Who makes a reliable virtual pin ??

[KING BLING !]

Stuck in a condo so space is a real issue. Who out there makes a reliable virtual pinball and what can someone expect to pay for a nice example? They seem to range all over the place from $1500-$7500. Read they can be a real PITA. Thank you ahead of time for any input.

 

[Adam]

I did go and look at the vpins earlier this year that Woodstock custom arcade builds. He has a few different models (pro, premium and LE) and obviously the price increases with higher level cpu and monitors, haptic feedback ect...I played them for awhile and they seem to be of good build quality and Derek the owner is a really nice guy and doesn't pressure you at all.

In the end I just decided I'd rather put my money into a real pin that's gonna hold its value...rather then depreciate quickly as technology is constantly improving and old stuff becoming outdated and no longer desirable.

Did they play well ...yeah the high end model was quite nice, great to have the ability to play just about any pin on one unit....same as a real pin....no it's not....but if you only have room for one and don't mind the "feel" of vpin and a depreciating unit then is may be a decent option for you....hope this helps.

 

[ZoomZoomBoomBoom]

The problem is not really the hardware, it's the software. Vpin software is buggy as hell.

 

[mwong168]

Virtual Pins are not really plug and play and if you aren't going to make the effort to learn about the hardware and software setup after buying one then I would say it is not for you. I've built a few vpins for myself in the past and been part of the community since 2008 but nothing beats real pins. It's a fun hobby and come a long way but if you have no interest in gettings hands dirty and expect a perfect experience out of the box then you will be sadly disappointed when something goes wrong or you don't know how to update tables. You are better off sticking to playing pinball fx3 on your tablet or console if you need a virtual pin fix.

Also ethically I can't support places that sell virtual pins that are pre-loaded with free software and tables created by authors. If it wasn't for the software or tables the product you are selling is worthless and you profiting off someone else's work.

 

[KING BLING !]

Thank you all very much for the refreshingly honest opinions/information. I have a major physical limitations so it seems a VP is not for me. Just sucks limited in space to 3 practically. I presumed they would of came along a great deal and would of been more reliable.

 

[mwong168]

Thank you all very much for the refreshingly honest opinions/information. I have a major physical limitations so it seems a VP is not for me. Just sucks limited in space to 3 practically. I presumed they would of came along a great deal and would of been more reliable.

They are reliable but you will want to know some basics like how to download new tables and add to your front end Pinball X or PinUpPopper. It has come a long way and I remember when I wrote this how to back in 2011 to help others out to get their feet wet

How to setup PinMAME in under 5 minutes (or 24 hours) • MAACA.org

If you love pinball like me and are passionate about it you will enjoy it in any shape or form it comes in. As some of you might have already notic...

www.maaca.org

Thanksfully much easier these days because there is all in one installers but still require some tweaks to get everything working right because there are third party add ons like FlexDMD, pinscape if you have force feedback hardware like contactors or solenoids that go thump during game play. There is also SFF using a 7.1 sound card and exciters too. Again if this sort of stuff doesn't interest you or out of your comfort zone then I would stay away from a vpin because something will break or go wrong.

 

[MTEAHAUS]

I built my own mini-vpin (32" PF monitor, 27" backglass monitor). The biggest expense is the 4K PF monitor and the computer. If you want non-laggy operation, you'll need a decent video-card. It's a great way to learn rules but it's not real pinball. I enjoy playing it but I think I prefer the real deal better. Learning the software can be a chore for some but if you have a bit of technical know-how, it's no worse than installing and using other computer software. The community really does help answer questions etc. I don't think I would have been able to afford a pre-built version 3 years ago, which is why I built my own. I'm no woodworker but you're basically building a box.

 

[kool1]

I did go and look at the vpins earlier this year that Woodstock custom arcade builds. He has a few different models (pro, premium and LE) and obviously the price increases with higher level cpu and monitors, haptic feedback ect...I played them for awhile and they seem to be of good build quality and Derek the owner is a really nice guy and doesn't pressure you at all.

In the end I just decided I'd rather put my money into a real pin that's gonna hold its value...rather then depreciate quickly as technology is constantly improving and old stuff becoming outdated and no longer desirable.

Did they play well ...yeah the high end model was quite nice, great to have the ability to play just about any pin on one unit....same as a real pin....no it's not....but if you only have room for one and don't mind the "feel" of vpin and a depreciating unit then is may be a decent option for you....hope this helps.

I went to see Derek and try out his machines. Very nice and my feeling is he will stand behind the product. Pinball and Arcades are his entire business.

Agree with others here - you better know a little about computers as they can be buggy. That said, I had a vpin from Toronto Arcades before and aside from a few tables, the games all worked pretty well.

I may come back to him but no room right now. If I bought would be replacing a real pin.

 

[ZoomZoomBoomBoom]

I went to see Derek and try out his machines. Very nice and my feeling is he will stand behind the product. Pinball and Arcades are his entire business.

Agree with others here - you better know a little about computers as they can be buggy. That said, I had a vpin from Toronto Arcades before and aside from a few tables, the games all worked pretty well.

I may come back to him but no room right now. If I bought would be replacing a real pin.

I'll trade you my Vpin for your Lethal Weapon!

 

[kool1]

I'll trade you my Vpin for your Lethal Weapon!

You have to get that fixed