Sinden Lightgun: the arcade gun that actually works on any modern TV

If you grew up in the arcades of the '80s and '90s, you know it perfectly well: shooting at the screen with a real gun is a completely different experience from using a pad. Duck Hunt on the NES, House of the Dead at the arcade, Time Crisis with the pedal to take cover — these were physical experiences, not just gaming ones.

Then LCD screens arrived and all that magic disappeared. Classic light guns worked with CRT tubes by exploiting the way the electron beam drew the image: modern flat screens don't work that way, and old guns simply don't work on them.

For years the solution was Wiimotes, IR bars, PlayStation Move controllers — all systems that come close but never truly replicate the original feeling. Then came the Sinden.

How the Sinden Lightgun works

The Sinden was designed by Andy Sinden, a British engineer who found a solution so elegant it makes you wonder "why didn't anyone think of this before?".

Inside the gun barrel there's a small high-speed camera. The Sinden software, running on PC or Raspberry Pi, draws a thin white border around the edges of the screen during gameplay. The camera inside the gun reads this border, calculates where you're pointing relative to that rectangle and positions the cursor accordingly.

No external sensors. No IR bar to mount. No recalibration every time you shift on the sofa. Works on any flat screen: LCD, LED, OLED, plasma, projectors. If it has a screen and you can see it, the Sinden works on it.

The software captures a frame every 16ms and calculates movement in 1ms — responsiveness on par with the original CRT guns.

Standard or Recoil: which one to choose?

The Sinden is available in two main versions:

Standard version (with holster)
The base version, without recoil. Aim, shoot, works. It still has 10 configurable inputs (trigger, pump action and buttons), D-pad and full compatibility with all emulators. Great for those starting out without spending too much or for those who mainly play calmer titles.

Recoil version (with holster)
Adds an internal solenoid that simulates the kickback with each shot. Powered only via USB with no need for external power — and despite this, the kick it delivers is surprisingly strong. By default it's set to high intensity (honestly a bit too much: the noise can drown out the game audio), but it's adjustable in Batocera at different levels, including a "machine gun" mode. For Time Crisis, House of the Dead and classic arcade shooters the recoil completely changes the experience.

A practical note: the default recoil is really strong. Turn it down immediately in the settings, both to protect your wrist and to avoid waking the neighbours.

What does it work with?

The Sinden is compatible with:

• Windows and Linux (including Raspberry Pi)
• Batocera from version 35 onwards — drivers and settings already included, practically plug & play
• MAME — requires some configuration in the .ini files but works great
• RetroArch — native support
• LaunchBox / BigBox
• TeknoParrot — for modern arcade games
• MiSTer FPGA — specific driver available, optimised for low resource use

Compatible games number in the hundreds. Duck Hunt, Operation Wolf, Point Blank, Time Crisis (all chapters), House of the Dead, Virtua Cop, Lethal Enforcers, Area 51, Mad Dog McCree — practically the entire classic light gun catalogue. With Batocera it's the most immediate combination: plug in the USB and within minutes you're already shooting zombies.

An honest note: MAME configuration requires some patience with configuration files. It's not impossible, but it's not plug & play like on Batocera either. If it's your first light gun experience, Batocera is the recommended starting point.

Two guns together: playing co-op

Yes, you can use two Sindens on the same system for multiplayer — House of the Dead with two players is something else entirely.

The only thing to know: the two guns must have different camera codes (version C or version D, indicated on the box). If you buy them together from Digitalkey we ship them already correctly paired. If you buy them at different times, check which version you already have and request the other one when placing the second order.

What to expect in practice

The Sinden genuinely works, and works well. Accuracy is excellent on any flat screen, it doesn't require recalibration every session, and with Batocera it's become almost plug & play in recent years.

The only situations where you might run into some trouble:

• Very strong ambient lighting can interfere with white border recognition — in a dark room or with controlled lighting it works better
• Recent games like the House of the Dead remake use a relative movement input system instead of absolute, making it currently incompatible
• MAME requires manual .ini file configuration — not difficult, but takes some time the first time around

Nothing that can't be resolved, but better to know beforehand.

Why buy it in Italy

The Sinden is made in the UK and available directly from the official website. Buying from Digitalkey gives you some concrete advantages:

• 24h shipping from Italian warehouse
• No customs surprises
• 24-month European warranty
• Italian-language support if you have questions about configuration or compatibility

FAQ

Do I need a powerful PC?
No. Even a low-end PC or Raspberry Pi handles the Sinden software without problems. On MiSTer it runs in low resource mode using just 4% CPU.

Does it work on a projector?
Yes, on any screen that projects a visible image. The white border must be visible to the camera, but it works normally on projectors.

Do I have to use Batocera?
No, it also works on Windows and other Linux systems. Batocera is simply the most immediate choice because it has everything pre-configured from version 35.

Can you see the white border during gameplay?
Yes, it's thin but visible at the screen edges. It's necessary for operation — it can't be completely eliminated, although some emulators allow you to reduce it to a minimum.

Can I use it on original consoles?
With a specific hardware adapter (PS1/PS2 mod) it works on original hardware too. It's not natively supported on modern consoles.

Find the Sinden Lightgun with Recoil and Holster in our catalogue, available in 4 colours with 24h shipping from our Italian warehouse.

For in-depth configuration guides and emulator-specific setup, check the official Sinden wiki.