Retro Gaming in Bristol Levels Up with Playback Arcade

Last Updated on September 8, 2023

Bristol is already a hotbed of retro arcade action, but this year a new establishment has joined the ranks. Playback Arcade, in Bristol’s The Galleries shopping mall, offers single units, JAMMA multi-game cabinets, consoles, pinball machines, and even board games.

Offering NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, Master System, Mega Drive, Saturn, Dreamcast PSX, PS2, PS3. PS4, XBox, and Xbox 360 systems – ready to use or ready to set up – Playback Arcade looks like a great day out. You can visit anytime between 12 noon and 11pm, any day of the week.

While there, you can enjoy single cab experiences such as Time Crisis 3, House of the Dead, and Tekken 7, or crank up an N64 to play GoldenEye 007.

What’s so special about this retro arcade?

An independent business, the Playback Arcade offers 40 machines at all times, from a pool of 50-60, which they keep maintained and repaired. The arcade also offers a lower price for board gamers, which is a great incentive to bring people in who would rather sit and move pieces, rather than joysticks.

The Playback Arcade recently featured in a Secret Bristol article.

What you need to know about Playback Arcade in Bristol

• Playback Arcade is located in The Galleries, a shopping arcade in Bristol.
• The arcade has a selection of arcade cabinets, pinball machines, old consoles, and Japanese rhythm and party games.
• Adult tickets are £11, child tickets (up to 14 years) are £9.
• Playback Arcade aims to build a sense of community in The Galleries by hosting free talks on the history of gaming and demonstrations of repair work on original arcade hardware.
• The arcade is open from 12pm to 11pm, seven days a week.

Learn more and book tickets at www.playbackarcade.co.uk.