@guyrocket i'm planning to go the DIY way: bought a joystick and a bunch of buttons on aliexpress, then the plan is to install DaemonBite (https://github.com/MickGyver/DaemonBite-Arcade-Encoder) on a arduino pro micro and stuff everything inside a wooden box.

@guyrocket Well, for the arduino part, the github link i provided should cover most of the required info.
For the actual box, i was going to follow one of these 3 projects:
* bambooarcade.com (down for good but it's been backed up by archive.org)
* https://slagcoin.com/joystick/example2.html
* https://slagcoin.com/joystick/example3.html

Slagcoin.com is full of super interesting info.

Actually i just found out another project that could replace DaemonBite: https://gp2040-ce.info

I think the general instructions are pretty simple: it's just a matter of flashing the software on the board of choice, wiring everything as per the diagrams and shove everything inside a box (cardboard, ikea plastic boxes, wood, 3d printed cases... there's plenty of options)