
| Hours Per Day Being Played | Cost Per Month |
|---|---|
| 1 Hour Per Day | $0.32 Per Month |
| 2 Hours Per Day | $0.65 Per Month |
| 4 Hours Per Day | $1.30 Per Month |
| 6 Hours Per Day | $1.94 Per Month |
| 8 Hours Per Day | $2.60 Per Month |
| 16 Hours Per Day | $5.18 Per Month |
Note* All the rates that are written above are figured and approximated on $0.12 Per KWH
Now that you know the hourly rates of an arcade machine, you must be wondering about the comparison of an arcade machine with the other home appliances. You will be surprised to know that a normal home appliance costs quite a bit more than arcade machines if you run them each for 2 hours a day.
| Appliances Run 2hr/Day | Cost Per Month |
|---|---|
| Dryer | $9.00 Per Month |
| Outdoor Spotlight | $5.40 Per Month |
| Microwave | $1.92 Per Month |
| Stove | $6.96 Per Month |
| Toaster | $0.36 Per Month |
| Refrigerator | $9.36 Per Month |
| Coffee Maker | $1.08 Per Month |
| Television | $3.24 Per Month |
Note* All the rates that are written above are figured and approximated on $0.12 Per KWH
Now that we know the cost difference of an arcade machine and other appliances around the home, we can accurately say that it would be crazy to say an arcade machine is expensive to run.
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How much does an Arcade Machine cost?
Arcade machine prices depend on many factors and you can’t get all of the arcade games for one price. The factors that play an important role when you go to buy one are:
- Condition of the arcade machine
- Title of the game
- The popularity of the Arcade machine
These are the factors that take the price of the machine from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. Depending on the factors listed above, you can get an arcade machine from a couple hundred dollars to fifteen thousand dollars.
The price of an arcade machine also depends on the game return policy, the place you are buying from, and the machine condition. Prices on a brand new machine will be higher than those of a used machine. Likewise the prices of a preowned game that is certified is considerably higher than that of one that is simply just purchased from a random person from the internet.
If you are like me and want to make sure you are getting the best deal, you will need to make sure that you are in the right market, and that the person you are purchasing your machine from is an honest qualified person.
Although some people will never buy any machine but brand new or 100% certified, the choice is up to each person. Some people swear by Craigslist and just people they meet on Facebook, while others don’t trust anything that is not certified.
What type of arcade game should I go for?
Although there are a lot of arcade games that you could purchase, there are quite a few that we would like to suggest. No matter what arcade you choose, we would recommend that you go and check out all the arcade games first and choose one that you not only enjoy playing but also something that you are passionate about.
This is because it is better to choose the game by yourself based upon your likes and dislikes, than it is asking someone else to choose it for you. If you would like some more insight on the top arcade machines to go for, check out this video.
Since no two people are 100% alike, if we choose an arcade for you based upon our likes, you may not be happy with the game that we choose. But if you are interested in what games we like and think are the best, here are some of the options we picked out.
Some of the best Arcade Machine games we found are:
- Pac-Man
- Space Invaders
- Donkey Kong
- Defenders
- Asteroids
- Pong
- Galaxian
- Star Wars
- Chicken Invaders
- Tempest Mario Bros
Although we can’t list all the names and descriptions here, you can Google the names and check which one you should be going for because your choice and interest matter the most.
Another thing that matters the most when you go to purchase an Arcade Machine is “the amount of money.” If your budget is low, then you may have to compromise on your selection, but if your budget is higher, there will be plenty of options available for you to choose from.
Do you offer online sales for Arcade Machines?
Unfortunately at this time we do not sell any arcade machines to the public. Although there are quite a few good arcade machines that we have, they are currently our personal collection, and are not for sale.
If you are interested in purchasing an arcade machine from a good retailer, here is one option that we have heard is very reliable.
Do I need a special electrical hookup for an arcade machine?
When you purchase an arcade machine, you will not need any special electrical hookup. At this time all arcade machines will hook up to the standard home or commercial electricity system. If you’re planning to run 4-5 arcade machines at the same time, you should call the local electrician to set-up things for you to ensure you do not blow a fuse or trip a breaker at your house.
Conclusion
No matter what arcade machine you buy, you should be aware that there are going to be some expenses for the machine. Not only will you have some electrical costs (although not as much as a lot of people think) you will also need to factor in the cost of upkeep on the machine as well.
No matter what option you choose, if you stay within your budget, and you truly find a machine that you love, not only will you be happy, but anytime you have people come over, it is bound to be the focal point of the party!