Custom Arcade Cabinet RFQ Checklist for Commercial Buyers

Many custom arcade cabinet enquiries start with the same request: “Send me your best price.” A factory cannot price the project accurately, however, until it knows what it is being asked to build.

An empty cabinet, a cabinet fitted with controls and a monitor, and a complete commercial machine may look similar in a product photo. In production, they involve different hardware, wiring, software, payment openings, testing and packing.

For venue owners, unclear specifications create budget gaps. Distributors may compare quotations that do not include the same parts. Repair purchasing teams may receive a cabinet that does not fit the screen, board or controls they planned to reuse. A useful RFQ simply makes sure the buyer and supplier are pricing the same machine.

Define the Project Before Discussing Appearance

Start with the intended use, quantity and destination. A sample for evaluation, a one-off game-room installation and a repeat distributor order should not be quoted in the same way.

Tell the supplier the machine type, player capacity, target market, expected quantity and whether you need an empty cabinet, a partly assembled unit or a complete machine. For an existing venue, include access limits such as door width, lift size or the need for partial disassembly.

This also helps the manufacturer decide whether an existing cabinet platform can be adapted or a new structure is required. Buyers still comparing formats can review our metal arcade cabinet range before preparing the RFQ.

Lock the Cabinet and Hardware Scope

“Custom arcade cabinet” is too broad for a final quotation. State the outside dimensions, screen size, player layout, control-panel arrangement and service access.

Then list the required hardware: monitor, main board, I/O boards, power supply, speakers, buttons, joysticks, lighting, fans, wiring harnesses and internal brackets. Mark any parts the buyer will supply or reuse.

Repair buyers should provide photos, measurements and model numbers for reused components. A monitor may fit the opening but not the mounting holes. A card reader may fit the panel but require a different signal, voltage or bracket.

Ask the supplier to separate included, optional and buyer-supplied items. This makes comparisons more reliable than vague terms such as “complete set” or “standard configuration.”

Separate Software, Payment and Branding

Software, payment and branding should be confirmed separately.

For software, record the game version, language, player count, difficulty options, screen output and boot-screen requirements. For payment, provide the coin acceptor, bill acceptor or card-system model where possible, together with its voltage, signal and credit settings.

Branding should identify the cabinet color, logo position, sticker artwork, instruction labels, manual language and package marks. Also confirm who prepares the artwork and how many revisions are included.

Our custom arcade machine services guide explains how these items fit into a complete OEM project.

Confirm Packing Before Comparing the Final Price

Ask for estimated packed dimensions, gross weight, package quantity and whether the cabinet ships assembled, partly dismantled, on a pallet or in a wooden case.

DHL explains that freight is charged using whichever is greater: actual weight or volumetric weight. Its air-freight formula divides cubic centimetres by 6,000, equivalent to about 167 kg per cubic metre. For a bulky arcade cabinet, packaging design can therefore change freight cost even when the machine itself is not heavier.

The quotation should also state whether export packing, pallet treatment, loading support and spare-parts cartons are included. Our arcade machine shipping guide covers the checks buyers should make before dispatch and after arrival.

Make the Quotation Easy to Check

A usable quotation should identify the cabinet dimensions, included hardware, software and payment scope, branding work, MOQ, production time, testing method, packing data, warranty and spare-parts support.

It should also show which details remain open. “To be confirmed” is manageable before payment; an assumption discovered after production begins is usually expensive.

ISO guidance on documented information explains that records can communicate requirements, show that planned work was completed and preserve knowledge. In an OEM order, a short approved configuration sheet serves the same purpose.

For export projects, discuss destination-market documentation early. EU guidance states that technical documentation must describe product design, manufacture and operation and, where applicable, be kept for 10 years after market placement. The exact requirements depend on the product and destination, but they should not be left until the machine is ready to ship.

Final Thoughts

An accurate custom arcade cabinet quotation begins with a defined project, a clear hardware scope, separate software and branding requirements, and realistic packing information.

Before comparing prices, make sure every supplier is quoting the same machine. That is where the real saving begins.