5 reasons why virtual pinball is better than the real thing 

SO while any one real-world table (usually) beats the vpin version, the gap is getting narrower and narrower - but will is it actually better? Let me know!

With virtual pinball, i will never hear that CRACK of the metal ball cracking into the glass... but, i am going to go virtual soon. Thank you.

Stern should create and sell their own virtual pinball simulations based on their games like what they did when they partnered with farsight to create ghostbusters for the pinball arcade. I am pretty sure it wouldn't affect the sales of real hardware as they tend to be pieces of art and priceless treasures as time goes by. thumbs up for that street fighter 2 in the background. I used to have that table and loved it

Zen/Fx Pinball on my Playstation brought me back to the world of pinball again. Its amazing how much fun it is and how many different games you can play for such a low price. I just saw the new virtual pinball cabinets and they are absolutely impressive. At this rate, digital pinball is only getting better and its making pinball fun again. Perhaps one day, the digital pinball can be just as good if not better. Lookin forward to the evolution and optimization of digital games for everyday consumers. We will be able to play every game that existed and new ones as well. Exciting times indeed. Keep rockin it steady all yall pinball wizards.

I really like your virtual pinball series! How about an overview/tutorial regarding the software side of things. Would be super helpful! Thanks

My family and I used to have two pinball machines when I was about 10 years old that we bought from some friends who weren't using them anymore. We had "Triple Strike" by Williams and "Flash Gordon" by Bally. I know how much matenance, money and passion it takes to keep a pinball machine working correctly, considering I helped my dad replace/repair parts of these machines when they weren't working correctly. These day's I play virtual pinball on my Switch, PS4 and PSP through different applications and games. I'm excited for next month for the Yegpin Pinball Expo here in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. I'm going to drink some beer, play some games and buy some merch (hopefully).

Thanks for a nice overview. I live in a country where I have little access to real tables. I'm also not financially able to by my own cabinet, so I just play pinball in desktop mode. I moved over to VPX about two years ago after playing Pinball FX/2/3 for years. I soon discovered that you have developers such as VPW, Bord, UnclePaulie etc. that are pushing the envelope regarding realistic playing (nfozzy flipper physics, rothbauerw targets etc.), looking (Blender rendering) and sounding (Fleep mechanical sounds) recreations and originals. The new recreations are build up from scratch from scanned in playfields with exact dimensions, and that makes a world of difference in terms of realistic gameplay... if the physics is implemented correctely. You can't even compare the latest VPX tables (such as Last Action Hero, Iron Maiden Legacy of the Beast and Bloold Machines) to those from two years ago before those advances. It is comparing simulation to arcade (including what Zen studio is now doing with Pinball FX). I only play the latest tables, and there are at least 50, if not 100 already. As you say, the sky is the limit, but Visual Pinball has never been in a stronger position.

We own 7 real machines. I’m terrible at fixing them. Virtual isn’t the same, but I do love the convenience and community so much

there are some awesome ones coming out now but i'll just have to go to the arcade for those. finally one opened up on long island 20 minutes away. i'm happy with my virtuapin and i'm making updates at the moment.

I brought a virtual pinball machine 3 yrs ago and love it,it got 327 games on it and it sounds and feels like the real thing.

I'm quite happy to get my pinball fix on my little old ps4 .

Awesome Video! Love the comparison. Supported!

Yip correct, the ability to try all tables and then maybe be able to pin down which is your favorite and buy it is amazing!. Here in South Africa we have prob 1% of the whole spectre of tables in the world so its amazing to try them! Also this is one of the most satisfying hobbies i have! im currently everyday getting my new games or updating older ones and in the process of building the cabinet as computer is ready, also have my speakers & RGB and transducers ready.

I play virtual pinball games on my Nintendo Switch! But i do miss playing pinball in a arcade!

Great video brother. I can say, back in the day........way back in the day for this old guy. I was a bit of a pinball snob. When i first was exposed to V Pins, I hate to say i turned my nose up to it. Since then, my attitude toward V Pins have changed completely. Especially, now with how great a V Pin can be set up now. With great haptics, sound and graphics. I love them now.

Loving the infinity mirror not seen that done before on a pinball cabinet

Yeah Vpin is crazy good right now. Most anything can be done

My biggest issue with VP is the learning curve on the all the various software and components needed. There’s lot of tutorials out there who make it look like it’s so easy when it’s not even close to reality. Sure ALP made some of it easier but once OTG gets involved it completely brings on a whole new set of problems. For instance, the ALP arcade controller not being seen as an Xbox controller, it would make things so much easier if it did. Using Joy2key works to clone a keyboard but the flipper lag sucks even with numerous software and hardware settings. I spend more time trying to make stuff work than actually playing that I’ve put my ALP up for sale.

Great video! I own both real and digital, both are great. I Agree digital is better for space and cost, however real world machines are much more satisfying to shoot.

Great vid! Much prefer my AtGames, hands down. I did the RW pinball for years and simply got tired of moving them in and out of the house, around inside the house, upstairs, downstairs, on trucks, off trucks, pizza and beer for the helpers, ongoing maintenance, etc etc etc...I could go on.

thats wild ngl, the real pin ball is where its at it feels so nice

I have own real pinball machines few years ago, attack from mars LE. Ghostbusters, a jersey jack pirates of Caribbean, and a premium Munsters. Sold them because as you say, after a while you get tired of it. At least I did. So I bought a Chinese vp. It sucked. Laggy and really bad, not even close to a real pinball machine. So after a year or two I started to look for the best vp on the planet. So now I have ordered one. And few more things to mention , is the arcade games you can play on a vp, my machine will have over 17.000 arcade games on it. Plus you can also use your vp as a jukebox if you install it. But for me was space the biggest reason I changed real to vp. Got teenagers , and they need more and more space. So vp is my only choice right night now.

I can think of a couple advantages 1. Someone made a vp table based on 3D Pinball, or better known as Space Cadet. If you want a modernized experience of this classic Windows game, vp can achieve that now. 2. a lot of Hyperspin drives, meant for custom arcade builds, have vp tables included, with how small a computer can be now (see GPD Win 4, or GPD Win Max 2023), one can build a personal and portable arcade cabinet that doubles as a vp setup, and you can play a vp table in no time while bored on a plane, or pretty much anywhere. This is of course, for people who don't care about building a proper setup like yours shown in the video. Or they can just play the vp table right on their device like the Win 4, which is a pocket sized fully functional Windows PC (Linux can be installed) 3. Also, if we can replicate the same kind of "3D without 3D glasses" effect that Nintendo did with 3DS, we can make the vp table looks like they are real pinball machine, with "real" rails and "real" flippers, that are definitely NOT real

I'm sold! I'd like to get a Vpin within the next year. Is there a listing of games available and do we download them ourselves.

Great video- I live pinball but not very techy- do you have a website recommendation or guide you followed to build yours? Thanks in advance

I love my Virtual cabinet , and there are some great authors/groups of virtual tables now that are on a par with real, but i would still prefer playing a REAL PHYSICAL table whenever i can.

I'm done with real pinball and the lack of maintenance most on location machines receive... It's good enough now that it's not worth dealing with the BS of a mechanical machine.

I was with you until you said vpinball would replace physical. Nope. Maybe for you! One of the main attractions about pinball to people nowadays is the chance to get away from a screen and interact with the physical world.

Humbly, and from what I am investigating, we are experiencing a new golden age in terms of pinballs thanks to the push of virtual pinballs, and also thanks to Stern. I see that many children and adolescents are becoming very interested in this wonderful world. By the way, I also have Future Pinball and the Star Wars and Halloween machines among others; They are a dream.

I've seen a big spread of extra bells and whistles that can be added to enhance a vpin such as feed back rumble things or legit pinball flipper buttons. Which of those types of features would you prioritize for adding the most feel to the experience? I've been playing pinball fx on the pc, and would like to take a step forward in enhancing the experience once I can afford to. Maybe a half step in that direction if I can twist my main monitor to work as a main table interface. Had the chance to see that wild circus table at the pinball hall of fame in Los Vegas but not a lot of time to play it. Do you know if that has been replicated virtually? I'd like a chance to see more of it in action. Is there a good program for experiencing making a table? It would be pretty fun to get a feel for the balancing act of the element placement even if the overall program is limited. The importance of lighting became more clear to me with one of the modes on the recent pinball M. I wonder if virtual tables from old games like epic pinball, metroid prime pinball or the sonic ones would have to be emulated or recreated somehow. Or how something like that pinball board game could be incorporated somehow. I think having access to experiencing some of the offshoot stuff adds to the experience of both the physical and virtual tables.

JVD your spot-on Virtual Pinball. What are your thoughts on the new Foo Fighters Tribute table out on VPU??

I have a legends ultimate pin and 1up star wars pin. Where can I buy a full size virtual pin ready to play?

Dont think 1 is better than the other. I look at 1 being more accessible or suited for some. Definitely a list to consider from either side. Virtual wont replace physical, but it scratches the physical itch and with all the toys and well created tables, it does a darn good job. Need to play more vpx tables. Lol. Ive seen balls go where they shouldnt a number of times. Saw it the other day playing iron maiden. 🙃

the only advantage of virtual pinball over real pinball is a machine can imitate hundreds of pinball.

Give me a real pinball anyday!

Ha,Ha, I have 3 of the octagonal mirror leds on my pinball. Building my own VP. Pretty much done minus side art. I had to go with a 40" screen.

Great video champ

I have an Avengers Infinity Quest a James Bond a NJJ Guns and Roses and a virtual pinball and I play the virtual pinball about as much as the 3 real games put together.

I'll maybe consider virtual when the physics are imperceptibly close to real life. It seems like they all simulate in 2D, perhaps with multiple layers of 2D to emulate 3D.

I think I agree with this almost entirely - if you have the room and money to keep a real pinball game in your home arcade I say get one - it adds to the "credibility" to you home arcade / game room but I firmly believe that a virtual pinball setup is where most of us will spend the majority of our time. It's very close to a "real" arcade game (say Galaga, Joust, Pac-Man, etc.) vs. a 60 in one or a 412 in one. Even with original ROMs and good joysticks / controllers there's something missing in a machine that is an all-in-one....

There is no comparison between VP and real machine. I only play VP in VR or 3D with a 3D TV. I can't play in 2D. Shows like PC game. There is no way to play in Anaglyph 3D in 2D TV. Real machine is only for that guys that have space and money for it. But your point of view is good. Thank you.

you should try it in vr.... thats next level.....

Both have their upsides and downsides. Upside of virtual pinball is you can literally have around 50 tables occupying the footprint that one table would take up, with the downside being you lack all the tactile feel every time the flippers and bumpers hit the ball just right, even if virtual is trying to replicate that feeling now. Real tables take up a lot of space if you have multiple and it's one table per cabinet.

Great video.

I'd add another one to the list: - cost: you can get started in virtual pinball for just a few hundred dollars - sure you could find and repair a real pinball machine but (I believe) most people would be more comfortable these days with buying the necessary parts and a small form-factor PC than learning the mechanical and electronics to repair a real pinball machine. I'm well aware that nice virtual pinball setups can go well in to the thousands but even for a quality display and good components you can stay within a budget...

Based on your perspective I shouldn’t take my AR-15 to the firing range because I can sit down at my computer and play Call of Duty and a hundred other shoot ‘em ups. Sure, a Vpin has hundreds of games, but the experience can’t compare to a real pin and when something wacks out on a real world machine fixing it is easier than when something wacks out on a vpin. With the myriad of software applications woven together to make Vpins work it’s surprising that they work at all. Pup packs are cool, but can be a bitch to get working right. I’ve got real machines of which the oldest is from about 1988 that I bought and restored fifteen years ago. I still play it often and enjoy it along with my other real machines. One of my favorites in my game room is my Revenge from Mars. Let’s see a Vpin emulate that. However, in addition to my real pins I also have a Vpin that was given to me because it wasn’t working. I downloaded and reinstalled everything from scratch and have hundreds of games on it - about thirty in my favorites. In my experience, it can be much more frustrating to figure out why a pup pack doesn’t work on a new game I just downloaded than it is to find and replace a blown transistor on my 35 year old real machine - (which I haven’t had to do since finishing the restore so many years ago). For people who own pinball machines, (Not the guy with the single rarely played machine sitting in the corner of his man cave.), it’s not just a game - it’s a hobby. They enjoy working on them and maintaining them. My Vpin has it’s place in my game room, but I would never give up my real machines. Vpin is fun and versatile, but the experience just isn’t the same no matter how much hardware is added to it. I liked your video, but it seemed you went out of your way to find negatives regarding real machines that weren’t really negatives and some of which really aren’t valid.

All my mid 90s pins are accruing 5-10% per anum over the last decade im not sure i can clear a space for one.. :/

I think they complete each other. I own three real pinball machines: The Addams Family, Lord of the Rings and a Transformer LE Combo. I have a Legends Pinball HD in a seperate room just for playing other machines. A virtual pinball machine does not compare to playing on a mechanical machine. Its a different experience. Would not get rid of my physical machines for a digital one. As i said, they can co exist but not replace.

Digital screens are the largest innovations since the use of electric components in mechanical pinballs, but I think that the debate is not "whether this _or_ that". That is a wrong question to ask. Instead, I think that we are witnessing a birth of a new kind of machine. I would not be surprised to see more and more attempts to either merge the two (digital screens mixed with mechanical components so well that it will be hard to tell them apart during gameplay), or to use the newly opened possibilities of the digital technology for developing completely new approaches. In the end, the point is to have fun, right?

Vpinball may have the advantage of hundreds of different tables, and it looks very close to the actual tables from certain perspectives, but Vpin can not reproduce the real physics and the subtitle nudges of a real pinball machine. But all the disadvantages are there if you are not a bit handy to take on repairs occasionally. On the plus side, there is also a great and helpful online pinball community to work you through most problems. If I was to sell my collection I would most certainly pick up a Vpin because the graphics do look good and will give you a pinball thrill.

I don’t think a gottlieb table is the best representation of a real pin ball, I personally think the Williams tables of the same era were amazing and the feel and flow when set up right can never be reproduced.

I wonder how the physics translate.... My favourite digital game is harley davidson and I hit the 300 Million mark. I wonder if I'd be able to do it on a real machine (this is without using nudging) I don't have one any where in My state to find out....

My vp has real nudge, no button

I try pinball arcade whit xbox 360 camera. Like a real 3D 😊

It's definitely good, and not something you need to spend a lot of money on, technically just hooking up a computer to a large playfield tv/monitor and smaller backglass gets you a lot of the way there. Having said that, I think it's kind of like a real pinball, you play it like crazy at first, then you play it a lot more rarely, here and there. Despite the limitless pinball tables, it never feels enough of the way there. VR pinball is probably the best, but suffers from the "I'm wearing a headset!" problems. For that reason I find it hard to recommend anyone spend $1000s of dollars on a vpin, since unlike a real pinball, the resale on virtual isn't great.

For certain people, yes I agree. For me, I disagree only because you could say the same thing about single game arcade cabinets versus a multicade cabinet. You could say you're gonna get bored of that one game, so get a multicade instead. But as an 80s arcade fan, I have 15 unique arcade cabinets and am not interested in a multicade because I love the uniqueness of each arcade cabinet design and ghe artwork for my favorite arcade games. They're each a piece of art. The same applies to me with pinball. I have a full-sized Haunted House, Black Knight and Xenon becsuse I just love those as their own unique tables. I dont hate virtual pinball because I do have those as well, but those virtual pinballs will never be like those real tables.

I like pinball I don’t love it. I like my at games pinball with hundreds of tables and thousands of vertical games. If pinball was cheaper I would get a few but I know I’d get bored and stuck with heavy pieces of wood. Why I like 3/4 scale arcades easier to no move (I do own KI pro and it’s a pain to move). Only hobby I stayed in for 35 years is DJ’ing. Everything else comes and goes with the weather.

It is futureproof.

Omg I ❤

You ... Know that Unreal 5 is a game engine first and used for tv shows second.... Right?

I came to this video because I wanted to know if virtual pinball was considered inferior by real enthusiasts. Guess not! Anyway, I play in VR. It's probably the closest I'm going to get to playing real pinball.

Totally disagree. I sold my vpins last year as real took over and they weren't getting playes. I have played $8000+ 4K vpins and I still find it doesn't compare, not even close. Now cost to me is the big big issue and I get not everyone can afford real but if you can, it's the ultimate arcade drug.

The eye tracking will be a stupid gimmick and make it 1 player and hard to watch

Saying that VP is better than the real thing is almost like saying that Virtual Sex is better then the real thing. For some, it may, but for me, it's a no go! It's a computer with a large screen, that's it. I'd rather have the REAL thing taking up that space in my room or whatever. Your maintenece comments on real machines are nominal in home use. The REAL ones were made and designed to work almost 24/7. The EM's in the real work are just like anything back then, they were built to LAST. SS machines are basically computer meets mechanical, and 9 times out of 10, the the electronics that fail before the mechanical parts. Will any of these VP machines last 50+ years? Who knows, but I doubt it. JMO.

Huh, real pinball balls wear down? It’s a steel ball, it may rust but will not shrink.

None is better. They are different.

I respectfully disagree. One is a pinball machine, the other is a video game. But then I'm not a fan of post 80's pinball anyway, so I guess I'm a bit biased.

And real life pinball will always be crucial for competition because of impossibility for cheating.

AtGames and Arcade1up Pinball Machines are not represantatives of Virtual Pinball. A modern PC with VPX is. Build it yourself or buy one from your not-so-local dealer. There's a reason why VPX is not for the faint of heart. It's complicated and requires avanced knowledge of software. And though i'd like it to be easier, this fact saves our hobby from more crappy Android boxes in lookalike shells...

Sure, real pinball tables require maintenance, but if well maintained hold their value. Todays virtual pinball tables will be worthless in say 5 years

If you’re poor, Vpins are fine.

Not

Im sorry my friend, but Virtual pinball machines require a lot more time to maintain. There is so much tweaking and software adjusting that is constantly needed to. be done with a virtual pinball machine.Things get corrupted, or fail, and unless you are extremely experienced and knowledgable regarding programming, and the countless menu driven programs that run these machines;; you will need to pay someone to help you get the thing up and running again... A real pinball machine is a lot easier to tinker with. There are tons of message boards and resources that you can look up on the internet, which will guide you to properly repairing whatever has failed on a real pinball machine. Also, the is no comparison between a real machine, and a virtual pinball machine. Although the virtual machines have improved dramatically; they will never have the same feel that a real pinball machine has. At the end of the day; you are playing a video game, and you are not manipulating a mechanical machine with a real weighted metal ball which you can slow down and speed up by simply adjusting the leg lights on the 4 legs of the machine for example.. I am sure that improvements will continue to be made here, however if you can afford it; there is nothing like a real pinball machine... Virtual pins will always crash, slow down for unknown reasons when they should not be slowing down with the new video cards, and they will continue to get more and more complicated to repair.. Most hard core pinball enthusiasts do not own a virtual pinball machine, and they never will. They avoid these things like the plague, and they always will.. Currently there are about 10 companies across the globe manufacturing pinball machines; compared to only 1 company (Stern) about 12 years ago. That number is actually increasing as well. You will soon see some big players getting into the pinball manufacturing business, because unlike other segments of the gaming industry; the pinball machine business is booming, and it has never been better. One more note regarding comparing the real pinball to virtual pinball ; real machines will not depreciate in value over time, and in fact will most likely become a very solid investment for the family, and they will most likely increase in value year after year. That is simple economics; with the growing amount of pinball hobbyists and collectors comes the thinning out of the finite inventory of classic pinball machines. Of coarse there will be new machines being produced and reproduced year after year, but the number of new pinball machine titles that are released on a yearly basis hovers around 10 -12 machines if you do not count the 2-4 different versions of each pinball title when they are released. These different versions of the game scale up in price as the higher end models include more toys,lights, feefdback variations, and more crowded playfields which make for a deeper and more involved experience while playing the machines.

VP is crap. Real or nothing. Started watching this video by mistake when scrolling around. Stopped watching when you said people would get bored of a machine and claiming that Street Fighter is a good pinball😆

Keep kidding yourself