Bringing Back the Bang: could the G’AIM’E Gun Revive Lightgun Gaming for the Modern Era?
At PAX West this year, tucked among the usual splash of indie games, merch, and cosplay, something else was vying for the attention of retro gamers. A larger corner booth pronouncing that the light gun is back. Not just any light gun, but a reimagined AI-powered system from G’AIM’E designed to bring the thrill of Time Crisis and other arcade classics roaring into the age of 4K flatscreens.
If you grew up pumping quarters into cabinets, ducking behind cover with one hand while gripping a chunky plastic pistol with the other, this is going to hit you right in the nostalgia. Read more below or check the video here!
“We designed the system from scratch, and it’s plug-and-play on any TV. No light bar, no extra sensors, nothing else needed. Just pick it up and start shooting.” — Tom, G’AIM’E
The Technology That Makes It Work
Traditional light guns only worked with CRT televisions by synchronization between a photodiode in the gun and the scanning electron beam of the screen. LCD and OLED's do not support that technology, which is why they faded into obscurity as modern screens took over the living room. G’AIM’E’s big innovation is an AI-driven system with a built-in camera and neural processing unit inside the gun. Instead of depending on outdated screen-scan technology, the gun reads your screen in real time, cross-referencing movement with onboard sensors like gyros and accelerometers.
That means no calibration hassles, other then a quick series of on screen shots to line your sights, no clunky add-ons taped to your TV, and no worries about screen size. In fact, the system has been tested on displays from 15” to a staggering 150” so whether you’re in a dorm room or a home theater, you’re covered.
And yes, it feels right. The gun has rumble feedback, optional active recoil, and a foot pedal in the Premium and Ultimate bundles to let you stomp your way in and out of cover just like the arcade.
The Games: Locked and Loaded
G’AIM’E ships with a mini-console powered by Android 13, which houses the games natively. No PS5, no retro console needed, just a simple HDMI out and USB-C power supply.
The Basic Package ($99) includes Time Crisis, fully licensed from Bandai Namco and faithfully ported from the original arcade ROM. The Premium ($149) and Ultimate ($299) versions expand the library with Time Crisis II, Point Blank, and Steel Gunner 1 & 2, essentially the holy grail of lightgun classics.
“We worked closely with Bandai Namco to faithfully recreate the original gameplay experience. It’s authentic, down to the smallest detail.” — G’AIM’E Team
The system even supports online leaderboards, meaning you can finally prove to your friends you weren’t just bragging back in the 90s.
Build Quality and Feel
During our hands-on, the gun had a satisfying heft, not the hollow, clicky feel of a toy, but a sturdier arcade-grade weight. One thing missing was a moving slider, but the rumble and solenoids in side make sure the gun feel is close to what you would expect. The pedal, though made of plastic, was put through rigorous testing to handle thousands of stomps without breaking.
And if you’re wondering about living-room conditions, yes, the gun works in bright daylight or a darkened room, and it won’t lose track even if someone walks between you and the screen.
Of course we have only been able to play it on a busy convention floor, so non of what I am putting down here is a resemblance of the full release or a final review but so far this is shaping up to be a very serviceable product that is a ton of fun to use.
Shipping, Availability, and What’s Next
The G’AIM’E Gun wrapped up a massively successful Kickstarter with over $1.1 million raised and is now moving into full production. Pre-orders are live on MyGAIME.com with delivery aimed for holiday 2025.
Final Thoughts
It’s rare that a piece of gaming hardware feels like both a love letter to the past and a leap forward in technology. G’AIM’E manages exactly that. With authentic ports, modern tech that just works, and the sheer joy of blasting through Time Crisis from your couch, this might be shaping up to be a must-have for arcade diehards and curious newcomers alike.
However it would be remise of me to not point out that despite how much fun as we had with the G’AIM’E Gun, there are some concerns worth taking aim at. For starters , even though the cost will start at 99 USD, the Basic package does not include the foot pedal, a core part of the Time Crisis experience, and only that one game. That feels like a major omission. To get the full experience you will need one of the other two packages ,and then we are getting into a higher price for a standalone device that still only offers four built-in games.
Will all that mentioned this could still be a great gift to you and the whole family, especially if you’ve ever missed that satisfying click of a reload pedal or the rush of a perfectly timed headshot. Check out the G'aime Kickstarter to still hop in.
