What's new
Pinball info

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Wanted Virtual Pinball Machine

A

amb47uk

Registered
Joined
May 9, 2019
Messages
7
Location
Loughborough
Hi there guys,

I'm fairly new to pinball, finally signed up and want to take the plunge into the hobby.

Looking for a really nice (USED) virtual pinball to add alongside my arcade machines - I have v limited space (and little mechanical knowledge of the real things) so thinking this is the way to go for now.

Open to any suggestions, lots of boards, nice big displays, the more authentic looking the better. Happy to pay for the right machine.

Is anyone selling? (I see one nice one already for sale on here)

Thanks
Adam

PS Im amb47uk over at UKVac, also have ebay ref upon request.
 
I'd be interested to know what the going price is for a decent (used) Virtual Pinball Cab as well. Good luck with your request.
 
There was one for sale one here - think it was about £800
.....or you could build your own!
 
@ChrisH If I felt I had the ability and patience to build my own I would. Rather have a plug and play ready machine or at least explore that remote possibility first.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I'd have thought £800 is about right for the one that's on sale as its a 2 screen one with an older video card (not that it couldn't easily be changed), if you want a full 3 screen setup with force feedback that has the grunt to run the newest tables out of the box you'd be looking at £1500 upwards

But if you've got a decentish PC, get yourself a copy of VisualPinball, PinMAME and some ROMS and tables and have a go, that's the first step.
Even if you just buy a pre-built one, it's key to have at least a grouding on how it works softwarewise - that way you can add new tables as they come out - some of the new ones are pretty stunning (TAF, CV, PB, FH have all had major overhauls in the last couple of months) and you don't want to miss out on the new stuff because you're scared of breaking it!

I 've been meaning to build a new VPin for about the last year but life keeps getting in the way, maybe I'll do a log here if I ever get round to it.....
For me its the woodworking that's the tricky bit, my current one looks OK, but if you look closely you can see the lack of talent in the cabinet.
They aren't the same as the real thing, and never will be, but they are good fun.
 
@ChrisH Thanks for the advice. I’m not in a position to do any woodworking, so would definitely need to buy that pre-made at the least. Also sold my desktop years ago as I tend to play games on console and use laptop for other general tasks. But I can appreciate what you say about getting hands-on at least with the software side.

Aware, I’m hijacking this thread from OP so shall end my contribution there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Expired - Kas-eo Excel Virtual Pin £800

I've just bought a better spec vpin on here, so this has to go. Bought on ebay. Kas-eo were trying to promote the product by auctioning one on ebay. I won it for £1570 in May 2014. Full price on their website was over £3000. LINK HERE...
www.pinballinfo.com
Bung a GTX770 off ebay in there for £50 and maybe swap the i3 for an i5 of the same generation for another £50 and you'd be good to go with VPX and the latest and greatest at 1080p
 
@ChrisH Many thanks buddy. What specs would be needed to run the Williams/Bally tables Zen are now producing in PINBALL FX3?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You'd really need something that can run VPX if you want the best experience. The Williams PFX3 tables are also good. I love my VP Cab and think my real tables would leave before it. Tons of variety and less stress about things breaking than on a real table.

A little snapshot of Cirqus Voltaire to whet your appetite.

CV.png
 
Lroy said:
@ChrisH Many thanks buddy. What specs would be needed to run the Williams/Bally tables Zen are now producing in PINBALL FX3?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Taken from Steam website:

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
  • MINIMUM:
    • OS: Windows 7
    • Processor: Dual Core CPU @ 1.6GHz
    • Memory: 4 MB RAM
    • Graphics: Nvida GTS 450 or AMD equivalent
    • Sound Card: DirectX compatible sound card / integrated
  • RECOMMENDED:
    • OS: Windows 10
    • Processor: Intel i5-4590 or AMD equivalent
    • Memory: 8 MB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD 290X
 
Haven't got involved with the non VP side on things on mine.
What they keep doing with VP does the job for me - TOTAN is being worked on for a release later this year and it's looking stunning so far....

84759
 
Oh lovely! I’m ignorant to all this - only just starting to research it. Hadn’t realised that the VP software was a different platform than TPA, PBFX3. Assumed they were somehow plugged into this software and enabled to play on the cabinet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Lroy said:
@ChrisH Thanks for the advice. I’m not in a position to do any woodworking, so would definitely need to buy that pre-made at the least. Also sold my desktop years ago as I tend to play games on console and use laptop for other general tasks. But I can appreciate what you say about getting hands-on at least with the software side.

Aware, I’m hijacking this thread from OP so shall end my contribution there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Hijack away - its all interesting / useful to me too.
 
With a VPin on the software side you have 2 elements

1. A front end, these days pretty much everyone uses PinballX and that front end gives you a pretty and easy way to choose a game and start it using the buttons on the cabinet.
2. Emulator(s)

When it comes to the emulation side there are 4 main ones:

Visual Pinball - the big one, this can (and in the majority of cases does) use VPinMAME to run the actual ROM from the table, so when Stern releases a new ACDC for rom for example, you'll be wanting to update yours on your VPin!
So there are 2 main elements, the software that handles the table and VPinMAME that does the ROM.
On top of that there is the DB2S stuff which handles the backglasses and their lighting/movement.

It sounds complex, and there are a few steps and things to learn, but it isn't bad at all once you get the why of what you're doing, there is an all-in-one installer these days too

FuturePinball
Generally not used these days, I've not bothered with it for a good few years

Then finally there are the off the shelf ones - TPA and FX3 these are compatible with PinballX, but they do need some adjusting for cabinet use - I've not done it, but perhaps @Marvello has?

You configure each of your games correctly and get them working perfectly first, then add them as options in to PinballX so it can offer them to you in the menu - all it does it launch the right app and point it at the right table file
 
Must admit, when I got mine up and running the other night, I spent quite a bit of time on it going through the games and playing.
 
@Pick Holder is your man, although he does TOP END ones and you will be looking at a bit more than just £800 for something that is:

A) Built as well as the stuff he has sold previously (usually in a proper cabinet etc)
B) Up to the spec required to run those games with 3 screens

The benefit is one pin space taken and you have 100's of tables, the downside is of course that it's all emulated.
 
Forgot to say - if you do jump in and get stuck with the config I'm happy to help :)
 
Thanks to the OP and all the people who have responded with info. Looks like I could be doing some research into this and saving up my pennies [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
@Lroy you can muck about with this on your Windows PC to get a feel :thumbs:
I installed VPX 10.5.0 installer from here https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=11573
Then load your chosen VP table and a "real" ROM and you're away (hopefully) playing using your keyboard.
Others may correct me, but I believe that from VP 10 it's called VPX just to confuse.
Also need to be a member of vpforums else get non helpful error message when try to download.
 
@astyy Cheers mate but I turned my back on PC gaming a few years back. Only have a laptop and doubt that’s got the grunt for it and to be honest, I vastly prefer playing on Nintendo Switch anyhow.

I am very interested in an actual virtual pinball cabinet though as I saw some footage of one and I honestly couldn’t believe how realistic - 3D it looked.

I don’t have the space and engineering know-how to collect real tables, so thought this virtual cab route might be a slightly more achievable pipe-dream [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The £800 one on here would need more than a video card upgrade to run modern tables. You would need to throw a few hundred at it,

Having upgraded the same machine a year ago - I only got £900 for it with new graphic card and all the correct pinscape plunger fitted. Sadly Kase-Eo built absolute rubbish!

The £800 one is good if you want an entry level one, but it wont run VPX. Please see my thread on building Vpins on here (you may have to hunt for it). But it is a bit like saying 'I am going to buy this Popeye when I really want an AFM'.

Visual pinballs are great, the Pinball FX3 stuff is okay - but VPX tables poop all over them for physics.
 
Marvello said:
Taken from Steam website:

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
  • MINIMUM:
    • OS: Windows 7
    • Processor: Dual Core CPU @ 1.6GHz
    • Memory: 4 MB RAM
    • Graphics: Nvida GTS 450 or AMD equivalent
    • Sound Card: DirectX compatible sound card / integrated

  • RECOMMENDED:
    • OS: Windows 10
    • Processor: Intel i5-4590 or AMD equivalent
    • Memory: 8 MB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD 290X
Click to expand...

I remember the days when you only needed a few MB of RAM - obviously its 4GB minimum, 8GB recommended!
 
Hi Adam
From someone who has built several VPins over the years make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into and consider these very important points before biting the bullet

1. It’s a PC and can be very temperamental as PCs usually are!
2. To run it smoothly on 3 screens you will need a very capable PC with a decent graphics card especially if you want to run PFX in 4K/60 fps like I do.
3. Be prepared for it to go totally tits up for no reason and able to deal with the hassle of maybe having to flatten the PC and do a full reinstall. **** happens.
4. If it’s 2nd hand don’t expect a seller to give you any form of backup unless they offer it and you local to them.
5. VPX and Virtual pinball in in general is a constant tinkering wip that never ends lol
6. Consider a custom made one that fits the monitors as in the early days I used old cabs and they don’t quite accommodate the screens to perfection like a custom one should. That said get one with a original lock bar to enhance the whole feel.
7. Don’t ever expect it to feel like the real deal, yes it has the full code and gameplay of the original, yes it looks incredible (especially PFX) and yes the tables are free and cheap. But and it’s a big Kardashian’s BUTT nothing comes close to playing a real table in the flesh.
8. Something to consider ahead of a vpin is maybe VR pinball and although it’s early days and Farsights is a little rough, VPX is working on this and I’m sure ZEN will at some point come to the fray and blow us all away.

The good bits
1. Pinball FX3 by zen is incredible and the enhanced modes of the Williams tables are a sight to behold especially in 4K. VPX just doesn’t cut it for me anymore although I still keep upto date with the releases for the hell of it.
2. Great if you have room for only one pin as you end up with a hole bucketful
3. The VP community are a great help should you want to add something simply like real nudging or more enhanced like feedback, flashers, plunger and the likes. It’s almost endless albeit expensive.

You welcome anytime to come play mine before shelling out 1000’s on one and that way you get to play some real pins at the same time. This invite is extended to anyone on pinfo who maybe curious should they wish. Coffee, tea and alcohol supplied FOC.

My rig
40in 4K main screen,1080p backglass and 15in dell for DMD. I7 8th gen with RTX 2080Ti 16GB and 3 x 250 M2/SSD

975B24C6-408C-497C-B4B0-B4F9949B74EC.jpeg
 
@Colywobbles - I find Windows 10 the most stable OS I have used since VP8 days of using XP back in the day.

I would agree on your point about PC specs. They virtually double if you run 4K - personally with the price of the screens I have kept to 1080p on most of my previous builds.

Having had FX3 in my last cab - it doesnt do anything for me. I would rather have VPX, but you are down to looking for the version of each game you prefer. For example I actually still play some old VP9 games over the newer VPX versions. But as everything is essentially free you can experiment.

We both have opinions that differ, but that would be the same on real pinballs.

I have sold quite a few VPins to people on this group and elsewhere and they have a good place in collections. In one machine you can have 100s of tables - and you can at least try out games before you buy the real thing, plus it is the only way most of us will play Cactus Canyon continued and Big Bang Bar!

Knowing a few people in the hobby - Spike and Spike 2 is close to being emulated but I am sure that will be the point that Gary Stern puts his foot down as Pinball Arcade run the Stern Pinball Arcade digital games, which have to be the most awful games on the planet. I only play Pinball Arcade on my phone.

These tables are a lot of fun - but you do have to keep up with updates and tinker with them a bit. Just like a real pin :)
 
Pick Holder said:
... the Pinball FX3 stuff is okay - but VPX tables poop all over them for physics.
Click to expand...

That isn't my experience of it (real physics selected, not Arcade) and I'd be more than happy for VPX to have the same physics as PFX3.

One of my main negatives with VPX is the different physics for each table. Each table is user created so each feels different depending on how they built it. There are a multitude of different settings they can change like bounce, friction, ball mass etc., and copying the settings from a table you like to another one didn't seem to work too well, at least in my experience when I did an export/import.
 
Last edited:
I've never had any issues with my Windows 10 build. I do periodically do full backups in case it goes pear shaped though. Wouldn't want to lose all the tweeks I've made. Storage is so cheap nowadays it would be foolish not to.

If you're only using it for Pinball and not loading all sorts of cr4p on it, it should be fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom