TLDR
- For most home arcades, I would buy Stern Star Wars Premium (2017). It still has the strongest reputation of the main full-size Star Wars-branded machines here, with an 8.246 Pinside rating, and recent used listings were around $7,000 to $8,250.
- The best value play is Stern Star Wars Pro (2017). Recent used listings were around $4,500 to $5,499, which is a much easier entry point into the same core title.
- The best buy-new option is Star Wars: Fall of the Empire Premium. It has Stern’s newer SPIKE 3 hardware and an 18.5-inch HD display, but its early ratings still trail the older 2017 game.
- The best Star Wars-universe alternative is The Mandalorian Premium. It is very strong on reputation and currently carries a $6,900 trimmed median asking price on Pinside.
- The best lower-cost new option is Star Wars Home Edition Plus at $5,999, but the enthusiast sample is still tiny, with only five approved Pinside ratings so far.
Intent Sentence
This post helps home-arcade buyers choose the right Star Wars pinball machine by comparing gameplay reputation, price, theme fit, and ownership tradeoffs, so they can buy the version that still feels right after the honeymoon period.
A home-arcade recommendation is not the same thing as naming the rarest machine or the newest release. For home use, the better question is which table keeps pulling you back, still plays well when friends step up cold, and does not feel like a bad value six months later.
On that standard, my pick is not the newest Star Wars machine. It is Stern Star Wars from 2017, ideally the Premium, with the Pro as the smarter value fork.
My Recommendation: Stern Star Wars Premium (2017)
If I had to give one specific answer, it would be Stern Star Wars Premium (2017). It still carries an 8.246 Pinside rating from 452 approved ratings, which matters because that is a long enough ownership window to tell you this game has lasting appeal, not just launch-week excitement. Recent Pinside Premium listings sat around $7,000, $7,600, $7,750, and $8,250.
The Premium trim also has the kind of added spectacle that makes sense in a home lineup. Stern’s official feature list calls out the sculpted LED-lit Millennium Falcon, exploding Death Star interactive display, hyperspace ramp, and two LCD screens on Premium and LE models. Those are the sorts of things guests notice immediately, and they help the machine feel like a real event in the room rather than just a fast shooter with a Star Wars skin.
The catch is price. That is where the 2017 Pro becomes very attractive. Pinside’s current listings showed used Pros around $4,500 to $5,499, which is a meaningful drop from Premium money. So my practical recommendation is simple: buy the Premium if you want the best all-around home Star Wars machine, buy the Pro if you want the best value.
Why I Am Not Defaulting to Fall of the Empire
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire is the easier machine to recommend to someone who wants to buy new right now. Stern lists the Pro at $6,999 and the Premium at $9,699, and the machine runs on SPIKE 3 with a larger 18.5-inch full HD display, improved audio, better Wi-Fi support, wireless headphone capability, and more than 1,000 film and audio assets. Stern also says new games come with a one-year warranty and are sold through its dealer network.
So why is it not my default answer? Because the 2017 game is still the more proven home-arcade buy. Right now, Pinside puts Fall of the Empire Premium at 7.636 and Fall of the Empire Pro at 7.054, both below the older 2017 Premium. Pinside also lists the latest software as V0.93.0 on March 19, 2026, which tells me the game is still relatively early in its life cycle. That does not mean it is a bad machine. It means I would buy it because I want new hardware, warranty, and dealer support, not because it has already beaten the older table on long-term reputation.
Good Alternatives
The Mandalorian Premium or Pro
For a mixed household, The Mandalorian is probably the strongest alternative in the Star Wars universe. Pinside gives the Premium an 8.108 rating and a $6,900 trimmed median asking price, while the Pro sits at 7.833 with a $5,000 trimmed median asking price. Stern’s official features include a large Grogu sculpture, authentic video and audio from seasons one and two, Carl Weathers callouts, and, on Premium and LE, a rotating Encounter upper mini-playfield plus the up/down horseshoe scoop ramp.
This is the pick I would steer toward when the buyer wants something a little more modern-feeling and a little easier to pitch to the whole house. The tradeoff is obvious: it is not the classic original-trilogy Star Wars table.
Data East Star Wars (1992)
This is the nostalgia buy. Pinside rates it 7.656, and current Pinside listings were around $4,600, $4,750, $6,500, and $6,500. That makes it a real option, especially for buyers who want an older machine and like the early-1990s look and feel.
Still, I would buy Data East Star Wars because I specifically want that era, not because it is the cleanest first recommendation for a modern home arcade.
Star Wars Home Edition Plus
Star Wars Home Edition Plus is the practical new-purchase option below a commercial Stern. Stern lists it at $5,999 and says it includes original trilogy speech and footage, a custom sculpted Death Star, an interactive TIE fighter, genuine Stern commercial-quality parts, and Insider Connected.
The tradeoff is certainty. Pinside shows only five approved ratings for Home Edition Plus, which is not enough to establish a meaningful consensus yet. Even the earlier 2019 Home Edition still has only 30 approved ratings, not enough for Top 100 eligibility. So this is the safer choice for a buyer who wants new, simpler, and lower-priced, but not the strongest enthusiast pick.
Star Wars Episode I
Star Wars Episode I is still a legitimate collector option, especially for anyone who likes Pinball 2000 history. Pinside rates it 7.224, and current marketplace activity included a $5,999 for-sale listing.
I would not make it the default answer for most home buyers, but it is still a real alternative for the right person.
A Simple Buying Framework
Buy Stern Star Wars Premium (2017) when you want the best all-around home Star Wars machine.
Buy Stern Star Wars Pro (2017) when value matters most and you still want the proven core title.
Buy Fall of the Empire Premium when buying new, getting a warranty, and having the latest Stern platform matter more than proven long-term reputation.
Buy The Mandalorian Premium or Pro when the whole household needs to like the machine, not just the most hardcore original-trilogy fan.
Buy Home Edition Plus when you want a new machine at a lower price and you are comfortable choosing something with a smaller enthusiast track record.
FAQs
Is Star Wars Premium Really Worth More Than the Pro?
Usually, yes. Stern’s Premium feature set adds the Millennium Falcon, exploding Death Star, hyperspace ramp, and two LCD screens. That is a meaningful difference in a home arcade, where visual payoff matters. The counterargument is price, because current used Pros were around $4,500 to $5,499, while recent Premiums were more like $7,000 to $8,250.
Should I Buy Fall of the Empire Instead Because It Is New?
Yes, when buying new is the priority. Stern lists it at $6,999 Pro and $9,699 Premium, routes sales through dealers, and offers a one-year warranty on new games. I just would not call it the safest answer on reputation alone yet.
Is The Mandalorian Actually a Better Home Game?
For many households, maybe. The Premium is rated 8.108 on Pinside with a $6,900 trimmed median asking price, and it has strong modern theme integration. The catch is that it is a different slice of Star Wars and not the classic original-trilogy machine some buyers are specifically chasing.
Is Home Edition Plus a Real Alternative to a Used Commercial Stern?
Yes, especially for buyers who want new, lower-priced, and straightforward. Stern says it uses commercial-quality parts and Insider Connected, but the enthusiast sample is still tiny, with just five approved Pinside ratings so far.
What Is the Best Digital Fallback?
The obvious answer is Arcade1Up Star Wars Digital Pinball. StarWars.com says it comes preloaded with 10 Star Wars tables from Zen Studios, but Best Buy currently lists the lit-marquee version as no longer available in new condition.