Arcade2TV-XR is the arcade stick I never realized I needed.
When was the last occasion you inserted a quarter into an arcade cabinet? If you resemble me, the memories of arcades are primarily associated with childhood. If you’re of a younger generation, you may never have had the opportunity to experience the distinct ambiance of a neon-lit arcade from the 1980s, but one Meta Quest accessory is delivering that nostalgia straight to your home.
The somewhat tricky-to-type X-Arcade Arcade2TV-XR is an arcade stick like none I’ve previously encountered, designed specifically to function with everything from a PlayStation 5 to a Meta Quest 3. At first glance, you might think it’s intended solely for dedicated Street Fighter 6 competition fans, but this stunning black, white, and red device is manufactured for so much more.
It ranks among my top Meta Quest accessories, as it not only offers a unique experience across various game genres but is incredibly straightforward to set up and use regularly. It’s reignited my passion for pinball games, making it the ideal gadget for emulation enthusiasts like my colleague, Andrew Myrick.
A home arcade
As you can see from the image above, the X-Arcade Arcade2TV-XR is a robust arcade stick setup featuring 2-player capability and several different input options. My unit arrived with an adjustable metal stand that is impressively sturdy (and quite heavy), complete with wheels on the back, allowing for easy relocation.
The unit connects through a customized 2-port USB connector (which occupies only one wall outlet). It includes both globe and bat-shaped joystick knobs, along with a set of connectors and adapters making it compatible with various home consoles, and a smart Bluetooth adapter that plugs into a Meta Quest headset’s USB-C port.
This dongle ensures no configuration is necessary to get the Arcade2TV-XR functioning with supported games on your VR headset. To be frank, I did not anticipate this. I was mildly apprehensive about having to configure numerous settings just to get it operational, and I was thoroughly astonished to discover there wasn’t any significant setup involved whatsoever.
Let’s begin with Pinball FX VR since that was my primary attraction here. You start the game and find yourself inside an expansive virtual pinball arcade you can stroll through. The instant you launch the game, it acknowledges that you have an X-Arcade unit. We’re off to a great start!
As I approached a pinball machine, I received another prompt instructing me to dock the controllers into the physical X-Arcade unit and press the side buttons at the same time. Upon doing this, the game positioned the pinball table right up to my waist and set my virtual hands on the flipper buttons.
As you could guess, these buttons were exactly where the physical X-Arcade unit situated in front of me is located. I was instantly impressed because it functioned seamlessly. If I had a dime for every time I uttered that about a game that requires a connected accessory to operate, I would be rather impoverished.
The next few hours resulted in me achieving high scores while relishing the tactile sensation of an arcade cabinet, without any dirt on the buttons from years of wear. It’s so exceptionally well-constructed that it feels as if it could endure just about anything I throw at it (even literally), and the buttons and joysticks are all composed of the same high-quality materials you would anticipate from a genuine arcade cabinet.
The height is adjustable to ensure comfort for both standing and sitting players, which further enhances its appeal. I also appreciate that it has docking stations for both the left and right Meta Quest controllers, simplifying the process of switching between inputs and perfectly aligning virtual cabinets with the physical X-Arcade unit.
I would recommend acquiring an official Meta Quest 3 open facial interface if you find that you truly enjoy mixed reality gaming with this. Pinball aficionados can even order a haptic adapter set that includes spring-loaded plungers, vibration motors, and more.
X-Arcade also offers its own app for the Meta Quest called Arcade Ranger. Each Arcade2TV-XR arcade stick comes with a complimentary copy of the game designed to be your personal virtual arcade. In this app, you have an entire arcade you can tailor to your liking. You can even enter sandbox mode and transform a completely vacant room into your dream arcade, or simply stick with mixed reality mode and utilize your own physical space.
The app facilitates the downloading of emulator cores, but you will need to provide your own ROMs (as is standard). Just place ROMs into a folder, indicate where it should look, and it will load everything up. It functions like any other emulator experience you’ve ever explored.
Emulation isn’t precisely my strength as it necessitates more configuration.
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