AtGames Legends assembly
Bolting it together is the easy half. It is a connected machine, so the setup is the rest.
The Legends Ultimate and its stablemates arrive as a cabinet to assemble, but unlike a plug-in-and-play machine they are networked: hundreds of games on board, more streamed, accounts, and a firmware update waiting on first boot. Plan for that evening, and decide up front which add-on controls you want, because they change the deck.
A cabinet, and also a computer
AtGames make the Legends line: the Legends Ultimate upright, Legends Pinball, and the smaller Legends Gamer tabletops. The Ultimate is the flagship, a taller cabinet than the usual three-quarter-scale machines, with hundreds of licensed games built in and an online service on top that adds streaming and play against other people.
That connected side is the real difference from a simpler cabinet. Once it is assembled you are not finished: it wants a network connection, an account, and almost always a firmware update on first boot, which can take a while depending on how long the machine sat in a warehouse. None of it is difficult, but it is the part that catches people out, because a machine bought as a gift can be built in an hour and then spend another hour updating itself.
The other decision is the control deck. Legends cabinets take add-on panels, trackball and spinner units for the games that need them, light guns for the shooters, plus risers and seating. Which ones you want affects how the deck is set up, so it is much easier to know before you build than to redo it after.
How long it takes
Budget for the software side as well as the build.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet assemblyHeavier than a 3/4 cabinet. Two people. | 1 to 1.5 hr | 2 |
| Riser, if fittedBuild it first, then set the cabinet on it. | 20 min | 1 |
| Get it onlineWiFi and account sign-in. | 15 min | 1 |
| Firmware updateMostly waiting. See below. | 20 to 60 min | 0 |
| Fit add-on controlsTrackball, spinner or light guns. | 20 min | 1 |
If it is a present, do the build and the first-boot update the day before. A machine that spends its first hour updating is a flat moment on a birthday morning.
What to know before you start
The first boot wants a firmware update
Legends cabinets are updated regularly, and a machine that has been in a box for months will usually have several versions to catch up on. The update runs from the machine once it is online and is mostly a matter of waiting, but it is not optional in any practical sense, because the online features and often the game library depend on being current. Plan the build so the machine has an evening to sort itself out before anyone expects to play it.
It needs a network connection where it stands
Because so much of what these do is online, streaming, leaderboards, playing other people, the cabinet needs decent WiFi in the room where it lives. A basement corner with one bar will make the online side frustrating even though the built-in games run fine. Worth checking signal in the spot before you commit to it, and worth knowing that a wired connection is the more reliable option if the machine is going somewhere marginal.
Decide on add-on controls before you build
The control deck accepts extra panels: a trackball and spinner unit for the games that were never meant for a joystick, and light guns for the shooters. Fitting them is straightforward, but which ones you want influences how the deck goes together, so it is far easier to have them on hand at assembly time than to take the deck apart later. If someone in the house cares about the trackball games specifically, that add-on is the one that changes the machine most.
Legends Pinball is a screen, not a playfield
It is worth being clear about this, because the name causes confusion. A Legends Pinball cabinet plays virtual tables on a screen, so it assembles like a piece of furniture and needs no playfield levelling, no mechanical adjustment and no maintenance of moving parts. That makes it a completely different proposition from a real pinball machine, both to set up and to live with. Neither is better, they are different things at different prices.
It is heavier than the cabinets it gets compared to
The Ultimate in particular is a bigger machine than the three-quarter-scale cabinets people usually put it next to, which is part of why it feels substantial to play. It also means two people for assembly and a firm decision about where it lives before you start, because shuffling it afterwards is a job. Build it in the room it will stay in.
Before the pro arrives
Pick the spot and check two things there: that a power outlet is in reach, and that the WiFi signal is actually good. The online features are a large part of what you paid for, and a weak corner undermines them.
Have your WiFi password to hand, and if you already have an AtGames account, the login. If the machine is a gift, consider whether you want it built and updated in advance so it is ready to play rather than ready to download.
Keep any add-on controls, trackball, spinner, light guns, riser, with the cabinet so they can be fitted during the build rather than afterwards.
Why people get help with these
The build is manageable, but the combination of a heavier cabinet, a networked setup and optional add-on hardware makes this the sort of thing people would rather hand over, especially when it is a gift with a deadline.
Someone who has set one up before will also get the online side working first time, which is the part most likely to end an evening in frustration otherwise.
What an installer will usually do
- Assemble the cabinet, and the riser if you have one.
- Fit any add-on control panels while the deck is accessible.
- Position it near power, on a level floor.
- Connect it to your network and sign in.
- Run the first-boot firmware update through to completion.
- Test the controls and walk you through the game menu and online features.
- Remove the packaging.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
How long does a Legends cabinet take to set up?
Roughly an hour to an hour and a half to assemble with two people, then allow another twenty minutes to an hour for getting online and letting the firmware update finish. The update is the part people underestimate.
Does it have to be connected to the internet?
The built-in games play offline, but the streaming, online play and updates all need a connection, and that is a large part of what distinguishes these machines. Check the WiFi signal in the room before deciding where it goes.
What do the trackball and light gun add-ons do?
They make the games that were never designed for a joystick play properly, the trackball classics and the light gun shooters. They fit to the control deck, and it is much easier to install them during assembly than afterwards.
Is Legends Pinball a real pinball machine?
No, it plays virtual tables on a screen. That makes it simple to set up and maintenance-free compared with a mechanical pinball machine, which needs levelling and periodic attention to moving parts.
Can one person assemble it?
It is possible but not advisable. These are heavier than the three-quarter-scale cabinets, and the side panel stage is much easier with a second pair of hands.
AtGames and Legends are trademarks of AtGames Holdings. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by AtGames. Features and update behaviour vary by model and firmware.