Retro gaming has been undergoing a resurgence over the past few years with more and more gamers considering older titles. Building a retro gaming machine or making modifications to an existing one doesn't have to be an expensive affair.

Here are 10 retro arcade machines you can make at home without breaking the bank.

1. Make a Retro Raspberry Pi Arcade

Being a tech geek doesn't necessarily mean that you can program or are familiar with popular app development technologies. There are many other projects that don't require such skills. You can create your own retro arcade machine with just a Raspberry Pi, a free downloadable operating system, and suitable controllers.

2. DIY Retro Arcade Clock

A retro arcade clock might be what you're looking for if you'd like to decorate your room with some 1980s inspiration. A lot has changed since then as you can add some fine touches on the clock such as a touch screen display and an animated arcade figures that record the alarm.

Keep in mind that you'll need to download and install a few core programs to the Arduino for this project to work: pacman clock, arcade clock, tumble ghost, and DK clock. The project can be a lot of fun for anyone who misses tech from the 80s and 90s.

3. Plug 'n' Play Retro Arcade Console

Gaming consoles became popular in the 1990s replacing typical arcade machines. With this hack, you can easily enjoy the best of both worlds with a plug-and-play console.

This is another project that relies on a Raspberry Pi, the newer the better. This build relies on RetroPie but any Raspberry Pi retro gaming platform should work fine.

As with all Pi-based systems, this requires an SD card, monitor, keyboard, and HDMI cable. Once everything is connected, you'll be able to enjoy classic games on a dedicated device that you can transfer to the living room when friends come over.

4. Raspberry Pi Retrogaming Emulation Console

If there are some old 2D titles that you'd still like to play today, a Raspberry Pi emulator is more than enough for the work. With RetroPie, Recalbox, Lakka, or individual emulators you'll be able to run retro games from popular consoles like the NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Atari 2600.

While you may have to buy a bunch of components to complete the project, most of them will be quite cheap. The cool thing about this project is that you’ll have the ability to play games from multiple old consoles.

5. Raspberry Pi Arcade Joystick

A Raspberry Pi arcade joystick brings back fun memories of a time when playing games required some mastery of the joystick. While it's possible to find such a controller from online retailers, you'll probably be required to pay too much for it. Why not DIY?

The idea is simple: it's an all-in-one controller box (including a power button) with a Raspberry Pi built in, ready to be plugged into a TV to load up retro games.

6. DIY Retro Arcade Cabinet

Kids and young adults that were into early computer tech in the 1980s enjoyed most of their games through arcade machines. While such devices have fallen out of fashion today, their sentimental value among tech geeks remains.

A home arcade is a fun way to play games with friends and family. Unlike traditional living room gaming styles, this one forces you to be physically active since you'll be standing up when using the arcade.

Completing this project is no longer as challenging as it once used to be due to the popularity of MAME cabinets. All you'll have to do is assemble the arcade, with a Raspberry Pi to run the emulators. An Arduino or RetroHAT expansion for the Raspberry Pi can handle the game controller controlls, meanwhile.

A project like this can be styled to match your personality, so consider lights and sound to go along with the retro vibe, along with printed art decals.

Related: Run Doom on Raspberry Pi Without an Emulator

7. DIY Arcade Machine With a Classic CRT Display

Building a DIY arcade machine can be a great weekend project, especially if you want a highly customized setup. A gaming setup lets you customize every aspect of the arcade machine. If you have some experience with simulators on a PC, this project will be relatively easy to complete.

You'll need to hook the Raspberry Pi (or an old PC) with a 27-inch CRT television to capture the classic look of the 1980s gaming scene. Keep in mind that you can choose to assemble a cabinet or build from scratch.

Looking for another project idea? Check out these awesome DIY RetroPie game stations.

8. Arduino Retro Arcade

If you've used an Arduino before, you may have learned that these tiny microcontrollers are quite versatile in what they can do. A retro arcade machine is an awesome hack you can try using Arduino.

All you'll have to do is setup the Arduino as the processor and install the MAME emulator. This will help you install thousands of games you used to play as a kid. The project is perfect if you want to experience some nostalgia from the Game Boy and Atari days.

Just Do It Yourself

Being a tech geek shouldn’t be an expensive affair if you are willing to learn new electronics and software skills. You have more tech items that can be used for DIY projects than you may think such as old microcontrollers, dead phones, old TVs, clocks, and so on.

With a few hand tools and a curious mindset, you’ll blaze through each project faster than you expect. Get started today.