The second day of AAA 2026, China’s first major amusement trade show of the year, put the spotlight on two established local manufacturers: UNIS and Ace Amusement. UNIS has operated for many years and maintains several international partnerships, while Ace entered the market during the 2010s and has expanded substantially since then.
Most of the new video arcade releases shown by both companies are expected to receive North American and European attention, as each has an established presence in those regions. Some of the Ace photography came directly from one of their posts on a Chinese platform.
For Australian operators and collectors, the presentation offered a useful look at where contemporary arcade development is heading: linked multiplayer cabinets, motion-based sports, large-format shooters, racing machines and virtual reality.
UNIS
UNIS had a smaller selection of brand-new products than at the previous year’s show. Two of its major recent games were instead introduced at Amusement Expo International in Las Vegas in March. Both returned for AAA 2026, joined by products that missed the Las Vegas event because of shipping problems and several titles currently positioned as Asian releases.
The company also displayed a large range of ticket redemption and prize machines, including new My Little Pony products. Those machines were not the main focus of the booth, but they remain an important part of UNIS’s business.
UNIS also released a highlights video covering its booth.
Cyberpunk 2077: Chrome Rush
The most prominent UNIS reveal was Cyberpunk 2077: Chrome Rush, presented as a six-player linked game. The build shown at the Las Vegas exhibition was unfinished, while the AAA version appeared further along and is currently scheduled for release in June. The cabinet also seems to have received minor cosmetic changes, although the precise differences between the two builds are not confirmed.
Gameplay centres on a futuristic combat experience set in Night City. Players familiar with arcade history have compared its feel with Sega’s Motor Raid, updated for a modern cyberpunk setting.
Pickleball Rivals
UNIS displayed the Chinese edition of Pickleball Rivals in both single and twin cabinet formats. The twin machine was configured in English and positioned back to back with two other units, an unusual choice for a show in China.
The game uses motion-based play to bring pickleball to the arcade. It has no licensed property, but attracted attention at the Las Vegas event as one of the few recent arcade sports games built around physical movement. Some family entertainment centres are reportedly interested, particularly venues that have added real pickleball courts to capitalise on the sport’s popularity.
The English-language twin cabinet may indicate a focus on overseas markets, although it is also possible that UNIS is simply promoting the international version at this stage.
Ski Hero
Ski Hero was originally previewed for IAAPA but did not appear there, then missed Amusement Expo International because of shipping difficulties. AAA 2026 became its first trade-show appearance. UNIS showed both the previously seen portrait-screen cabinet and a new landscape-screen version.
The landscape cabinet appears to occupy close to twice the floor space of the vertical model. Its skiing format recalls the broad style of Alpine Racer, while giving operators another cabinet configuration to consider.
Other UNIS machines
Beyond redemption products, UNIS maintained a dedicated area for larger-scale experience games. Many of these machines come from its partnership with Raw Thrills, allowing UNIS to manufacture and distribute the company’s larger products in China. Wahlap generally handles smaller Raw Thrills releases, although it has also distributed Halo Fireteam Raven.
UNIS is also developing its own card-based games, including Amazing Universe and Picture Book Land. These products have not yet released outside Asia. Picture Book Land has recently been promoted after passing 3,000 sales, highlighting the scale of the Chinese market by itself.
Its own Turbo Nova racing game was another product absent from the Las Vegas event, but it is now available.
Ace Amusement
Ace Amusement has been supplying large volumes of arcade equipment since releasing earlier games such as Wild West Shootout during the 2010s. Its products have reached overseas markets through distributors including Amusement Source International, Coastal Amusements and UDC.
The company has mainly concentrated on deluxe racing and shooting machines, supported by redemption products. Its newer releases show progress, although some titles would still benefit from additional refinement. Ace’s designs often make their influences clear, while games such as Super Drill have offered a more distinctive direction.
Thunder Jets
Ace’s principal AAA debut, Thunder Jets, is a dedicated fighter-jet game that follows the modern aviation spectacle popularised by Top Gun: Maverick. It builds on Ace’s earlier Air Strike and Air Combat, with the latter apparently sharing the same style of seat used here.
The major cabinet difference is the format: Thunder Jets uses twin vertical-screen units rather than the single cabinets with stacked displays used by Top Gun: Maverick. Some sections also use a first-person combat perspective. Ace released a short preview trailer, although it shows aircraft from distinctly different generations together.
Cold Trigger
Cold Trigger takes a military lightgun approach, with swivel mounts holding wired weapons. Each player also receives a tactical subscreen, creating a second view of the action. The display is fixed to the mount rather than the gun, unlike an approach Konami experimented with in the past.
The concept could add useful tactical information, but the hardware may require careful maintenance. Each player has four subscreen-equipped gun mounts, an increase over the two-player arrangement associated with Phantom Vanguard, the game that most clearly informs its design.
The close-up view suggests that the monitor remains active when the weapon is holstered, potentially representing a heavier weapon or alternate firing mode.
Dragon Kingdom VR
Ace’s existing Dragon Kingdom is its take on Adrenaline’s Drakons: Realm Keepers and is available in North America through Amusement Source International. The new Dragon Kingdom VR cabinet adds virtual reality to the series.
The cabinet follows the familiar shape used by many arcade VR shooters, with a single screen for spectators. Ace is entering this part of the market later than several competitors, at a time when the number of new arcade VR releases appears to have declined. The continued demand for the format may nevertheless be stronger in China than elsewhere.
Other Ace releases
One notable Ace machine uses an officially licensed Ultraman property. It may be the company’s first major licensed release, following years of games that borrowed ideas from better-known arcade products. Chinese developers have produced several other Ultraman games, but this project is presented as an officially authorised release.
The machine combines lightgun gameplay with emblem vending, a pairing rarely seen in arcade products. Its lack of an English title makes an overseas release uncertain, although Ace could apply the same concept to another property.
Ace is also adapting Racing Xtreme and Hover Rush into a more compact format. Both originally used twin cabinets with stacked screens; the new versions retain motion bases while switching to one monitor and a single cabinet. That should make them considerably less expensive than the twin machines.
Hover Rush remains relatively unfamiliar in Western markets despite its unusual water-hovercraft racing theme. Ace appears to be placing greater emphasis on other products, even though the hovercraft game gives the company a distinctive option within its driving range.
What stood out at AAA 2026?
UNIS brought a broader mix of linked multiplayer, motion sports, skiing and large-format experiences, while Ace concentrated on shooters, racing and VR with several machines influenced by established arcade formulas. Australian operators assessing new equipment should also consider cabinet footprint, service requirements and the availability of regional distribution before planning an installation.
For more arcade industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE arcade blog. Our arcade machine buying guide can help compare space, hardware and operating considerations, while the racing arcade collection and arcade parts range provide useful reference points for Australian buyers and operators.
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