Gamo2 POPOLLER Review: The pop’n music Arcade Experience at Home

If you have spent enough time around the BEMANI rhythm game scene, you will probably know that getting an arcade-style controller for some of the more niche titles is not exactly easy. This is especially true for pop’n music, where the large, colourful buttons and rather unusual layout make it difficult to replicate the arcade experience with a conventional controller. That is where the Gamo2 POPOLLER comes in.

Designed specifically around the control layout of Konami’s pop’n music arcade machines, the POPOLLER is a full-sized arcade-style controller with nine main buttons and two smaller side buttons. It is officially designed to work with pop’n music Lively, but its compatibility goes beyond the official game. It can also be used with PMS through simulators such as beatoraja and LunaticRave2, making it a considerably more versatile option for players who want to explore the wider pop’n music ecosystem.

After spending some time using the POPOLLER with both Lively and PMS, as well as experimenting with different springs and switches, here is what I think about Gamo2’s take on the pop’n music controller.

Arcade-Style Design

The first thing you will notice about the POPOLLER is its size.

This is not a controller designed to be portable. Measuring around 732mm wide and 321mm deep, the POPOLLER takes up a substantial amount of desk space. That is expected, though, because the whole point is to replicate the large control panel used by the pop’n music arcade machines.

The nine main buttons are arranged in the familiar two-row layout, with the two smaller buttons positioned on the left side. Once you put your hands on the controller, the layout feels immediately different from conventional rhythm game controllers such as the Faucetwo.

The large buttons are not simply there for aesthetics either. Their size and spacing are an important part of the pop’n music experience, as the game relies heavily on striking different buttons with different parts of your hands rather than simply tapping a compact row of keys. The POPOLLER does a good job of recreating that feeling.

It also has a considerable amount of weight to it, which helps keep the controller planted on the desk during play. This is important because pop’n music can get surprisingly physical once you start playing more difficult charts. You are not simply pressing keys with your fingertips, and having the controller move around while playing would quickly become annoying.

The controller is also designed to make maintenance relatively straightforward. The bottom panel can be removed without having to deal with a complicated disassembly process, giving users access to the buttons, microswitches and springs when they want to adjust the feel of the controller.

DJDAO or Samducksa Buttons?

When purchasing the POPOLLER, Gamo2 gives you two button options: its own DJDAO buttons or Samducksa CWB 401 buttons.

The DJDAO option is the more straightforward choice and is perfectly usable for playing the game, while the Samducksa option is aimed more at users who want something closer to the feel of arcade hardware.

One notable omission from the current purchase options is the Sanwa’s OBSA-100UMQ button. For players familiar with arcade hardware, Sanwa is obviously a name that needs little introduction. However, according to Gamo2, the Sanwa buttons are simply too expensive, and demand is not high enough for the company to justify keeping the required stock.

Personally, I don’t think this is a major problem for the POPOLLER. The Samducksa buttons already provide a very good starting point, and the buttons are replaceable if you have a particular preference.

More importantly, Gamo2 uses a fairly conventional microswitch-and-spring arrangement, which means there is plenty of room for enthusiasts who want to experiment with the button feel.

Button Feel and Our Modifications

Out of the box, the POPOLLER already works very well.

The standard configuration uses Omron V-10-1A4 100g microswitches and 200g springs, while Gamo2 includes ten 100g springs for users who want to experiment with a lighter configuration. The combination is considerably heavier than what you might expect if you are coming from a PC keyboard or a lightweight arcade controller, but it starts to make sense once you spend more time playing pop’n music.

Naturally, we wanted to see how far we could push the button feel. We started by replacing the stock springs with lighter ones. The idea was simple: reduce the force required to press the buttons and make repeated inputs less tiring. However, there is an important limitation here.

During our testing, we found that going below around 100g spring force is not something I would recommend for the POPOLLER. Once the spring becomes too light, the button no longer feels properly balanced inside the housing. Instead of travelling smoothly, the button can wobble as it is being pressed.

That wobble can cause the button to rub against the housing. In the worst cases, the button can actually catch against the housing and get stuck instead of returning smoothly to its original position. This is obviously not something you want to deal with during a difficult chart.

So if you are looking for a lighter POPOLLER setup, I would not recommend simply throwing the lightest springs you can find into it. A better approach is to retain a reasonably strong spring and experiment with the microswitch instead.

Switches with a lighter actuation force allow you to reduce the amount of force required to register an input without compromising the mechanical balance of the button itself. Based on our testing, this is the modification I would recommend for anyone who finds the stock configuration too heavy.

Of course, the ideal setup will still depend heavily on personal preference. Some players may prefer the heavier arcade-like feel, while others may want something lighter for longer sessions. The important thing is that the POPOLLER gives you enough room to tune the experience.

Playing pop’n music

The biggest reason to buy the POPOLLER is, obviously, pop’n music. On PC, you can use the POPOLLER for the official pop’n music Lively or simulators like beatoraja, LR2 for PMS (users and community created contents).

With the controller switched to its default layout, POPOLLER supports pop’n music Lively plug-and-play. You do not have to spend time manually mapping every button before you can start playing. Gamo2 specifically designed the default layout around Lively, making the initial setup very straightforward.

There is something satisfying about being able to physically hit the buttons with the same kind of movements you would use on an arcade cabinet. The large surface area also means you do not have to be particularly precise with your fingertips.

This becomes increasingly important as charts become more complicated. Instead of thinking about whether your finger is directly over the correct key, you can focus more on the rhythm and movement of your hands.

For someone who primarily plays pop’n music on an arcade machine, this is exactly what you would want from a home controller. On a side note, the POPOLLER can also be used with a PlayStation 2 through Gamo2’s BE2PS USB-to-PS2 adapter.

Beyond pop’n music

Although the POPOLLER is clearly designed around pop’n music, Gamo2 has made the controller considerably more flexible than that.

The HID, keyboard, Project DIVA and Steam layouts allow it to work with a variety of other games and software. Gamo2 officially lists compatibility with titles including Project DIVA MEGA39’s, DJMAX RESPECT and EZ2ON, in addition to pop’n music Lively, beatoraja and LunaticRave2.

I would not buy the POPOLLER specifically as a multi-purpose rhythm game controller, because its enormous size and specialised button arrangement are clearly intended for pop’n music-style gameplay. But if you already own one, having these additional modes is a nice bonus.

You can have the controller configured for Lively, then use the appropriate input mode when playing other compatible software. Gamo2’s own compatibility information lists pop’n music Lively, beatoraja and LunaticRave2 among the supported Windows software.

To switch layouts, simply hold the corresponding combination for more than one second. The light corresponding to the selected layout will flash to confirm that the change has been made.

One thing I would recommend is changing to the desired layout before launching the game.

This is particularly important because different software can detect the controller differently depending on which mode it is currently using. Setting the controller first and then launching the game avoids unnecessary troubleshooting.

USB-A to USB-B Is Still the Way to Go

The POPOLLER uses a USB-B connector on the controller, with a USB-A to USB-B cable included in the box. Some people may question why Gamo2 did not use USB Type-C, especially since Type-C has become the standard connector for many modern peripherals. For a controller like this, though, I still prefer the USB-A to USB-B arrangement.

Arcade-style controllers are not normally something you move around constantly. They tend to sit on a desk or dedicated setup, and the slightly more substantial USB-B connector feels appropriate for this kind of hardware. More importantly, I have generally found USB-A to USB-B connections to be reliable for these larger arcade-style controllers.

Gamo2 itself recommends connecting the POPOLLER directly to a USB port on the motherboard, preferably a rear USB 3.0 port, rather than using an unpowered USB hub. The company also recommends avoiding the front-panel USB ports when possible.

Is the POPOLLER Worth It?

The POPOLLER is not trying to be a controller for everyone. It is a dedicated piece of hardware for people who want to play pop’n music and PMS the way these games are meant to be played, and after spending time with it, that focus is exactly what makes it work. This is a very specialised controller, and that is both its biggest strength and its biggest limitation.

At more than 700mm wide, this is not something you buy because you want a compact controller that you can throw into your backpack. It is designed to stay on a desk and provide a large, arcade-style playing surface. But if pop’n music is the game you want to play, that size is exactly what makes the controller work.

The large buttons, familiar layout, and substantial construction give you a much closer approximation of the arcade experience than trying to play with a keyboard or conventional gamepad. More importantly, the controller works directly with pop’n music Lively and can also be used with PMS through software such as beatoraja and LunaticRave2.

The ability to customise the buttons, springs and switches is another major advantage. The stock configuration already works well, but enthusiasts have plenty of room to experiment with the feel.

After trying lighter springs ourselves, however, I would strongly recommend avoiding anything significantly lighter than 100g. The lighter spring may sound appealing on paper, but once the button starts wobbling and rubbing against the housing, the trade-off simply isn’t worth it. If you want a lighter setup, changing to a microswitch with a lower actuation force makes much more sense.

The choice of buttons is also straightforward. DJDAO is the default option, while Samducksa CWB 401 is available for those who want a different button feel. The lack of Sanwa OBSA-100UMQ as a purchase option may disappoint some enthusiasts, but Gamo2’s explanation that the cost and relatively low demand make stocking them impractical is understandable.

For me, the most important thing is that the POPOLLER gets the fundamentals right. It gives you the correct layout, proper arcade-style buttons, good customisation options and broad software compatibility. It also avoids unnecessary complications during setup, particularly when used with pop’n music Lively.

At US$229, the POPOLLER is certainly not an impulse purchase, but this is also not a generic gaming peripheral. You are buying a large, dedicated arcade-style controller built specifically around pop’n music, with support for PMS and several other input modes thrown in. If you are already deep into pop’n music or PMS and want a proper arcade-style setup at home, the POPOLLER makes a lot of sense.