Case Study: Nintendo brings a nostalgic Switch arcade box to life with SOLIDWORKS

How-to Create an Arcade Box Using SolidWorks

Nintendo wanted to celebrate its Switch titles and the nostalgia of arcade gaming around E3, but faced the informal challenge of reimagining a handheld console as a retro arcade box. SolidWorks helped bridge design and maker culture by applying SOLIDWORKS CAD tools to conceive a playable, nostalgia‑style arcade enclosure for the Nintendo Switch.

SolidWorks worked with maker Kirby Downey to design the arcade box in SOLIDWORKS and document the build process, including 3D printing parts on a Prusa i3 MK3S. The result was a fully playable Nintendo Switch arcade box showcased in a detailed how‑to on Kirby’s YouTube channel and the SOLIDWORKS blog, demonstrating SOLIDWORKS’ capabilities for rapid prototyping and inspiring the maker community.

Nintendo