Sixty seconds
Will it work on my TV?
This is the question that decides whether a party works, and finding out at 2 pm on Saturday is the worst outcome in this business. So we ask now, and we answer honestly — including when the honest answer costs us the sale.
What you actually need
- A TV, monitor or projector with a spare HDMI socket.
- Something to plug into it: a laptop or tablet you can carry over.
- A power outlet within reach, for the powered hub the stations run off.
- That is the entire list. No smart TV, no console, no app, no Wi-Fi on the day.
The two ways out
If the answer is no
Bashcade Lite — $29
No hardware, no deposit, nothing to send back. The same 38 games, played on the kids’ phones. It is a different product and we will not pretend it is the same one — but it is the right answer for a room with no screen, a last-minute party, or a budget that does not stretch.
Asked constantly
The four follow-up questions
Does it need a smart TV?
No. It needs a screen with an HDMI socket, which is every TV made in roughly the last fifteen years. We never promise a smart TV's own browser will work — across models it is unreliable, and unreliable is not good enough for a Saturday afternoon.
Can I use a games console I already own?
No. The stations are USB controllers and the arcade runs in a browser, so it needs a laptop or tablet with an HDMI lead to the TV. We do not work with any console, and we would rather say that plainly than let you find out on the day.
What about a projector?
A projector with HDMI works fine. Sound is the catch — plan a speaker, because a projector's own speaker will not carry over twenty children.
Do the kids' phones work as controllers?
On Bashcade Lite, yes — that is the whole point of it. With the box you get real arcade sticks, which is a different and better thing, but Lite exists precisely for the households where the box is the wrong answer.
Still unsure? Send us a photo of the back of your TV and we will tell you. That is a genuine offer, not a support-deflection line.