CES is best known for consumer technology, upcoming gadgets and experimental hardware rather than coin-operated entertainment. However, the 2024 event included several arcade and pinball appearances, showing how closely modern amusement products remain connected to the wider technology industry.
Arcades once introduced the public to cutting-edge processors, graphics hardware and interactive systems. Although that pioneering role has changed, new display technology, virtual reality, digital distribution and home arcade hardware continue to influence the sector.
Arcade and pinball at CES 2024
Stern Pinball has attended CES in recent years, and its 2024 presentation centred on the newly announced JAWS machine. The booth also featured other games from Stern’s catalogue, along with props connected to the 1975 film that inspired the title. They showed off their booth on Facebook.
Raw Thrills also appeared at CES, sharing the DPVR booth to present Godzilla Kaiju Wars VR. The virtual-reality game uses a DPVR headset, which explains the partnership. Images from the event suggested strong interest from attendees, giving both companies a useful opportunity to attract attention outside the traditional arcade-show circuit.
Raw Thrills’ Saki A. indicated that the game had not changed significantly since its appearance at IAAPA. Eugene Jarvis and several other members of the Raw Thrills team were also present.
Bandai Namco Amusement America brought its Bowl-O-Rama revival and a range of established products aimed at public venues and barcades. The company also introduced a new Pac-Man’s Pixel Bash cabinet based on the Class of 1981 design.
The machine combines Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga in a full-sized cabinet and uses the 32-game Pixel Bash lineup. At the time of the CES announcement, Bandai Namco’s listing identified this particular version for home use rather than commercial operation. Compilations of this type have long provided an official way for home and venue owners to access classic Namco games in dedicated hardware.
For readers comparing different cabinet formats, Retrocade’s arcade machine buying guide covers the practical considerations involved in choosing a home machine. The store also lists upright arcades and more compact bartop arcades.
CES 2024 also brought a Pixel Bash edition of the Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga cabinet, with the 32-game collection presented in a Class of 1981-style home machine.
Another announcement involved Yatagarasu: Enter the Eastward, a 2D fighting game planned for Steam and the original NESiCAxLive arcade network. Unlike NESiCAxLive2, the original platform does not provide the same online support.
NESiCAxLive is Taito’s digital arcade distribution system, used primarily in Japan. Some Round1 USA locations have NESiCAxLive or NESiCAxLive2 cabinets, although players may need to navigate Japanese-language menus and text.
My Arcade rounded out the CES arcade news with new Atari-branded home arcade hardware. The products were described as competitively priced, but a complete game list was not available at the time. The controls suggest that the machines may include a mixture of Atari arcade and console titles, potentially drawing from the Atari 50th Anniversary Collection. Their release was planned for the end of 2024.
Why CES matters for arcades
CES was not as focused on amusement products as IAAPA or Amusement Expo, but the presence of Stern, Raw Thrills, Bandai Namco Amusement America and My Arcade still mattered. Appearing at a broader technology event allows arcade and pinball companies to reach people who may not attend specialist trade shows.
These announcements also covered several parts of the modern market: licensed pinball, virtual reality, classic-game compilations, Japanese arcade distribution and home-focused cabinets. For more industry coverage, visit the Retrocade arcade blog, or explore virtual pinball machines for another way to bring arcade-style play into the home.
The next major arcade event on the calendar was EAG in London, scheduled for the following week.
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