Light & Wonder’s newest slot cabinet is a “workhorse” that’s coming out of the gate like a thoroughbred, according to Brett Colbert.
“Players love it,” said Colbert, L&W’s director of product management. “We are installing it everywhere.”
The cabinet, available with a slate of premium and for-sale games, had a soft launch in November and now is in full-fledged release after garnering massive attention at the Barcelona ICE exposition in January, he added. Ultimate Fire Link Triple Nova, the third premium title designed for the Cosmic Upright, debuted Feb. 21 at a slot influencer event at the El Cortez in Las Vegas. In the week before the Super Bowl, a herd of for-sale games for the cabinet launched at Harrah’s New Orleans.
The Cosmic Upright, a follow-up to Light & Wonder’s category-leading Cosmic slant-top introduced in 2023, boasts a 49-inch 4K curved portrait display, integrated with a 27-inch upper display.
Like its predecessor, the Cosmic Upright features fiber optic lighting along the edges that interacts with the game in what Colbert described as a “subtle complement” to the action. The lighting can appear to go up or down or spin when a player triggers a bonus feature or other event.
“It’s a really cool directional display, (with) all the colors,” Colbert said. “It’s designed to draw attention when you’re in a feature, to add excitement to it.”
The floating iDeck is ergonomically designed, with spin buttons on each side and a text area that makes it easy for a player to choose credit denomination, access the menu, and get hints such as how to trigger a feature, he said. The placement avoids distracting a player from the action on the screen. A sound bar is directly above the iDeck, and a subwoofer in located in the base. The Cosmic Upright also has an all-new sign package that Colbert said “looks incredible” with a pod or in-line configuration.
The game selection combines popular themes and new titles in premium and for-sale categories.
In addition to Ultimate Fire Link Triple Nova, premium games include Dancing Drums Link and Invaders Attack Again From The Planet Moolah. On the for-sale side, the cabinet initially offered seven titles reflecting five families of games. “The strategy was (adding) extensions of our best brands with mechanics that are familiar but with new features,” he explained.
“Throughout the year, we’ll have more titles coming out,” he added. That includes a tongue-twisting addition to the Huff n’ Puff line, called Huff n’ Puff We’ve Had Enuff.
In keeping with its workhorse capabilities, the Cosmic Upright attracts players on the main gaming floor and in high-limit rooms alike, Colbert said. The fiber optic edge lighting “looks incredible in high limit rooms, where you have that darker feel,” he said. “It really glows and stands out.” On the main floor, the cabinet’s lighting, signage, and 6-foot-8 profile draw attention as well. “Ergonomically, it’s such a good feel when you’re sitting in front of the game.”
Even with all the mechanical touches, the game content is the crowning touch on the cabinet’s appeal, Colbert said.
“The cabinet was designed from the ground up,” he said. “We launched it with our best brands and will be following up with new themes and new mechanics. Those things combined, that’s the most important part. And it’s been fun to see it get out.”
