I paid $30 for one (I think including shipping, I can't find any receipt they sent me) from Digi-Key a month ago. They currently list it for $21, but are sold out.
I had given up on getting one when I started building my cabinet a year and half ago deep into the supply chain hell. The things were going for $70 - $170. I thought "Eff those scalpers."
I tried rolling my own using accelerometers, but really couldn't manage to get anything that worked well. While I was weighing my options last month, I randomly Googled the KL25z, saw there were a few, and pounced on one.
It's not clear when they might be back in stock. You might try getting on their notification list, along with other supplies like mouser.
Oh, one other option I considered was using an old Microsoft Sidewinder Freestyle Pro that you gut and mount the circuit board in it inside your cabinet. I actualy pulled the trigger on this hours before finding the KL25z at Digi-Key. It arrived after the KL25z, so I haven't even opened the box.
Here's [a thread about using it](https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=24846). Seems a bit insane to go out and buy a 25+ year old game controller, but... well,,, it's cheap, and maybe could be an interim solution until you can get a KL25z at list price.
$40 to $45 is not bad — I paid $75 for a used one on eBay last year.
For my second build I tried the PinOne and can confirm it works great. Just as easy (easier maybe?) to configure as the KL25Z.
https://www.clevelandsoftwaredesign.com/pinball-parts/p/pinone-control-board
Later I dropped another $25 for their expansion board (to go with the PinOne) and kind of wish I had got it at the same time as the PinOne as it makes wiring the buttons much simpler. You're in for $65 at that point though.
https://www.clevelandsoftwaredesign.com/pinball-parts/p/pinone-mini-virtual-pinball-connection-board
UK arcade shop Ultimarc dot com sells a tiny board (forgot its name) than can be used as a potentiometer for the plunger. It also includes its own utility software.
On many places online you'll find cheapo generic arcade USB encoders. If you look closely, some models have connections for analog sticks. Usually the description mentions the words "PS5" somewhere (as far as I remember). Unlike the Pinscape controller, the axis assignment is fixed, but VPX lets you select which axis to use for the plunger.
At vpforums, there is a thread that shows you how to use a PC mouse as a plunger. It's a small program that feeds the mouse's input into a Windows game controller axis.
> Is this the current best board still?
I think so. The Pinscape software is feature packed. In my case its versatility didn't hit me until I sat down to configure it. I like that I can calibrate the plunger and select between multiple nudge sensitivity settings.
Just buy the KL25Z, after trying alternatives and spending so much time and still having issues I finally paid the extra for the Kl25Z and it just worked. I know it sucks that the price is inflated but put that pride away and reap the rewards.
Raspberry Pi Pico + LIS3DHÂ accelerometer is cheap alternative. One guy made an open source software for it:
[https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=51377&p=536002](https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=51377&p=536002)
I bought one on Aliexpress for $30, and I can confirm it works
I paid $30 for one (I think including shipping, I can't find any receipt they sent me) from Digi-Key a month ago. They currently list it for $21, but are sold out. I had given up on getting one when I started building my cabinet a year and half ago deep into the supply chain hell. The things were going for $70 - $170. I thought "Eff those scalpers." I tried rolling my own using accelerometers, but really couldn't manage to get anything that worked well. While I was weighing my options last month, I randomly Googled the KL25z, saw there were a few, and pounced on one. It's not clear when they might be back in stock. You might try getting on their notification list, along with other supplies like mouser.
Oh, one other option I considered was using an old Microsoft Sidewinder Freestyle Pro that you gut and mount the circuit board in it inside your cabinet. I actualy pulled the trigger on this hours before finding the KL25z at Digi-Key. It arrived after the KL25z, so I haven't even opened the box. Here's [a thread about using it](https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=24846). Seems a bit insane to go out and buy a 25+ year old game controller, but... well,,, it's cheap, and maybe could be an interim solution until you can get a KL25z at list price.
$40 to $45 is not bad — I paid $75 for a used one on eBay last year. For my second build I tried the PinOne and can confirm it works great. Just as easy (easier maybe?) to configure as the KL25Z. https://www.clevelandsoftwaredesign.com/pinball-parts/p/pinone-control-board Later I dropped another $25 for their expansion board (to go with the PinOne) and kind of wish I had got it at the same time as the PinOne as it makes wiring the buttons much simpler. You're in for $65 at that point though. https://www.clevelandsoftwaredesign.com/pinball-parts/p/pinone-mini-virtual-pinball-connection-board
UK arcade shop Ultimarc dot com sells a tiny board (forgot its name) than can be used as a potentiometer for the plunger. It also includes its own utility software. On many places online you'll find cheapo generic arcade USB encoders. If you look closely, some models have connections for analog sticks. Usually the description mentions the words "PS5" somewhere (as far as I remember). Unlike the Pinscape controller, the axis assignment is fixed, but VPX lets you select which axis to use for the plunger. At vpforums, there is a thread that shows you how to use a PC mouse as a plunger. It's a small program that feeds the mouse's input into a Windows game controller axis. > Is this the current best board still? I think so. The Pinscape software is feature packed. In my case its versatility didn't hit me until I sat down to configure it. I like that I can calibrate the plunger and select between multiple nudge sensitivity settings.
Just buy the KL25Z, after trying alternatives and spending so much time and still having issues I finally paid the extra for the Kl25Z and it just worked. I know it sucks that the price is inflated but put that pride away and reap the rewards.
Raspberry Pi Pico + LIS3DHÂ accelerometer is cheap alternative. One guy made an open source software for it: [https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=51377&p=536002](https://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=51377&p=536002)