Determining the most expensive arcade game ever made is difficult. Purchase prices were not consistently published, especially for machines built for major theme parks rather than conventional arcades. At this scale, the distinction between an arcade cabinet and a full attraction also becomes unclear; requiring a dedicated attendant is one possible dividing line.
That uncertainty potentially excludes Sega’s R360, which reportedly sold for about $90,000 in 1990—roughly $208,000 in today’s money. Other possible contenders include Sega’s Derby Owners Club, Namco’s Galaxian 3 Theater-6 and Namco’s Ridge Racer Full Scale. Derby Owners Club systems were reportedly advertised above $100,000 on the used market around a decade ago, while reliable original pricing for the other examples is difficult to establish.
QUBE begins shipping
Trio-Tech’s QUBE does not claim that record, but it has joined the small group of arcade attractions priced at more than $100,000. The four-player interactive light-gun system was unveiled at IAAPA 2022 and began shipping in late April 2023, with the company confirming that shipments had started.
Exact pricing has not been provided. Several distributors have, however, placed the QUBE’s cost at approximately $100,000—a substantial figure when many contemporary arcade machines sell for around $12,000.
From premium arcade systems to attractions
Trio-Tech built its reputation with large-scale arcade games and simulators, including Ballistics, Wasteland Racer 2071 and the Mad Wave Motion Theater.
Near the end of the 2000s, the company introduced the XD Theater, an interactive multiplayer light-gun attraction combining motion seats, wind effects and a large 3D screen. Configurations could reportedly range from four to 128 seats. Trio-Tech later developed the XD Dark Ride, and increasingly focused on medium- and large-scale theme-park and family entertainment centre installations.
An XD Dark Ride experience in a smaller package
QUBE can be viewed as an arcade-oriented version of the XD Dark Ride concept. It uses four D-BOX motion seats and a cabinet slightly larger than a typical environmental arcade machine. Three games, described by Trio-Tech as “interactive rides”, were available for the platform, with additional titles planned.
The visuals are produced with Unreal Engine 5 and displayed on a 100-inch 4K screen. That combination of motion, large-format display and modern rendering technology places QUBE well outside the usual home arcade or route-operated cabinet category. For readers comparing formats, RETROCADE’s racing arcade collection covers a very different kind of dedicated simulator, while the arcade machine buying guide is more relevant to conventional purchases.
The price also makes more sense in the context of Trio-Tech’s larger systems. An XD Dark Ride was recalled as starting in the region of $250,000 several years ago, before subsequent inflation. QUBE gives family entertainment centres access to a comparable style of interactive motion attraction without the full cost and scale of an XD Dark Ride installation.
It is not aimed at small operators, street-route businesses or ordinary bar arcades. Like the R360 and Ridge Racer Full Scale, QUBE is designed for venues with the space, investment capacity and audience required to support a major attraction. For more conventional options, browse RETROCADE’s arcade machines or explore arcade repair and maintenance services.
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