u/CampbellSente — reddlx

Image 1 — Polycade Retro Button D-Pad Controller

Image 2 — Polycade Retro Button D-Pad Controller

Image 3 — Polycade Retro Button D-Pad Controller

Image 4 — Polycade Retro Button D-Pad Controller

▲ 13 r/Polycade+1 crossposts

Polycade Retro Button D-Pad Controller

Created a pair of new Polycade controllers last month, but am just now getting around to making some posts about them...

This first one is basically what I’m calling a retro D-pad button controller - for obvious reasons. I had some leftover directional arrow buttons from my Polycade ButtonMash controllers after creating the Sinden retractable cable controllers a couple months ago, and always thought it would be cool to design something based on the look of an SNES/Super Famicom gamepad.

After mocking up the initial button layout with some poster board and playing around with different color schemes to give it more of a retro gamepad look, I decided to use Sanwa 24mm LT/RT buttons where the Start/Select buttons would normally go. I wasn’t sure how that layout change would turn out, but the buttons are really easy to reach with your thumbs. I could easily rewire them to LB/RB if needed, but based on all the games I’ve played so far, the triggers seem to work best in that position.

I honestly didn’t expect this controller to work as well as it does—especially for 4-way directional games that can be a little more difficult to play with a joystick if you don’t have a 4-way restrictor. Retro arcade / Game Boy / NES / SNES / etc…it works really well for all of them.

I’ve also created a main Polycade button layout template that I uploaded to the Art Share on Discord (I’ll post a link below). From this one template, you can pretty much recreate the majority of the button layouts Polycade uses, or modify it to create your own. The spacing is about 99% accurate, so it makes mocking up different layouts a lot easier depending on how many buttons you want/need.

I’ll make another post soon about my Polycade Rhythm Controller. That one was a collaboration with my daughter since rhythm/music games are her favorite genre, and we couldn’t really find a good controller that was easy to use across different vertical and horizontal note-highway games (similar to Guitar Hero). So, we decided to come up with our own...

Polycade Button Layout Templates:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rMQt6CF3lV0VL6dM-IDtAT1C7cz6b7h9?usp=drive_link

u/CampbellSente — 1 day ago

▲ 77 r/Polycade+2 crossposts

Super Famicom Controller Module

From u/CampbellSente this beautiful custom controller module was made for playing the classics!

What is your favorite Super Mario game on Gameboy? 🤔

u/CampbellSente — 13 days ago

▲ 5 r/Polycade

Weekend Project…

Not every idea is a “good” idea…but you have to start somewhere…

Amateur tip: poster board is a good way to mock up your layout before drilling….

u/CampbellSente — 19 days ago

▲ 8 r/Polycade+1 crossposts

Polycade Steering Wheel Mod

https://preview.redd.it/yd4ye9x8uzfh1.jpg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02148535cb86a67590eb3165143ab6b24799c6dd

This controller came together a little differently than the retractable light gun cable mod. Instead of trying to solve a specific problem, I mostly just needed to build a controller that didn’t actually exist yet in the Polycade lineup.

I knew Polycade had plans to release a universal steering wheel controller at some point in the future, but after Forza Horizon 6 came out, I found myself playing it quite a bit with an Xbox controller and decided it made more sense to go ahead and put together my own wheel controller.

The official Polycade blank controllers weren’t expected to ship until late June, so I used a dual-stick arcade controller as the base instead. It ended up being a good choice because it already had two 30mm holes in the top, which gave me plenty of room to route the cables through.

The Wheel

I went back and forth between using a Moza or Logitech wheel, but ultimately settled on the Logitech G920. The main reason was the shape and angle of the wheel base.

Because of the Sente’s cabinet design, its controllers sit at a slight downward angle. Mounting a Moza base directly to the controller would have pointed the wheel downward unless I added a wedge or made some other modifications. The G920’s base already angles the wheel upward, which helps offset the angle of the controller.

The result is a wheel that sits at a slight upward tilt as desired like an actual car steering wheel. It’s comfortable to use and still makes it easy to reach the pedals while seated in a stool.

As with any controller builds / mods - always "test" the product first with the Sente / your PC and make sure everything is working as intended before you go through all the time and effort of creating everything.

The Build

There were two main things I needed to figure out before starting the build: where to put the AC power brick required for force feedback, and how to connect the pedals once the wheel base was bolted to the controller.

Both force feedback and pedals are a pretty important part of the arcade driving experience, so leaving either one out wasn’t really an option for me.

I started by removing all of the internal components from the dual-stick controller. I then made a template from a piece of poster board to mark exactly where the two M6 mounting holes needed to be drilled through the controller top.

I also had to remove the clamps from the bottom of the G920. These are normally used to attach the wheel to a desk, but they got in the way of mounting it flush to the controller.

Unfortunately, Logitech’s newer wheels require you to disassemble the entire wheel just to remove the clamps properly (and risk breaking it). Since I knew I wouldn’t need the clamps again, I took the easier route and just cut them off with a Dremel.

Once the clamps were gone and the mounting holes were drilled, attaching the wheel was fairly straightforward. Two M6 bolts were enough to hold it securely in place - which is crucial when using force feedback. Also being able to lock the controller down to the Sente is a major advantage due to the amount of movement that happens when using a steering wheel compared to normal joystick mounted controllers.

Routing all of the cables through the controller and into the Sente was always going to be the tricky part. Thankfully, the G920 worked especially well here because all of its connections and cable-management channels are located underneath the wheel base. That allowed me to feed everything directly through the existing two 30mm holes in the controller.

There were three main cables to deal with: the AC power cable for force feedback, the USB cable connecting the wheel to the PC—or, in this case, the Polycade USB hub—and the DB9 cable for the pedals.

Power and USB

Using force feedback meant finding somewhere to put the G920’s power brick. Since the cable on the other side of the brick is detachable, I decided to mount the brick inside the controller and drill a 24mm opening in the back for the power connection.

Now, whenever I want to use the wheel, I just connect the power cable along with the USB and pedal cables. It sounded a little complicated when I was planning it, but it ended up being fairly simple and works exactly as intended. Adding a properly sized grommet around the opening also gave it a clean, almost factory-made appearance.

Connecting the wheel itself was easy. I used a Polycade USB A/B hub and mounted the Neo-Arcade board on top of it. The Neo-Arcade board isn’t strictly necessary unless you want to keep the three function buttons at the top of the controller. You could skip it entirely and use only a USB hub and a Polycade blank, although having a quick way to exit a game is still convenient - but completely unnecessary for this build.

Connecting the Pedals

The pedal cable took a little more planning because it needed to travel through the Sente and reach the pedals underneath the cabinet to keep a very clean setup.

I broke the connection into a few sections. One DB9 cable connects to the bottom of the wheel base and runs internally to the back of the controller to a pass through connector. A second DB9 cable plugs into the back of the controller whenever the wheel is being used. That cable then runs through the inside of the Sente and exits through one of the cabinet’s existing holes in the bottom.

From there, the pedals plug directly into the cable. This keeps everything hidden while avoiding any permanent modifications to the Sente itself.

To keep the inside of the cabinet organized, I bundled the pedal and force-feedback power cables together using zip ties and cable mesh for an organized appearance internally. I also added a 3M cable clip to keep them raised, visible, and easy to reach alongside the USB-B cables used by the other Sente controllers.

Overall, this isn’t an overly complicated mod, but it does require some planning. Your exact setup will depend on the wheel you choose, particularly when it comes to cable management and finding a place for the force-feedback power brick if you decide to purchase one with that feature. If you go the route I chose and keep everything fully self contained, just do some planning and measurements prior to drilling your holes for any plugs / cables to pass through and you should be good to go.

With the future release of the Polycade Universal Wheel Controller - a lot of these issues may be easier to overcome - but it’s definitely a mod / custom controller I think many members could create if they wanted to give DIY a try.

Parts List (for this specific mod / build):

Polycade Dual Stick Controller (Single blank would make more sense now that they’re available)

https://polycade.com/products/dual-stick-arcade-controller

https://polycade.com/products/blank-single-arcade-controller

Logitech G920 Wheel (I was able to get on sale for $199 - but there are many choices)

https://a.co/d/0aotO7Na

Polycade USB Hub

https://polycade.com/products/controller-usb-hub-a?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23854059333&gbraid=0AAAAACtXnVCe4kk_9mO5xMircnjFJuLwV&gclid=CjwKCAjwpqHTBhAcEiwAj2AfupQaNvvu6sYRi-4LNUyUCVNX_FsIEcnArXw9pbLNhQ8FshLwWJqzQxoCbAgQAvD_BwE

DB9 Cables

https://a.co/d/09F6wj21 (cable from wheel base to back of controller)

https://a.co/d/09wSb1AY (cable through the Sente to the bottom)

DB9 Panel Mount Connector

https://a.co/d/0gdNK9ft

M6 Bolts

https://a.co/d/0eE2ejcz

Rubber Grommet Kit

https://a.co/d/06djjn81

Dual Stick Arcade Controller & Logitech G920 Wheel

Testing the Logitech G920

Double Stick Arcade Controller disassembled

Internals with AC power brick, stacked Neo-Arcade board / USB Hub / DB9 Cable

Pedals

Pedal DB9 connection to bottom of Sente

Logitech G920

Logitech G920 side profile with angle of the wheel

AC Power Outlet

Logitech G920 Controller

Logitech G920 Polycade Controller

Polycade Sente Logitech G920 Steering Wheel Video

reddit.com

u/CampbellSente — 23 days ago

▲ 10 r/Polycade

More Recognizable Soundtrack?

I know it’s not your traditional arcade game…but that’s what I appreciate most about my Sente. I can customize it and play however I want (and yes, that includes some PC/Xbox/PlayStation games from time to time).

The real question is…there’s obviously some iconic video game music from the ’80s and ’90s (F-Zero is probably my favorite besides Mario), but after booting up the Halo remake, I started wondering if there’s a more recognizable “modern game” theme song from the past 25 years?

Even if you don’t like Halo, I know people who recognize this song that don’t even play games. Can anyone think of another game soundtrack or song that even non-gamers would recognize?

*and as a side note - I played this game the day it originally released almost 25 years ago…and I can say, they did a pretty great job at remaining faithful to the original while making it look really damn good…with a few glitches here and there of course (on Pc)

u/CampbellSente — 27 days ago

▲ 13 r/Polycade

Sinden Lightgun Retractable Cable Controller Mod

https://preview.redd.it/1176u87gyzeh1.jpg?width=1250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7c739cdecbd9a5b05491409c66fdd1a798aea92

It’s kind of a mouthful, but it’s the easiest way I’ve found to describe it. If anyone has a better name, I’m all ears.

The main goal of this mod was to create a controller that automatically retracts the lightgun cables after each use while keeping everything self-contained. Getting rid of 16 feet of cable—times two—was my biggest priority. The tradeoff was being limited to the consumer-grade retractable cable spools available online, especially one small enough to fit alongside all the other internal components.

A 3.3-foot cable is the longest one I’ve found that works. They make a 6-foot version, but for whatever reason, the lightgun isn’t recognized when it’s plugged in. Since these are thin, flat USB cables designed to wind up easily, my guess is that the longer version can’t carry enough power or data for the lightgun to work properly.

The good news is that 3 to 4.5 feet—or about 1.5 times the actual width of your monitor is the recommended distance for the lightgun camera to read the border correctly. Once you add the controller’s 8 inches of depth, you end up sitting around 4 feet away from the 24-inch Sente monitor, which has an actual width of about 21 inches.

I originally planned to build this using a Polycade double blank controller, but after a previous mod went sideways, I decided to pivot and it actually worked out for the best. This setup lets me keep the joystick and A/B buttons, making it easy to navigate AGS and in-game menus. I can even play some basic games without swapping to another controller.

That being said, there are several ways you could build this using a single blank, double blank, or even a Sente cupholder. I prototyped a cupholder version a couple weeks ago, and it works great. I’ll most likely make a separate post about that one later on.

To keep this from turning into a 50 page build manual, I’m just going to run through the basics of what I did and include a parts list at the end. This is also my first attempt at doing a full write-up for a mod, so I apologize if it’s a little all over the place. Feel free to comment or message me with any questions.

The Build

The first step is to take a Polycade ButtonMash Controller and remove all the buttons and internal components. You’ll want to do this before cutting or drilling into the steel because it can get messy, and you obviously don’t want metal shards getting into anything.

Next, cover the entire controller with painter’s tape. This is important because it protects the powder coating while you’re cutting. I usually apply two or three layers just to be safe.

Depending on whether you’re making a left or right side controller, take the 3D-printed lightgun holster and measure / trace a 2.5 x 4.75 inch opening starting near the top A/B buttons (as pictured). Make sure your top and side cuts don’t go any higher or farther inward than the buttons, or the holster may overlap the function buttons along the top. If you’re using a blank controller, you can obviously place it wherever you want.

The flush mount holster has a decent sized lip around it, so your cut doesn’t have to be perfect - but you’ll still want to make it as straight as possible. Once everything is finished, you can secure the holster to the controller later using 3M double sided tape.

You’ll also need to drill a small hole in the front center of the controller for the retractable cable to pass through and connect to the lightgun. I don’t have an exact measurement, but I’d estimate mine is around 10 mm, which was large enough for the USB C connector to fit through.

Reassembling the Controller

Once you’ve finished making your cuts and drilling the holes, you can start reassembling the controller.

Replace the original center controller button with a Sanwa joystick. Mount the Polycade USB hub on the bottom, then stack the Neo-Arcade board on top using standoffs (you'll plug the Sente into the USB hub, not the Neo). Connect the two using a 6-inch USB-A to USB-B cable. It’s a tight fit, but the cable I linked below does fit and works.

Reconnect the A/B buttons and function buttons to the Neo-Arcade board. If you plan to use the joystick, you’ll need a new wiring harness that includes the joystick connector.

On the side opposite the light gun holster, test fit the retractable cable spool. Attach a USB C to A adapter to the non-retractable end and plug it into the USB hub. Pull out the retractable end, then feed it through the hole in the front of the controller and through a properly sized T-type grommet.

The grommet isn’t just for looks—it protects the cable from rubbing against the cut edge of the metal every time you pull it out or let it retract.

Add some 1/16-inch neoprene foam padding (or something similar) to the bottom of the controller. This will keep the lightgun’s camera lens and the tip of the gun from hitting the metal.

Once the cable spool is positioned so its end sits close to the front hole and the cable retracts smoothly, secure it using 3M Velcro or double-sided tape. I used a 4x4 inch piece of half-inch thick foam to raise the spool up until it lined up closer with the hole. This helps take tension off the cable while it’s being pulled and retracted.

At this point, you can close everything up and screw the controller back together.

Modifying the Lightgun

This next part sounds difficult at first, but it’s actually pretty straightforward.

As a side note, Sinden’s customer service is top-notch, and they sell replacement components online for pretty cheap. If you accidentally damage something, you can usually get a replacement part within a week or so according to them. In other words, you don’t have to worry about destroying the entire lightgun and buying a new one if something goes wrong. They even sell replacement gun shells for around $15.

Start by opening the lightgun by removing all the screws. There are several YouTube videos showing how to do this - I’ll link one below that shows where all the screws are and how it looks on the inside.

Once the gun is open, carefully remove the original cable by pulling its JST connector straight up. Replace it with the JST to USB-C female connector linked below.

The most important part of this step is swapping the two middle wires. Sinden has confirmed that, for whatever reason, its USB wiring is reversed. You can swap the wires using the tip of a knife or a very small flathead screwdriver. Carefully lift the small tab above each wire, pull the wire straight out, and reinsert it into the correct position in the JST connector.

The final wire order must be: Black, white, blue, red.

The wires 100% need to be in the order listed above for the light gun to work.

Reconnect the JST plug to the Sinden board and run the cable down toward the bottom of the gun. You can then reassemble the gun with the USB-C adapter and cable inside it.

I haven’t modified the gun shell yet to make the female USB-C connector sit flush with the bottom, which would make the gun easily detachable. You could take the mod a step further by doing this with a small Dremel tool. Again, replacement shells are only around $15 if something goes wrong.

Once everything is back together, you’re ready to connect the controller to the Sente and start playing games as usual.

Parts List: (some of these parts are optional depending on if you decide to use a blank or Polycade controller as your starting point:

Sinden Lightgun Holster:

If you have a 3D printer, you can make these yourself. I had a friend’s son custom-size them to match the exact depth of the Polycade controller, so no additional cutting is needed. He’s offered to sell them for $15 each through the link below.

You can find similar holsters online for around $20 (like I originally did), but you’ll need to measure and cut them down to fit the controller’s depth using a Dremel or hand saw. I've since swapped mine out for his which are better quality (slower print) and sized perfectly.

He currently has black and white available, but can print them in just about any color you want—including Vaporwave Pink & Blue...just send him a message through the Contact Form. Either way, any 3D-printed holster should work for this project as long as the inside dimensions fit the Sinden Lightgun.

https://parkersprints3d.myshopify.com/products/components-example-product-1

Retractable USB C Cable Spool - 3.3ft:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FRFNBM33?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Polycade USB Hub:

https://polycade.com/products/controller-usb-hub-a

4 Pin USB C / JST Connector (MAKE SURE TO CHOOSE THE 4pin to USB C Female):

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805211756822.html?spm=a2g0o.order_detail.order_detail_item.4.d2f2126akEKIlu&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

Sanwa JLF Joystick:

amazon.com/dp/B01CRQMWEQ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Neo-Arcade Harness (if you add the joystick to ButtonMash controller):

https://polycade.com/products/neo-arcade-brook-board-wire-harness

USB A / B Cable (For connecting USB Hub to Neo Board):