Ultimate Guide to Buying a Pinball Machine
Buying a pinball machine is a bigger decision than most game room purchases. A new full size machine starts around $7,000 and climbs past $15,000 for a collector's edition. A virtual cabinet can cost a tenth of that. A well kept 1990s classic can cost more than a new machine.
Whatever you choose weighs as much as a large refrigerator and has motors, coils, sensors and software that all need to keep working. Get it right and you own something that pulls people across a room for twenty years. Get it wrong and you own a very expensive piece of furniture.
This guide is written for two readers: the person putting a machine in a basement or man cave who wants it to still feel exciting in five years, and the bar, brewery, arcade or bowling alley owner who wants a machine that earns and stays up. Most of the advice overlaps. Where it does not, the sections are signposted so you can skip to yours.
It covers every route: new machines from every manufacturer building them today, used and vintage machines, and virtual cabinets. We stock Stern, Chicago Gaming Company and American Pinball, and we say so where it matters, but this is the advice we would give a friend whichever route they take.
Every figure comes from a manufacturer's own pages, a live catalogue or a live marketplace. Anything we could not verify has been left out.
In a hurry? Start with the six questions, read the three ways to buy, then jump to buying for your man cave or buying for your business.
Start here
1. Six questions to answer before you spend a dollar
Most people start by picking a theme. That is the fun part, and it is also the last decision, not the first. Answer these six before you fall for a title.
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01
Where will it live?
A modern machine needs roughly 3 ft of width and 7 ft of depth including the player, plus a ceiling above 6 ft 8 in. Measure the doorway and the stairs too.
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02
What is the full budget?
From about $600 for a small virtual cabinet to $15,000 for a collector's edition, with most new full size machines between $7,000 and $10,000. Add delivery, a surge protector, and a yearly allowance for parts.
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03
Who is playing?
A machine for kids and guests needs fast, readable rules. A machine for one obsessive owner needs depth that takes months to exhaust.
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04
Home or paying customers?
A home machine is judged on how it feels. A location machine is judged on uptime and earnings, which points to different tiers and different brands.
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05
New, used or virtual?
New brings a warranty, current code and zero unknowns. Used brings a lower price on most titles and everything the last owner did not tell you. Virtual brings hundreds of tables in one box and no steel ball.
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06
Who fixes it?
Every machine eventually needs a hand inside it. Decide now whether that hand is yours or a technician's, because it changes which brand you should buy.
Every one of those is answered in full further down: section 2 for the budget and the new, used or virtual choice, section 5 and section 6 for who is playing and whether they are paying, and section 7 for where it will live and who fixes it.
Know the landscape
2. The three ways to buy a pinball machine
Before you compare titles or brands, there is a bigger fork in the road. You can buy a new machine, a used machine from anywhere in ninety years of production, or a virtual pinball machine that simulates hundreds of tables on a screen. They cost different amounts, fail in different ways, and suit different people.
2.1 New machines
A new machine is the simplest purchase and the most expensive one per game. You get a warranty, software that keeps being updated, modern electronics and no history. Nothing needs fixing on day one, and for a business that is usually the whole argument.
In our own range a Stern Pro is $6,999, Stern Premiums are $9,499 to $9,699, American Pinball runs $7,495 to $9,695 and Chicago Gaming runs $8,595 to $12,995.
The wider market is similar. Turner's Arcade Edition was $6,995, Jersey Jack's Arcade Editions are $9,999, Stern's Limited Editions list at $12,999 to $13,999, and numbered collector's editions from almost everyone sit between $12,000 and $15,000.
One cheaper way in: Stern's Home Edition line, currently Star Wars and Jurassic Park, at $4,999 to $5,999 direct from Stern. They use Stern's commercial parts but are simpler machines than a Pro, and the warranty excludes commercial use, so they are not an option for a bar.
Two honest caveats. You pay full price for one game, and however good it is, it is still one title.
And new machines ship in batches, so the edition you want can be between runs for months, while limited editions sell out at announcement. If you have your heart set on a specific machine, order it when it is available.
2.2 Used and vintage machines
Pinball has been made continuously since the 1930s, and almost everything ever built is still out there. The best layouts in the hobby's history are all on the used market, from a few hundred dollars for a tired electromechanical game to well above new price for a clean 1990s classic. To shop it well you need to know the four eras, because the era decides what you are actually buying.
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1930s to about 1978
Electromechanical
How you spot it: Spinning score reels, chimes, and no screen anywhere on the machine.
Charming and simple, and every repair is mechanical. There is no volume control.
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Late 1970s to 1990
Early solid state
How you spot it: Glowing numeric or alphanumeric digits in the backbox.
Circuit boards replace relays, which brings deeper rules, digital sound and adjustable volume.
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1991 to about 2013
Dot matrix
How you spot it: An orange dot display running animations.
The classic 1990s feel, and many of the most loved layouts ever made.
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2013 to today
Modern LCD
How you spot it: A full colour video screen.
Rules and progress on screen, updatable code and RGB lighting. Everything sold new today.
Electromechanical machines have no computer at all. Scoring is on rotating reels, the sounds are real bells and chimes, and the logic is hundreds of relays and switch contacts wired together. A well restored one from the early 1970s is a lovely object, and the cheapest route into a real machine.
The trade off is that every fault is mechanical and there is no diagnostic menu to point at it. The owners who enjoy them most are the ones who like tracing a sticky relay with a schematic.
Early solid state machines replaced the relays with circuit boards. The first microprocessor game appeared in 1975, and by 1979 every maker had switched. Scores moved to glowing digits, sound went electronic, and rules got deeper because software could remember what you had done. Landmarks include Bally's Eight Ball and Xenon, Williams' Firepower and Black Knight, and Gottlieb's Black Hole and Haunted House.
The known weakness is the on board backup battery, which leaks over decades and eats the circuit traces around it. Ask about it on every machine of this age.
Dot matrix machines arrived in February 1991 with Data East's Checkpoint, and within two years every manufacturer had one. The screen let designers build modes, multiballs and story into the rules, and the result was the run of titles enthusiasts still rank at the top: The Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Theatre of Magic, Attack from Mars, Medieval Madness and Monster Bash, all from Bally and Williams between 1992 and 1998. This is the most expensive part of the used market, and the part Chicago Gaming's remakes exist to serve.
Modern LCD machines began in 2013 with Jersey Jack's The Wizard of Oz, and Stern moved its whole line to a colour screen from 2016. Everything built new today belongs to this era, including the remakes. On the used market these are the youngest, most expensive and least risky machines, and the only ones likely to still receive code updates.
Three words you will see in every listing:
- HUO means home use only, never on location. It describes the history, not the condition, and it gets misused, so treat it as a claim to verify rather than a grade.
- Routed is the opposite: an operator ran it in bars for years, which usually means more wear and repairs done in a hurry.
- Reimport means it was exported to Europe when new and shipped back in bulk. The tells are a 220 volt label, a single slot coin door and foreign language settings.
None of the three is a reason to walk away. Condition is what you are paying for, and a clean routed game beats a neglected HUO one every time.
The figures below are where the most wanted 1990s titles sat on the Pinside marketplace when we checked, as the median asking price: what sellers want, not what buyers paid.
| Title | Maker and year | Median asking price, Pinside, September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Medieval Madness | Williams, 1997 | $10,700 |
| Monster Bash | Williams, 1998 | $9,800 |
| The Addams Family | Bally, 1992 | $9,500 |
| Attack from Mars | Bally, 1995 | $9,000 |
| Twilight Zone | Bally, 1993 | $8,800 |
| Theatre of Magic | Bally, 1995 | $8,715 |
That is the single most useful thing to understand about used pinball: the most celebrated machines are not cheap because they are old. A thirty year old Medieval Madness asks more than a new Chicago Gaming remake of a comparable title, with none of the warranty. The bargains live one step down, in less famous DMD games, good early solid state titles and electromechanical machines.
The rule of thumb: used is a good idea when you can inspect it in person, you know what you are looking at, and you or a nearby technician can fix what you find. If any of those three is missing, new is the safer buy. For a business it is rarely a close call.
The oldest end deserves its own warning. A vintage machine from the 1960s or 1970s can be genuinely cheap, and there is nothing quite like the reels and chimes. But it is a fifty year old collection of relays, springs and contacts, and it will break down, often.
Paying a technician every time a relay sticks adds up fast on repairs that are trivial to someone with the know how. With a vintage machine you are buying a hobby that includes the repairs, not just the game.
The video below, from the PinballHelp channel, is a straight talking walk through of that trade off from someone who has lived it for years. Worth the fifteen minutes before you go looking at a classified ad.
For transparency, we do not sell used machines. Everything in our pinball collection is new: a higher price on most titles, in exchange for a warranty and a machine that does not need you to become its mechanic.
2.3 Virtual pinball machines
A virtual pinball machine is a pinball shaped cabinet with a large screen where the playfield would be, a second screen in the backbox, real flipper buttons and a real plunger, and a computer inside running simulation software. The ball is rendered, not rolled. The good ones add solenoids that thump the cabinet when a virtual bumper fires, and a shaker so the whole thing rumbles.
What they cost. The market splits in two. At the consumer end, AtGames sells its Legends Pinball line direct: the Micro HD at $599.99, the HDP at $1,199.99 and the 4K Legends Pinball 4KP from $1,699.99, or $2,199.98 with the SSF feedback kit preinstalled. The Micro ships with 50 tables built in; the entry 4KP ships with one, and the rest are bought as packs or rented by subscription.
At the enthusiast end, VPcabs sells the Vertigo NXT at $6,295 and the Ultra VP OLED at $9,895, both with a 4K playfield and a proper gaming PC. Those prices overlap a new Stern Premium.
The catch is the library. The cabinet is only half the purchase, because the tables come from software. AtGames sells tables and packs, plus a PinballNet subscription that unlocks more than 140 tables for $20 a month or $180 a year. Zen Studios' Pinball FX has more than 120 tables, including licensed Williams and Bally classics, sold as paid packs.
Visual Pinball is a free, community built simulator with thousands of fan made recreations. It is what most enthusiast cabinets run, but setting it up and keeping it running is a hobby in itself.
What virtual does better than real. Variety, with hundreds of tables in one footprint. Access to games you cannot otherwise buy. Almost no maintenance, because nothing physical moves apart from the buttons. Volume control. And a much lower entry price at the consumer end.
What real does better than virtual. The ball. A steel ball has weight and chaos in it, and no simulation feels the same to anyone who has played both. A real machine holds its value, where a virtual cabinet is a PC and a screen that date like any other electronics. And a real machine is one game designed to be mastered, where two hundred tables often get played the way a streaming service is watched.
The video below, from the JMG Enterprises channel, puts the two side by side: an owner weighing his own virtual cabinet against a real machine after six months, which is when the novelty has worn off. Worth knowing: he bought it from one of the builders profiled in section 4.2, and that builder now sells two models under his channel's name.
Who builds them. Beyond AtGames, most virtual cabinets come from small workshops that build to order, and they vary a great deal. We profile and score the main ones in section 4.2.
We do not sell virtual machines, so none of this is a pitch. If you want a lot of different tables, or pinball in a room where noise and maintenance are dealbreakers, a virtual cabinet is a good answer. If you want the thing itself, it is not a substitute.
2.4 New vs used vs virtual, side by side
New
- Typical price: $7,000 to $10,000, and up to $15,000 for a collector's edition
- Warranty: Yes, from 1 month to 2 years depending on the maker
- Feel: Real ball, new mechanisms
- Variety: One game
- Maintenance: Light: rubbers, balls and the occasional switch
- Noise: Loud by design
- Weight: 210 to 360 lbs
- Resale: Holds a large share of its value, and some titles appreciate
- For a business: The standard choice
Used
- Typical price: A few hundred dollars for an electromechanical game, to $10,000 and up for a 1990s classic
- Warranty: None, unless a dealer offers one
- Feel: Real ball, with the character of its era
- Variety: One game
- Maintenance: Light to constant, depending on age and condition
- Noise: Loud by design
- Weight: Similar to new
- Resale: Holds or rises for good titles in good condition
- For a business: Only with a technician on call
Virtual
- Typical price: $600 to $2,200 at the consumer end, $6,000 to $10,000 for an enthusiast cabinet
- Warranty: Yes, on the electronics
- Feel: Simulated, with force feedback on the better cabinets
- Variety: Dozens to thousands of tables
- Maintenance: Almost none
- Noise: Adjustable
- Weight: Light at the consumer end, 270 lbs and up for enthusiast cabinets
- Resale: Depreciates like consumer electronics
- For a business: Rare on location
2.5 Which one is right for you
Buy new if
You want one machine that works from day one, you are not a hobbyist mechanic, or the machine is going into a business, where a warranty and remote monitoring earn their keep. Most first time buyers belong here.
Buy used if
You want a specific classic that is no longer made, you can inspect it in person and you can fix it, or you want the cheapest real machine and accept it will need work. Buy well and it holds its value best of the three.
Buy virtual if
You want variety over feel, you need it quiet, you have a tight budget, or you want to learn a hundred tables before committing to one for real. For a venue, near zero maintenance is a genuine draw, provided you sort the table licensing out before charging for play.
The core analysis
3. What actually matters when comparing machines
Two machines can look identical from across the room and play completely differently. These are the things that separate a machine you will love from one you will sell in a year.
3.1 The six things to compare
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01
Theme and license
A licensed film or band pulls strangers across a bar because they already know it. At home, personal passion for the theme matters more than fame.
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02
Playfield design and depth
Ramps, toys, an upper playfield and the rule set decide how long a machine stays interesting. Shallow rules are fine for guests and fatal for an owner.
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03
Display, lighting and sound
A colour LCD shows you what to shoot next. RGB lighting and a real speaker system make the machine feel alive from the far side of the room.
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04
Build quality and reliability
Cabinet construction, playfield finish and how easy the boards are to service decide how the machine ages. This matters twice as much in a venue.
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05
Connectivity and updates
Modern code gets patched and expanded for years. Some machines also report their own health over the internet, which an operator will appreciate.
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06
Resale value
Rare editions and beloved titles hold value best. Whatever you buy, think of it as an asset that you may one day trade for the next machine.
Three of those deserve a closer look because they trip up more buyers than anything else: model tiers, limited editions, and connectivity.
3.2 Model tiers explained
Some manufacturers sell the same title in more than one version, under different names. The best known for it are Stern, Jersey Jack, Chicago Gaming and American Pinball. The pattern underneath is the same at each: a base model with the full game, a middle model that adds mechanisms and finish, and a numbered top model that adds exclusivity.
Stern releases most titles as a Pro, a Premium and a Limited Edition. The Pro is the streamlined version built for bars: the same theme, art and core rules on a simpler playfield that plays fast and takes abuse. The Premium keeps the rules and adds motion: extra ramps, moving toys, diverters, magnets and more lighting.
On Godzilla, for example, the Premium gets a motorised collapsing building, a breakaway bridge ramp and a rotating target bank where the Pro has fixed versions of each. The LE is a Premium with a numbered run and finish items, covered in the next section. In our range the Pro is $6,999 and the Premium sits $2,500 to $2,700 above it. For the title by title breakdown read our Stern Pro vs Premium guide.
Jersey Jack sells an Arcade Edition, a middle Special or Wizard Edition depending on the title, and a numbered Collector's Edition. In Jersey Jack's own words the Arcade Edition has the same layout, shots and speed, with black armour and standard glass, and without the shaker and topper of the tiers above.
Chicago Gaming sells its remakes as Classic, Special and Limited. The Special adds a larger colour display, upgraded sound, RGB lighting and a shaker; the Limited adds a numbered medallion, a topper and finish options, and the warranty grows from six months on a Classic to twenty four on a Limited. Medieval Madness is sold as a Merlin Edition with the display, topper, mirrors and shaker included. We stock the Special Editions and the Merlin Edition.
American Pinball uses a Classic and a Deluxe, the Deluxe adding a shaker, knocker, art blades and anti glare glass, plus a numbered top edition on some titles. Spooky, Turner and Multimorphic follow the same base plus collector's pattern under their own names, and Barrels of Fun sells one edition of each title.
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Bar, arcade or venue
- SternPro
- Jersey JackArcade Edition
- Chicago GamingSpecial Edition
- American PinballClassic
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Home, first machine
- SternPro
- Jersey JackArcade Edition
- Chicago GamingSpecial Edition
- American PinballClassic
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Home, the full experience
- SternPremium
- Jersey JackSpecial or Wizard Edition
- Chicago GamingSpecial or Merlin
- American PinballDeluxe
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Collector
- SternLimited Edition
- Jersey JackCollector's Edition
- Chicago GamingLimited Edition
- American PinballNumbered top edition
3.3 Limited editions: what you pay for
Where a maker offers a top tier, it is a numbered run, and the premium is large: a Stern LE lists at $12,999 to $13,999 against $9,699 for the Premium, and a Jersey Jack Collector's Edition is $15,000 against $12,000. So it is worth being precise about what the money buys.
On a Stern LE the extra over a Premium is a run of 740 to 1,000 machines, a numbered plaque, a certificate signed by Gary Stern, exclusive cabinet art, powder coated armour, upgraded audio, anti reflection glass, a shaker and a custom shooter knob. Chicago Gaming and Jersey Jack add the equivalent: medallions, toppers, mirror blades, special finishes.
What none of them add is gameplay. The LE plays the same game as the tier below it.
You are buying scarcity, finish and a place in a numbered run. Sometimes the market rewards that: Stern's Godzilla LE listed at $10,499 in 2021 and was asking $13,500 on Pinside in September 2026. Sometimes it does not: the Transformers LE was asking $12,995 against a $12,999 list.
The machines that appreciate are the ones with a great game underneath. An LE of a mediocre title is a mediocre title with a plaque.
An LE is the right call when you love the game, want the finish, and would happily own it for years even if it never gained a dollar. It is the wrong call when you are buying it as an investment, have never played the title, or the money would buy two machines.
Limited editions sell out at or soon after announcement, so the window is the pre-order window. We do not currently stock them.
3.4 Connectivity and code updates
A modern machine is a computer, and its software keeps improving after you buy it. Every current manufacturer publishes code updates that add modes and fix bugs, sometimes years after release, applied by USB stick or increasingly over Wi-Fi.
Stern goes further with Insider Connected. For a home player it means achievements, quests and leaderboards. For an operator it means the machine reports back remotely: tech alerts, coin door openings and play stats, plus a listing on the Insider Connected map so players can find your venue.
Stern's own case is that remote alerts improve uptime and cut unnecessary service trips, which is exactly the pitch a bar owner should weigh.
Most of the rest of the industry uses a third party platform called Scorbit for leaderboards, and American Pinball uses PinAccess. A used machine from the DMD era has none of this, and does not need it.
3.5 Resale value
A machine from a respected maker, kept clean and working, can be sold years later for a large fraction of what you paid, and sometimes more. The best titles of the 1990s ask more today than they cost new. Limited runs and strong reputations do best; common editions of common titles do worst.
This is why enthusiasts talk about a machine being "free to own": buy well, play it for three years, sell it for close to what you paid, and the hobby cost you rubbers and electricity.
Do not buy on resale alone, but if you are torn between two machines, the one with the stronger reputation is the safer place to park the money. Virtual cabinets are the exception: they depreciate like the computers they are.
Who makes them
4. The brands
Ten companies build new pinball machines today, a handful more build virtual cabinets, and a used buyer will meet another half dozen names that stopped decades ago. This section profiles all of them and scores the current makers on four criteria. We stock three of them, and we say which.
4.1 How we score them
Every current manufacturer gets a score out of ten on four criteria, averaged into one rating, the same way we score arcade makers in our multicade buying guide. The scores are our opinion, formed from published specifications, warranty terms, dealer coverage, prices and what owners consistently say. They are not a ranking of which machine you should buy. They are a quick read on the company behind it.
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01
Build quality and reliability
Cabinet and playfield construction, how the machine arrives, how it holds up in play, and how easy it is to service.
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02
Game library and innovation
The size and breadth of the catalogue, the strength of the themes and licences, the depth of the rules, and whether the company is moving the hobby forward.
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03
Support, warranty and parts
The length and coverage of the warranty, the dealer and distributor network, the availability of parts and manuals, and how long code keeps being updated.
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04
Value for money
What you get for the price at each tier, how the price compares with the rest of the market, and how well the machine holds its value.
4.2 Manufacturers building new machines today
In rough order of size. Prices are the manufacturer's own list prices unless we say otherwise.
Stern Pinball
8.5/10
- Where: Elk Grove Village, Illinois
- Since: 1999 in its current form, with a lineage back to Data East Pinball in 1986
- Titles: Best known for Godzilla. Themes are licensed films, bands and game franchises, with several new titles a year
- Tiers and prices: Pro $6,999 to $7,299; Premium $9,499 to $10,699; LE $12,999 to $13,999; Home Edition $4,999 to $5,999
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Cabinet size and weight: 27.75 inches wide, 57 deep and 78 high with the leg levelers out, at 210 lbs, the same across the Pro, Premium and LE line
- Warranty: 1 year limited, covering boards, display, power supply, playfield assembly, backbox, backglass, cabinet and legs
- Connectivity: Insider Connected on every current machine
- How they sell: Through dealers and distributors worldwide, and directly from Stern's own shop
Stern is the largest pinball manufacturer in the world and the one you are most likely to find on a bar floor. Its strength is licensed themes that draw people who have never played pinball, and it releases several new titles a year.
The Pro is the closest thing pinball has to a location standard: fast, built for abuse, and with Insider Connected it tells an operator when something is wrong. For home buyers the Premium is where the spectacle lives.
Honest caveats
- Prices have risen sharply. The newest title, Fallout, moved the Pro to $7,299 and the Premium to $10,699 at list.
- Every title shares one electronics platform, which is excellent for servicing but makes the machines feel similar from title to title.
The first half of the buyer's guide below, from the Home Leisure Direct channel, is a good recap of who Stern are and what the range offers.
The factory tour below, from the CoinReturn channel, shows the Elk Grove Village plant those machines come out of.
- Build quality and reliability8/10
- Game library and innovation10/10
- Support, warranty and parts9/10
- Value for money7/10
Our comment: The safe choice for almost everyone, and the only sensible choice for most venues. You pay for the licence and the network, and you get both.
Jersey Jack Pinball
7.5/10- Where: Elk Grove Village, Illinois
- Since: 2011, first title The Wizard of Oz in 2013
- Titles: Best known for Harry Potter, and historically The Wizard of Oz. Themes are big licensed films and music
- Tiers and prices: Arcade Edition $9,999; Special or Wizard Edition $12,000; Collector's Edition $15,000; Guns N' Roses LE $9,000
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Cabinet size and weight: 29 inches wide, 58 deep and 76 high, or 87 with the topper, at 325 lbs, one set of figures for every current title
- Warranty: 90 days on every part, 1 year on the LCD; register within 7 days
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi updates, Bluetooth headphones, Scorbit leaderboards
- How they sell: Directly in North America and through distributors worldwide
Jersey Jack dragged pinball into the LCD era and still builds the most lavish machines in the mainstream: widebody cabinets, huge displays, enormous rulesets and expensive licences. Its machines are also the heaviest in the mainstream, which matters on delivery day. Owners describe them as the premium end of the hobby, and they are priced that way.
Honest caveats
- The warranty is the shortest of any major maker: 90 days bumper to post, with only the LCD covered for a year.
- The rulesets can take months to learn, a gift to an owner and a hurdle for a bar crowd.
The video below, from the Cary Hardy channel, is a first hand review of a Jersey Jack Harry Potter, filmed at home rather than on a show floor.
- Build quality and reliability9/10
- Game library and innovation8/10
- Support, warranty and parts6/10
- Value for money7/10
Our comment: Beautiful, deep and expensive. The right buy for a home player who wants the most machine possible and has the budget, and a hard sell for a venue.
Chicago Gaming Company
7.75/10
- Where: Cicero, Illinois
- Since: Not published by the company
- Titles: Best known for Medieval Madness. Themes are remakes of 1990s Williams and Bally classics, plus one original, Pulp Fiction
- Tiers and prices: Classic, Special and Limited; Pulp Fiction $7,999 to $9,499 and Medieval Madness Merlin Edition $11,999.99 at list; $8,595 to $12,995 in our range
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Cabinet size and weight: 29 to 30 inches wide, 58 deep and 76 high at 275 to 300 lbs in our listings; the company's manuals give 52 to 55 deep and 75 to 78 high
- Warranty: Electronics and mechanical: 6 and 3 months on a Classic, 12 and 6 on a Special, 24 and 12 on a Limited or the Merlin Edition
- Connectivity: CoinUp online connectivity on Pulp Fiction
- How they sell: Through distributors only, more than forty in the United States
Chicago Gaming Company rebuilds the most celebrated Williams and Bally machines of the 1990s with modern electronics. The remakes keep the playfield and rules and replace the guts with current boards, a colour display and LED lighting. Cactus Canyon even got the finished code the 1998 original never had.
Pulp Fiction, from 2023, is an original design in a deliberately 1980s style. Medieval Madness is the machine that people who own ten machines still tell you to buy first.
Honest caveats
- Production runs are batch based, so an edition can be out of stock for months.
- The lineup is small and the Classic Edition warranty is short.
- You are buying gameplay designed thirty years ago, which is the whole point for most buyers and a limitation for some.
The independent pinball show Straight Down The Middle ranks the company's five best machines below. It covers the whole back catalogue, so not every title in it is still in production.
- Build quality and reliability9/10
- Game library and innovation7/10
- Support, warranty and parts8/10
- Value for money7/10
Our comment: Proven layouts in a cabinet that is easier to service than the originals, and cheaper than a clean original too. A home buyer who wants a machine with a reputation should start here.
American Pinball
7.25/10
- Where: Chicago area, Illinois
- Since: 2015, first title Houdini in 2017
- Titles: Best known for Houdini. Themes are original, unlicensed designs, plus Cirqus Voltaire, a remake of a 1997 Bally classic
- Tiers and prices: Classic, Deluxe and numbered top editions; Legends of Valhalla $7,395 to $7,995, Cirqus Voltaire $9,989 to $12,589; $7,495 to $9,695 with us
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Cabinet size and weight: Not published by American Pinball; our own listings give 29 inches wide, 55 deep and 75 high at 265 lbs
- Warranty: Not published on the manufacturer's site; check the product page
- Connectivity: PinAccess achievements and app configuration, Wi-Fi updates from Cirqus Voltaire onward
- How they sell: Through authorised dealers and distributors only
American Pinball built its reputation on original themes, machines that arrive well set up out of the box, and the most approachable prices in the new market. Its newest title is a change of direction: Cirqus Voltaire is a remake of a 1997 Bally classic, with a Ringmaster Edition limited to 772 units.
Honest caveats
- Original themes do not have the instant pull of a film licence, which matters more in a bar than a basement.
- A smaller company means a smaller catalogue and dealer network, and the warranty terms are not published on its site.
The company calls 2026 a new chapter. In July it named The Art Of Pinball its exclusive sculptor, working with creative director Melvin Brouwer-Williams on every future game, and Cirqus Voltaire introduced its QuickFlip flipper technology.
The interview below, from the Grownup Adjacent Daily Pinball and Arcade Media channel, is a longer conversation with Rob Rath about where the company is heading. He dates the shift to a new product team in March 2026, which American Pinball has not published itself, so treat the roadmap as intention rather than confirmation.
- Build quality and reliability8/10
- Game library and innovation6/10
- Support, warranty and parts7/10
- Value for money8/10
Our comment: The value pick among the established makers, and the one to choose if your guests have already played every Stern in town.
Spooky Pinball
7.5/10- Where: Benton, Wisconsin
- Since: 2013
- Titles: Best known for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Themes are horror and cartoon licences
- Tiers and prices: Collector's Edition $9,699 to $9,769 with a $2,000 initial payment; runs are small, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is 888 machines across all models
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Cabinet size and weight: 29 inches wide, 55 deep and 75 high, or 90 high with a topper, the same in every current manual; weight not published
- Warranty: 1 year on mechanical, wood and electronic parts for home use, 90 days on location
- Connectivity: Code updates by USB
- How they sell: Directly, with a non refundable initial payment, and through sixteen US distributors
Spooky proved a small maker could ship licensed titles, and every game it has made is a licence: Beetlejuice, Evil Dead, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Runs are short and numbered, the art and audio lean hard into the theme, and the community around the brand is unusually loyal.
Honest caveats
- Small runs mean titles sell out and stay sold out, and the initial payment is not refundable.
- Code updates are by USB only, and expect more owner involvement than with a Stern.
Spooky builds everything in a small Wisconsin shop. The factory tour below, from the Cary Hardy channel, is the clearest look at what that means.
- Build quality and reliability7/10
- Game library and innovation8/10
- Support, warranty and parts8/10
- Value for money7/10
Our comment: Strong themes at a fair price from a maker that treats its customers as a community. Best for a home buyer who loves one of the licences.
Multimorphic
7.75/10- Where: Round Rock, Texas
- Since: 2009, with the P3 platform shipping since 2017
- Titles: Best known for The Princess Bride. Themes are mostly original games, sold as swappable kits for one cabinet
- Tiers and prices: P3 machine $8,500 without a game, $9,940 to $13,750 with one; The Princess Bride Limited Edition is 750 units
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Cabinet size and weight: 28.75 inches wide at the backbox and 24.75 at the cabinet, 56 deep and 75 high, at 335 lbs, the heaviest machine in this guide
- Warranty: 24 months on function, among the longest in the industry
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi updates and internet head to head play
- How they sell: Directly and through eight US partners
Multimorphic is the outlier. The P3 is one cabinet with an LCD lower playfield that tracks the real ball, and an upper playfield module you swap in under a minute without tools. Buy the machine once, then buy games as kits. For a household that wants real pinball but cannot face one game forever, there is nothing else like it.
Honest caveats
- The entry price is high once you add a game, and every extra game is a further purchase.
- At 335 lbs it is the heaviest machine in this guide, so plan the route into the room.
- The feel is different enough from conventional pinball that you should play one first. Deposits are non refundable.
Few people get to play a P3 before buying one, so the owner review below, from the Orange Lab Pinball channel, is worth the time.
- Build quality and reliability8/10
- Game library and innovation9/10
- Support, warranty and parts9/10
- Value for money5/10
Our comment: The most inventive machine in pinball, backed by one of the longest warranties. Expensive to get into, but the only real machine that answers the variety problem.
Barrels of Fun
6.75/10- Where: Houston, Texas
- Since: Not published by the company
- Titles: Best known for Jim Henson's Labyrinth. Themes are film and music licences
- Tiers and prices: One edition per title; Labyrinth $10,600, limited to 1,100, Bon Jovi $12,000
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Cabinet size and weight: 27 inches wide, 55 deep and 76 high without a topper, the same on every title that publishes figures; weight not published
- Warranty: 1 year on parts, 6 months on the LCD, playfields not covered
- Connectivity: Code updates by USB, with Wi-Fi supported
- How they sell: Directly and through more than thirty US distributors
Barrels of Fun was founded by a designer who spent seven years at Spooky, and its machines are built for collectors: one fully loaded edition per title, big licences, and runs in the hundreds.
Honest caveats
- Two of the four titles are already sold out, so buying one means buying now or buying used.
- Collector's edition prices with no cheaper tier, and the playfield is excluded from the warranty.
Most buyers have never seen one in person. The first video below, from the SOLIDWORKS channel, is a short introduction to the company; the second, from the Grownup Adjacent Pinball channel, is a walk through the Houston factory.
- Build quality and reliability8/10
- Game library and innovation6/10
- Support, warranty and parts7/10
- Value for money6/10
Our comment: A boutique maker for the buyer who already owns a few machines and wants a licence nobody else has.
Turner Pinball
7.25/10- Where: Texas
- Since: Late 2022
- Titles: Best known for Merlin's Arcade. Themes are original fantasy and adventure designs
- Tiers and prices: Arcade Edition $6,995 and Legendary Edition $8,995 on Merlin's Arcade, $9,999 on Yukon Yeti; Legendary runs are 500 numbered machines
- Cabinet size and weight: Not published for any title. The cabinets are standard full size, so plan for roughly 28 inches wide, 55 deep and 75 high
- Warranty: 1 year for home use, 90 days on location, mainland United States
- Connectivity: Online code updates
- How they sell: Directly and through sixteen US distributors
Turner is the newest maker here and the fastest growing, building around 240 machines a year in a 13 ply Baltic birch cabinet. Every theme is its own creation rather than a licence, and the art is a large part of the appeal. Its next title, Yukon Yeti, has a playfield by Dennis Nordman and audio by Chris Granner, two of the most respected names from the Williams era.
Honest caveats
- A young company with a short track record, and its first two titles are sold out.
- Code on both was still below version 1.0 in early 2026, so the rules are still being finished after delivery.
Both clips below come from Turner Pinball's own channel, so they are company material. The first covers its glass frame system; the second is the trailer for Yukon Yeti.
- Build quality and reliability7/10
- Game library and innovation7/10
- Support, warranty and parts7/10
- Value for money8/10
Our comment: The most affordable way into a boutique machine, with real pedigree behind the designs. Worth watching, and worth playing before you commit.
Pinball Brothers
6.5/10- Where: Head office in Sweden, manufacturing in Italy
- Since: 2020
- Titles: Best known for Alien. Themes are licensed films and bands
- Tiers and prices: Standard and limited editions per title, such as Queen's Champions Edition and numbered Rhapsody Edition of 1,000; US prices come from the distributor
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Cabinet size and weight: 27.6 inches wide by 52 deep and 73 high, 700 x 1330 x 1850 mm, at 100 kg or 220 lbs
- Warranty: 6 months on circuit boards, 12 on the LCD, no other part covered. Register within 15 days, and the clock starts when it ships to the distributor
- Connectivity: None stated
- How they sell: Through distributors, with more than twenty in the United States
Pinball Brothers builds widebody licensed games the American companies did not: Alien, Queen, ABBA and now Predator. The machines are made in Italy on the company's own electronics.
Honest caveats
- The site publishes no prices, and the warranty appears only inside a game manual. Its news page had not been updated for over two years when we checked.
- For a warranty part you pay full price up front and are refunded once the faulty one reaches them.
- Everything goes through the distributor, so choose that distributor carefully.
Both clips come from Pinball Brothers' own channel, so they are company material. The first is official gameplay of Predator; in the second the company puts a player it bills as the world number three on the same machine.
- Build quality and reliability7/10
- Game library and innovation7/10
- Support, warranty and parts6/10
- Value for money6/10
Our comment: Great licences and a real presence on the US market through distributors, let down by how little the company itself tells you.
Dutch Pinball
6/10- Where: Herkenbosch, Netherlands
- Since: 2013
- Titles: Best known for The Big Lebowski. Themes range from a cult film to Alice in Wonderland and a Williams remake
- Tiers and prices: Its US distributor lists Alice's Adventures in Wonderland at $10,995 and The Big Lebowski Jesus Edition at $14,995, on a non refundable deposit
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Cabinet size and weight: About 28.7 inches wide, 55 deep and 76 high, or about 87 with a topper, from its own manuals; one cabinet for both titles, weight not published
- Warranty: 1 calendar month on most parts, the shortest in this guide; wearing parts and the glass are excluded, and work by anyone not authorised voids it
- Connectivity: Scorbit leaderboards, code updates by USB
- How they sell: Through distributors only, eighteen worldwide; US buyers do not import, a US master distributor and two sub distributors sell in dollars, delivered
Dutch Pinball is a tiny company that makes two things exceptionally well. The Big Lebowski has a working bowling alley with ten pins on the playfield, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland introduced RGB side rails nobody else had done. These are collector's machines built in the hundreds.
Honest caveats
- The company publishes no prices, so what you pay depends on which distributor you reach.
- The warranty is the shortest in this guide at one calendar month, buried in a manual, and voided by any work from someone the company has not authorised, which matters when the nearest authorised person may be an ocean away.
- Buy one because you want that specific machine, not as a first machine.
The first video below, from the ronaldhnl channel, is a tour filmed inside the factory while The Big Lebowski was in production. The second, from the Gonzo's Pinball Flipperama channel, is gameplay and a rules walkthrough, which is the only way most people will get to watch that bowling alley work.
- Build quality and reliability8/10
- Game library and innovation6/10
- Support, warranty and parts5/10
- Value for money5/10
Our comment: Two remarkable machines from a company you have to chase for the details. For collectors who already know they want one.
Also worth knowing. Pedretti Gaming in Italy sells a licensed remake of Williams' 1990 Funhouse through a handful of US distributors. Haggis Pinball in Australia and Homepin in Taiwan come up in searches, but we could not verify that either is currently shipping machines, so they are not scored.
Virtual pinball builders
The virtual market splits in two. AtGames builds in volume and sells like consumer electronics. Everyone else is a small workshop building to order around a Windows PC, and you are buying the cabinet, the hardware and the support, because almost none of them include the tables. We score them on the same four criteria, but the totals are not meant to be compared with the machines above.
AtGames
7/10- Where: Los Angeles, California, with offices in Taipei and Shenzhen
- Since: Not published consistently; its own pages give both 2001 and 2005
- Current models: Legends Pinball Micro HD (15.6 inch playfield), HDP (32 inch) and 4KP (32 inch, up to 4K), in themes such as The Addams Family and Jurassic Park
- Tiers and prices: Micro HD $599.99; HDP $1,199.99; 4KP Premium Starter $1,699.99; 4KP with the SSF feedback kit built in, or as a Deluxe, $2,199.98
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Cabinet size and weight: The 4KP is 22.9 inches wide, 43.3 deep and 66.2 high at 110 lbs; the Micro HD is 12.4 by 23.6 by 22.6 inches at 24 lbs; HDP not published
- Warranty: 90 days as standard and 1 year on the 4KP, with extended plans from $60 to $350; United States only and not transferable
- Software: From 50 built in tables on the Micro to one on the 4KP Starter; PinballNet adds over 140 tables at $20 a month, and Zen Studios packs run on the 4K machines
- How they sell: Directly from its own store, which is the only place to buy the 4K machines in the United States, shipping to the continental states
AtGames is the only company building virtual pinball in volume, and the only one selling a machine for under a thousand dollars. The cabinets use real glass over an LCD playfield, with haptic feedback, accelerometers for nudging and a real plunger. Even the largest model is light enough for one person to move.
Honest caveats
- The entry 4KP comes with a single table, so budget for packs or the subscription before comparing prices.
- Libraries do not carry across the HD, HDP and 4K machines, which catches people out when they upgrade.
- The standard warranty is 90 days, digital purchases are not refundable, and returns are only accepted on unopened boxes.
The review below, from the Evil Genius Entertainment channel, revisits a 4KP after a year of ownership rather than on the day it arrived, which is when the compromises show.
- Build quality and reliability6/10
- Game library and innovation8/10
- Support, warranty and parts6/10
- Value for money8/10
Our comment: The cheapest and easiest way into virtual pinball, as long as you price the tables and not just the cabinet.
VPcabs
7.25/10- Where: Grove City, Ohio, a Rec Room World company
- Since: 2013 in virtual pinball, with a Shark Tank appearance in 2016
- Current models: Ultra VP Model 8.0 OLED Edition with a 48 inch 4K OLED playfield, and the narrower Vertigo NXT with a 32 inch 4K playfield that also plays arcade games
- Tiers and prices: Vertigo NXT $6,295 and Ultra VP $9,895, both before shipping, which is $420 in the mainland United States
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Cabinet size and weight: Ultra VP 32 inches wide, 53 deep and 74 high at 310 lbs, real machine weight; Vertigo NXT 26.25 wide, 32.5 deep and 78 high at 272 lbs
- Warranty: 2 years on the Ultra VP, with extended support plans from $250 to $450; support is remote or by sending parts out, with no on site service
- Software: Windows, set up for Visual Pinball, Future Pinball and Zen Studios' Pinball FX; no tables are included
- How they sell: Directly, with one listed online reseller, and a lead time of 30 to 60 days
VPcabs builds the most machine like cabinets in this group. The Ultra VP is a full size widebody with ten solenoids, a shaker, a knocker, an analog plunger, a real tilt bob and 7.1 sound with bass shakers. That is as close to the thump of a real machine as a screen gets.
Honest caveats
- No tables or ROMs are included, and the company points buyers at a $250 third party drive, so the software is your problem.
- Machines are built with artwork you choose and treated as non returnable, with a seven per cent cancellation fee.
- Card payment adds 2.6 per cent, and delivery is curbside freight rather than into the room.
The clearest look at the Ultra VP is the company's own walkthrough below, from its RecRoomWorld channel. It is a manufacturer video rather than a review, so take the verdicts in it as the maker's own.
- Build quality and reliability8/10
- Game library and innovation7/10
- Support, warranty and parts8/10
- Value for money6/10
Our comment: The one to look at if you want a virtual cabinet that feels like pinball furniture rather than a television in a box. Budget for the tables on top.
The Pinball King
7.25/10- Where: Tampa Bay area, Florida
- Since: Not published by the company
- Current models: 32 inch cabinets (base, Siren, Siren Pro, Medusa Mini) and 43 inch full size cabinets (4K, Phoenix Plus, Medusa Plus, Kraken Plus, JMG editions)
- Tiers and prices: 32 inch $2,499 to $5,850; 43 inch $5,199 to $10,099; VR Pinsim with PC $1,500; list prices, with several models discounted when we checked
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Cabinet size and weight: 43 inch cabinets 28.5 inches wide, 52 deep and 74 high, near a Williams widebody; 32 inch cabinets about two thirds scale; weights not given
- Warranty: 6 months on workmanship; screens, graphics card, drive, power supply and pinball parts carry their own makers' warranties; no returns or refunds
- Software: Windows 11 Pro, set up for Visual Pinball X, Pinball FX and Future Pinball, with the PinUP Popper menu system
- How they sell: Directly from its own site, built to order with about a month's lead time as of August 2026, shipping within the continental United States
The Pinball King is a small, direct selling builder at the enthusiast end of the market. The better models use real pinball hardware where it affects the feel: a genuine lockdown bar, tempered playfield glass, stainless side rails, a real PIN2DMD dot matrix display, an analog plunger, a shaker and six solenoids.
Every buyer gets a year of phone and remote support, with on site help available around Tampa Bay.
Honest caveats
- Six months on workmanship and no returns or refunds, so settle the specification before you order.
- Listings contradict themselves on hardware, so get the exact build confirmed in writing.
- The 43 inch models from $5,199 use an entry level processor as standard, and the upgrades you will want cost extra. After the first year, support is $50 an hour.
The review below, from the JMG Enterprises channel, is an owner walking through the 4K cabinet he bought and why he chose this builder over the others. One thing to weigh: The Pinball King now sells two models carrying that channel's name, so the two are not strangers.
- Build quality and reliability9/10
- Game library and innovation7/10
- Support, warranty and parts6/10
- Value for money7/10
Our comment: Real pinball hardware and a year of hands on support from a builder you can actually phone. Buy knowing the warranty is short, returns are not possible, and the spec sheet needs confirming.
VirtuaPin
6.25/10- Where: Holly, Michigan
- Since: Not published by the company; its earliest cabinet listings date from 2011
- Current models: Mini at about 65 per cent scale (27 inch playfield), EXTREME Widebody (43 inch 4K) and EXTREME Ultra Widebody (48 inch 4K), plus cabinets and kits
- Tiers and prices: Mini $4,295.95, EXTREME Widebody $6,995, EXTREME Ultra Widebody $7,995; bare cabinets from $379.95
- Cabinet size and weight: Mini 16.5 inches wide at the cabinet, 23 at the backbox, 34.75 deep and 37.5 high; nothing is published for either EXTREME cabinet
- Warranty: 30 days on materials and workmanship, with electronics covered by their own manufacturers' warranties
- Software: Not stated on the machine pages, and tables are not included
- How they sell: Directly from its own store, with custom builds arranged by phone and a layaway plan
VirtuaPin is a parts supplier as much as a machine builder. Cabinets are CNC cut from American maple with genuine pinball parts, and it sells flat pack cabinets, plunger kits and decals for people building their own. The Mini is the only machine here whose backbox folds down for storage, and at two thirds scale it fits where nothing else will.
Honest caveats
- Five month lead time on every complete machine.
- A 30 day warranty, the shortest of any virtual builder here, a 30 per cent cancellation fee, and no published returns policy.
- The machine pages contradict themselves on playfield sizes, so confirm the exact build in writing before you pay.
- Build quality and reliability7/10
- Game library and innovation6/10
- Support, warranty and parts5/10
- Value for money7/10
Our comment: For the buyer who knows exactly what they want and is happy to handle the software, or who would rather finish the cabinet themselves.
Also worth knowing. Creative Arcades in southern California sells combined pinball and arcade machines from $5,349 to $7,399 with a three year warranty, and Arcade Imagination in Wisconsin builds 43 and 49 inch cabinets at $7,500 to $8,500, also with three years. Arcade1Up no longer sells its three quarter scale digital pinball machines, which now turn up only used.
4.3 Names you will meet on the used market
None of these companies makes pinball any more, and between them they built most of what is for sale second hand.
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Williams
1940s to 1999The dominant maker of the solid state and dot matrix eras. Its System 11 and WPC electronics are well documented and well supported by the parts market.
Titles to look for: Firepower, Black Knight, High Speed, FunHouse, Medieval Madness, Monster Bash
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Bally
1932 to 1999Founded in 1932 and the first to mass produce solid state games in 1976. Williams bought the pinball business in 1988, so Bally titles from then on share Williams hardware.
Titles to look for: Eight Ball, Xenon, Centaur, The Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Attack from Mars
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Gottlieb
1927 to 1996Invented the flipper with Humpty Dumpty in 1947 and built the classic electromechanical games. Its later System 80 machines are less loved and less supported.
Titles to look for: Black Hole, Haunted House, Stargate, and almost any 1960s or 1970s electromechanical game
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Data East
1987 to the mid 1990sGary Stern's company before Stern Pinball. Shipped the first dot matrix display on Checkpoint in 1991 and leaned on big licences.
Titles to look for: Back to the Future, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Tales from the Crypt
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Sega Pinball
1994 to 1999Bought the Data East business and kept building licensed games on its hardware until Gary Stern bought it back and renamed it Stern Pinball.
Titles to look for: Baywatch, Apollo 13, Goldeneye, Starship Troopers, South Park
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Capcom
1995 to 1996An eighteen month attempt that produced a few well regarded games and one legendary unreleased one, Big Bang Bar.
Titles to look for: Pinball Magic, Airborne, Breakshot
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Zaccaria
1974 to 1990Italy's biggest maker, with distinctive art and unusual layouts. Cheaper than the American classics and popular in Europe.
Titles to look for: Farfalla, Pinball Champ, Magic Castle, Robot
Parts and documentation for Williams and Bally machines from 1986 onward are the best in the hobby, which makes them the easiest old machines to own.
And "Stern" on a 1970s or early 1980s machine is a different company, Stern Electronics, with nothing to do with the warranty or parts support of Stern Pinball today.
4.4 Side by side
Every company building physical machines today, in score order. Virtual builders are left out because the two are not judged on the same things.
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8.5/10
Stern
New price: $4,999 for a Home Edition, $6,999 to $13,999 full size
Warranty: 1 year
How to buy: Direct and through dealers
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7.75/10
Chicago Gaming
New price: $7,999 to $12,995
Warranty: 6 to 24 months by edition
How to buy: Distributors only
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7.75/10
Multimorphic
New price: $8,500 to $13,750
Warranty: 24 months
How to buy: Direct and through partners
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7.5/10
Spooky
New price: $9,699 to $9,769
Warranty: 1 year at home, 90 days on location
How to buy: Direct and through distributors
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7.5/10
Jersey Jack
New price: $9,000 to $15,000
Warranty: 90 days, 1 year on the LCD
How to buy: Direct and through distributors
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7.25/10
American Pinball
New price: $7,395 to $12,589
Warranty: Not published
How to buy: Dealers only
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7.25/10
Turner
New price: $6,995 to $9,999
Warranty: 1 year at home, 90 days on location
How to buy: Direct and through distributors
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6.75/10
Barrels of Fun
New price: $10,600 to $12,000
Warranty: 1 year, 6 months on the LCD
How to buy: Direct and through distributors
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6.5/10
Pinball Brothers
New price: Not published
Warranty: 6 months on boards, 12 on the LCD
How to buy: Distributors only
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6/10
Dutch Pinball
New price: $10,995 to $14,995 at its US distributor
Warranty: 1 month on most parts
How to buy: Distributors only
The three we carry have the widest dealer support, the clearest published terms and the most machines in the field, which is not a coincidence.
Reader path one
5. Buying for your man cave
A home machine has one job: still being played in year five. Room, delivery, assembly and running costs sit in section 7, because they apply just as much to a business buyer.
5.1 Play it before you buy it
The most common mistake is choosing a machine on theme alone. The theme is what you see first, but the theme is a poster and the layout is the game. A machine you picked for the film stops feeling new once you have heard every callout, and after that you are playing the shots, not the licence.
If you are new to pinball, a theme you love is a real advantage, because it pulls you back while you are still learning the shots, and simpler rules hold attention longer than a deep ruleset you cannot follow.
If you already have pinball hours behind you, flip that. Layout, flow and depth of code decide whether the machine still has something for you in year three, and a theme you merely like on a great playfield beats a theme you love on a dull one.
The video below, from The Pinball Company, makes this case well.
Which leads to the single best piece of advice in this guide: go and play the machine in person before you buy it. Ten minutes on the playfield tells you more than every review and spec sheet put together. Within three games you will know whether the shots feel good and whether you want to put another dollar in.
This is easier than it sounds, particularly with Stern. If a bar, arcade or bowling alley near you has pinball at all, there is a strong chance at least one machine is a Stern, and quite possibly a title we carry.
5.2 Three strong first machines
Any new machine in our range makes a fine first machine, but these three are the ones we would point a new buyer toward, one from each manufacturer we carry.
Stern Godzilla Pro
$6,999
Deep rules Licensed theme Entry price Insider Connected
Widely regarded as one of the best rulesets Stern has ever shipped, at the lowest price in the range.
American Pinball Legends of Valhalla Classic
Original theme Family friendly Compact footprint
An original Viking theme with a layout your guests will not have seen anywhere else.
Chicago Gaming Pulp Fiction Special Edition
$8,595
Licensed theme Fast, old school play 12 month electronics warranty
A modern build with a deliberately 1980s feel, for the buyer who wants a talking point as much as a game.
If the budget stretches: a Stern Premium for the full version of a title you love, or the Medieval Madness Merlin Edition if you want the machine that tops more "best ever" lists than any other.
On the used market, a first machine should be from 1986 onward with a strong reputation, good parts support and a price checked against Pinside. Attack from Mars, Theatre of Magic and Twilight Zone are the usual answers.
For a virtual cabinet, the AtGames Legends Pinball 4KP at $1,699.99 is the sensible first step. If you later find you keep playing the same three tables, that is your answer to which real machine to buy.
Reader path two
6. Buying for your bar, arcade or venue
A pinball machine on location is a small business inside your business, and it should be judged like one. Space, delivery, assembly and running costs are in section 7.
6.1 What a machine really earns
The range is wide. A machine in a quiet spot might take a few dollars a day; the newest title at a busy pinball venue earns many times that. Foot traffic, the title, condition and price per play all move the number, and a dirty, half working machine earns a fraction of a clean one three feet away.
If you own the machine outright, every coin is yours and so is every repair. If you place one through an operator, the cash box is split, often evenly, and the operator handles service. Owning costs more up front and pays better over time.
Be honest with the math: coin drop alone takes a long time to pay back a $7,000 machine. The reason bars keep buying them is the next section.
6.2 The magnet effect
The coin box is often the smaller half of the return. The larger half is the people the machine brings in and how long they stay. A bar with two or three good machines becomes the place a league meets on a Tuesday and the place people bring visitors. Every one of them buys drinks and food, and none of that shows up in the coin count.
Competitive pinball is a real scene with leagues and tournaments, and players will travel to play a specific machine. A monthly tournament can fill a quiet weeknight. The machine is a reason to come, and the bar sells the reason to stay.
6.3 Choosing a machine that survives a location
Location play is brutal: spilled drinks, leaned-on glass, flippers hammered by people who have never played, hours of running every day. That points you toward the tier each manufacturer built for it.
Stern's Pro was designed for exactly this: fewer moving mechanisms means fewer things to break, and the rules read fast for a first time player.
Chicago Gaming's remakes ship with modern boards so they are simpler to service than the originals, and Medieval Madness carries name recognition that draws players in. American Pinball's Classic Editions are the value option for a venue building a lineup, and an original theme is something no competitor across the street has.
A used machine on location can work if you have a technician on call, and a clean DMD classic draws a crowd. But it breaks more often, and every hour it is dark it earns nothing. Whether a virtual cabinet belongs on your floor depends on the room and the crowd. A dedicated pinball venue draws enthusiasts who came for the real ball. Where pinball is a sideline, a virtual cabinet can cost less up front and asks far less maintenance over the years.
Every machine we sell is coin ready and can be switched between coin operation and free play.
6.4 Payment, monitoring and placement
Payment. Fewer people carry quarters every year. Card readers that fit the standard coin door are widely available, and on a busy machine the extra plays from tap to pay cover the reader quickly.
Monitoring. If you are buying Stern, set up Insider Connected on day one. You find out a switch has died before the customers do, and registering your venue puts you on the map for players looking for somewhere to play.
Placement. Somewhere visible from the bar, where a crowd can gather behind the player without blocking a walkway, away from the door and from anywhere a spilled pint lands on the glass. A machine in a dark corner earns like one.
Routine. Wipe the glass daily, check the playfield and rubbers monthly, and fix a dead switch the day it dies.
Paperwork. Check whether your city or state requires an amusement device license, and confirm with your insurer that the machine is covered. Both are cheap to sort in advance and expensive to discover late.
Home or business
7. Space, delivery and upkeep
Everything up to here has been about choosing. This part is about owning: how much room it needs, what delivery day looks like, how it goes together, and what it costs to run. It reads the same for a basement or a bar floor.
7.1 Room planning: the real numbers
Machines are more alike in size than you might expect. Take every full size machine in this guide that publishes figures and the entire market falls between 27 and 30 inches wide, 55 and 58 inches deep, and 75 and 78 inches tall with the backbox up, weighing 210 to 335 lbs.
That is a spread of three inches. Plan against the top of each range and any machine from any maker will fit, whichever title you end up buying.
Two things sit outside it. A topper adds up to a foot of height, taking a machine to about 90 inches. And Multimorphic's P3 is wider at the backbox than at the cabinet, so measure a doorway against 28.75 inches rather than the 24.75 the cabinet suggests.
The machine is only part of it, because you have to stand behind it to play. Stern is the only manufacturer that publishes a minimum room space, 84 inches deep, 36 inches wide and 80 inches high, roughly 7 ft by 3 ft with a ceiling of 6 ft 8 in.
Since every cabinet is within three inches of every other, that figure works as a planning number for any brand. Two machines side by side want a few extra inches between them.
Virtual cabinets are not automatically smaller. AtGames' largest is 22.9 inches wide, 43.3 deep and 66.2 high, and its Micro is far smaller again, but the enthusiast cabinets match a real machine or beat it: VPcabs' Ultra VP is 32 inches wide, wider than anything else in this guide.
7.2 Delivery day, step by step
A new machine arrives by freight, and the weight is what people underestimate. A Stern ships boxed at around 230 lbs, an American Pinball at 275 to 300 lbs, and a Jersey Jack at 325 lbs. Here is how the day goes when it goes well.
A used machine is different, because the seller is not a freight department. Pick it up yourself if you can, with a second person and a hand truck, and fold the head down and take the legs off first. If it has to be shipped, use a mover who handles pinball specifically, insist on a proper crate, and photograph everything before it leaves.
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Clear the route before the truck arrives
Move furniture, prop doors, and lay cardboard on any floor you care about. If there are stairs, have two strong adults and a proper hand truck, or book movers.
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Inspect the crate before signing
Photograph every side, and note any damage on the delivery paperwork before the driver leaves. Freight claims are far easier with that note.
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Unbox in the final room
Get the boxed machine where it will live before you open it. Assembled, it is awkward to move and easy to scratch.
7.3 Assembly
This is the part people worry about most and need to worry about least. A new machine arrives almost entirely built, with no wiring to do and no software to install. You are bolting on four legs, raising the backbox, taking the packing out and levelling the playfield.
Set aside an evening rather than ten minutes, and have a second person there. The times below come from the manufacturers themselves.
- Chicago Gaming20 to 30 minutes
- American Pinball30 to 45 minutes
- Stern1 to 2 hours
For tools, Chicago Gaming's list is representative: wire cutters, a utility knife, needle nose pliers, a quarter inch nutdriver, a ratchet with a five eighths inch socket, and a bubble level.
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Unbox and check the packing list
Cut the shipping bands, open the carton and check every loose part against the list before anything else. Slide the cabinet out using the built in strap rather than pulling on the ball shooter.
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Bolt on the legs
Front legs first, then tip the cabinet gently to reach the rear ones. This is where the second pair of hands earns its keep.
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Raise and lock the backbox
Remove the bolts holding the shipping cleat, hinge the head up until it locks, then secure it. Some machines want a cable connected at this point, so follow the manual for yours.
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Strip out the shipping material
Foam blocks sit on the playfield and screws often hold the display during transit. Open the coin door, release the lockdown bar and lift the glass so you can clear everything underneath.
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Level the playfield
Adjust the leg levelers with a bubble level on the glass. A machine that is not level plays wrong in ways that are hard to diagnose later.
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Load the balls and power up
Wipe the anti rust film off the pinballs before they go in the trough, set the tilt plumb bob, then switch on. The software is already installed.
All three manufacturers we carry publish setup walkthroughs. Watching yours before the truck arrives is fifteen minutes well spent.
Stern: setting up a new machine
Chicago Gaming: unboxing your machine
American Pinball: what is inside your machine
The full service manual for anything we sell is linked on its product page.
7.4 Ownership costs and maintenance
A pinball machine fires a steel ball around at speed for hours on end. Things wear. Budget for it and it is a minor line item; ignore it and the machine slowly becomes unplayable.
Warranty realities. Warranties are shorter than you might assume for the price. Stern gives one year and excludes consumables such as rubbers and balls, Chicago Gaming's Special Editions carry 12 months on electronics and 6 on mechanical parts, and Jersey Jack covers everything for only 90 days. A used machine has none. Warranties cover defects, not wear.
Routine upkeep. Clean and wax the playfield, replace rubber rings when they harden, swap a dead bulb, and change the balls when they pick up scratches, since a scratched ball is what wears a playfield. At home that is an hour or two a few times a year. On location it is monthly.
The occasional repair. Over the years you will meet a dead switch, a weak coil or a board that needs replacing. Most of it is well documented and the parts are available. If you are not comfortable with a screwdriver and a multimeter, find out before you buy whether there is a pinball technician within a reasonable drive.
What it adds up to. At home, a modest yearly allowance for consumables and one unexpected part. On location, budget more and treat it as a business cost, because a dark machine earns nothing.
Making the purchase
8. Where to buy
Where you buy depends on the route, and each has its own rules.
New, from an authorised dealer. This is how most new machines are sold, and for Chicago Gaming, American Pinball, Pinball Brothers and Dutch Pinball it is the only way. Buying from a dealer on the manufacturer's own list is what makes the warranty valid.
The right dealer matters more than the last hundred dollars: one that ships machines regularly, packs and insures them properly, tells you honestly whether a title is in stock, and answers the phone after the sale. Every machine in our pinball collection lists its dimensions, weight and warranty.
New, direct from the manufacturer. Stern, Jersey Jack, Spooky, Multimorphic, Barrels of Fun and Turner all sell direct, usually at the same list price a dealer charges. Expect a deposit, often non refundable at the smaller makers, and a wait measured in months. Direct is mostly worth it when the dealer network cannot get you the edition you want.
Used, from a private seller. The Pinside marketplace is the largest classified site for pinball, and each game's page shows the median asking price, the fastest way to know whether a price is fair. Inspect in person, play several full games, work through the checklist in section 2, and pay when you collect.
Used, at auction or a show. Coin op auction houses such as Morphy Auctions and Captain's Auction Warehouse sell machines in regular sales, with a buyer's premium and no returns. The big shows, Pinball Expo near Chicago in October and the Texas Pinball Festival in March among them, have dealer halls and machines for sale, and are the best place to play a hundred machines in a weekend.
Virtual. AtGames sells through its own store and general retailers. The enthusiast builders sell direct, and build times of several weeks are normal.
Red flags on any route. A price far below the market, a seller who will not let you play it, a dealer not on the manufacturer's list, full payment demanded months before shipment, and photographs that never show the playfield up close.
Quick answers
9. Frequently asked questions
How much does a new pinball machine cost?›
Most new full size machines cost $7,000 to $10,000, with numbered collector's editions at $13,000 to $15,000 and Stern's Home Edition line at $4,999 to $5,999. In our range, new machines run from $6,999 for a Stern Pro to $12,995 for the Medieval Madness Merlin Edition.
Are used pinball machines cheaper than new ones?›
Often, but not for the famous ones. The most wanted 1990s titles were asking $8,700 to $10,700 on Pinside in September 2026, which is more than many new machines. The bargains are less celebrated titles, early solid state games and electromechanical machines.
Is a virtual pinball machine worth it?›
If you want variety, quiet and low maintenance, yes, and consumer cabinets start at $599.99. If you want the feel of a real ball, no simulation replaces it, and enthusiast cabinets at $6,000 to $10,000 cost as much as a real machine.
What does HUO mean?›
Home use only: a machine that has never been on location in a bar or arcade. It describes the history, not the condition, and it is often claimed loosely, so inspect the machine rather than trusting the label.
Is a Limited Edition worth the extra money?›
Only if you love the game and want the finish. An LE plays the same game as the tier below it and adds a numbered run, plaque, art and armour for $3,000 or more. Some hold or gain value on the used market, some do not.
How much room do I need for a pinball machine?›
Plan on 7 ft deep by 3 ft wide per machine including where you stand, and a ceiling of at least 6 ft 8 in. Stern's own minimum room space is 84 by 36 by 80 inches.
How much does a pinball machine weigh?›
Assembled, between 210 lbs for a Stern and about 300 lbs for a Chicago Gaming Medieval Madness Merlin Edition. Boxed for shipping, add 20 to 35 lbs, and always plan on two adults to move it.
Will it fit through a standard door and up the stairs?›
Yes, because it ships with the backbox folded down and the legs removed. A Stern box is 31 by 31 inches at the base and 56.5 inches tall, so measure turns and landings against those figures.
What is the best first pinball machine for a home?›
A title you personally love, with rules deep enough to last. Godzilla Pro, Legends of Valhalla Classic and Pulp Fiction Special Edition are our three go to suggestions at three price points.
Stern Pro or Premium?›
The Pro plays the same rules faster and cheaper; the Premium adds moving toys, extra ramps and more lighting for $2,500 to $2,700 more. Venues and first time buyers usually choose Pro, long term home owners usually choose Premium.
Do pinball machines need a lot of maintenance?›
Less than people fear, more than zero. Expect to clean the playfield, replace rubbers and swap balls a few times a year at home, and to deal with an occasional switch or coil over the years.
How long does it take to set up a pinball machine?›
Between 20 minutes and 2 hours depending on the brand, with two people recommended. Chicago Gaming quote 20 to 30 minutes, American Pinball 30 to 45, and Stern 1 to 2 hours, and none of it needs internal wiring or software.
Can a home machine take coins?›
Yes. Every machine we sell is coin ready and can be switched to free play, so the same machine works in a basement or a bar.
How long does a new pinball machine take to arrive?›
In stock machines ship by freight within days and typically arrive in one to two weeks depending on your location. Titles between production runs or on pre-order can take months, and we will tell you which is which before you order.
10. Conclusion
The right pinball machine fits the room, fits the budget including upkeep, and matches who is going to play it. Decide the route first: new if you want a machine that simply works, used if you want a specific classic and can look after it, virtual if you want variety and quiet more than the ball. Then decide the tier, because the base model of a great title beats the top edition of a dull one.
For a man cave that usually means the title you love most, at the tier you can afford to enjoy for years. For a venue it means a new machine at a location tough tier, a theme customers recognise, and a plan to keep it clean and working.
Whichever path you are on, we are happy to talk it through, including the paths we do not sell. Start with the Stern, Chicago Gaming and American Pinball collections, or browse every pinball machine we carry in one place.
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