A Game Room Guide for Atlanta and Alpharetta
When you’re designing your ideal game room, you’ll likely face this dilemma early on: Should I buy a ping pong table or a pool table? It’s an important question because either table is likely to be the focal point of your space and a huge attraction for your friends, family, and guests.
Greater Southern Game Room & Patio is a family-owned game room retailer with showrooms in Atlanta and Alpharetta. The business began as Franco Novelty Co. in the late 1920s, entered the metro market in 1964, and has sold pool tables and ping pong tables at retail since 2001. Both showroom floors keep tables set up and playable, and delivery, installation, and table service are handled by in-house crews.
This ping pong vs. pool table comparison weighs the two main game room table options on space, playing style, design, cost, and flexibility.
Whether you’re furnishing a recreation space in an office building or community space or are designing your own game room at home, thinking through the following points can help you decide which game you should buy.
What You Will Learn
- How the playing experience differs between ping pong and pool
- How much room each table needs once you add clearance for cues and movement
- Which table holds up in an outdoor or unconditioned space
- How style, storage, and long-term cost compare
- When a pool table topper for ping pong makes more sense than buying a second table
Ping Pong vs. Pool Table: Key Differences to Compare
Here is how the two main game room table options compare on the factors that decide most purchases. Model-by-model dimensions are on our pool tables and ping pong tables pages if you want to check a specific model against your room measurements.
| Factor | Pool Table | Ping Pong Table | Better Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playing style | Slower and strategy-driven | Fast-paced and active | Pool for patient players |
| Table size | 7, 8, or 9 feet long | 9 feet by 5 feet | Pool if you need a smaller table |
| Room needed | About 14 by 17 feet for an 8-foot table | About 11 by 19 feet | Pool for shorter rooms |
| Storage | Stays in place once installed | Many models fold and roll away | Ping pong for shared rooms |
| Outdoor use | Not recommended, humidity damages the felt | Weatherproof outdoor models available | Ping pong for patios and porches |
| Room design | Works as a furniture centerpiece | Sporty, streamlined look | Pool for a formal room |
| Solo play | Single-player practice games | Playback mode turns one half into a rebound wall | Ping pong for solo practice |
| Playing both games | Accepts a compatible ping pong conversion top | Cannot be converted to pool | Pool plus a conversion top |
Consider the Game and the Players:
Billiards and Ping Pong are both games that require skill and are equally great for players looking for a long-term hobby. You can play each casually or build your skills to compete with other passionate players. But ping pong and pool offer different experiences for the players, much like the difference between checkers and chess or golf and tennis.
Pool tends to be a longer, slower-paced game. The strategy involved includes learning the geometry needed to make more sophisticated shots. There’s a lot of downtime for players as their opponents consider their next moves. If you’re drawn to a slow, steady challenge and the thrill of executing an unlikely shot, then having a pool table in your home may be a wise investment.
Ping Pong is a faster-paced game. There is still strategy to learn and angles to master, but the decision-making tends to be quicker and all players are engaged for the entire game. Games are shorter, so if you have several people who will be spending time in your game room or if you are thinking of adding a table to your community space, the quick turnover is an advantage. Ping-Pong also tends to be more accessible to an inexperienced player and is a great game for kids to learn how to play. If you plan on using your game room to entertain guests, a ping-pong table may be your best choice.
Individual Play: Both pool tables and ping pong tables have single-player abilities. There are many single-player pool games that are designed to challenge you and build your skills at the same time. And many ping-pong tables come with Playback Ability, which means that one side folds up to allow you to practice your shots against a backboard.
Who plays most often usually settles the question. Pool rewards patience, position, and a long game. Ping pong keeps both players moving and turns the table over quickly for the next pair. Our Ping Pong Tables Buying Guide goes deeper on surface thickness, frames, and playback if you are leaning toward table tennis.
How Much Space Do Ping Pong and Pool Tables Need?
Table Sizes:Both pool and ping pong tables take up a good deal of space. In addition to the table itself, you must have enough room around the table for the players to maneuver. You can buy 7-foot, 8-foot, and 9-foot pool tables, and cues come in 48-, 52-, and 58-inch lengths. On average, your room should be 14 by 17 feet to accommodate a pool table. A standard ping pong table is 9 by 5 feet, and you typically need an extra 3-6 feet around all sides.
The average amount of space needed for a ping pong table is 11 by 19 feet.
Measure the playing area, not the table. A cue needs its full length behind the ball on every side, which is why the room requirement runs so much larger than the table itself.
Greater Southern’s Pool Table Buying Guide lists minimum room sizes of 16 by 13 feet for a 7-foot table, 17 by 14 feet for an 8-foot table, and 18 by 15 feet for a 9-foot table. Size down if your measurements land short.
Outdoor Spaces: If you are looking to furnish an outdoor game space, an outdoor ping pong table is your best choice. Even if your outdoor space is covered, dampness and humidity can still damage the felt on a pool table. There are many high-quality outdoor ping-pong tables that have a waterproof coating to prevent warping. Choose a table with adjustable legs to be certain that your table is level.
Buy a table built for the outdoors rather than moving an indoor one outside. Aluminum tops, powder-coated frames, and weather-resistant net systems are what keep an outdoor table flat and playable through a Georgia summer.
Which Table Fits Your Game Room Style?
Either table is going to be a focal point of your room. If the aesthetics of your game room are a priority, then a pool table might be the right choice for you. High-quality pool tables are truly works of art. They come in a variety of styles, and the sleek, modern tables are just as impressive as the ornate, traditional ones. You could truly design a show-stopping game room entirely around a magnificent table.
A ping-pong table is going to give your game room a sporty, edgy look in terms of design. They easily fit into existing décor with their simple and streamlined appearance. And, if either space or aesthetics is a concern, many ping pong table models come with wheels and fold for storage. If you would like to be able to use your space for different activities, then a ping-pong table that folds up and has wheels will provide you with that versatility.
Style also comes down to whether the room has one job. A pool table settles in as permanent furniture. A folding ping pong table rolls against the wall when the space needs to be a home gym, a party room, or somewhere to set up folding tables.
What a Pool Table and a Ping Pong Table Cost Over Time
Both games are an investment, and what you save on cheaper models does come at the expense of quality and affects gameplay. However, pool tables do tend to be more expensive than ping-pong tables. Accessories for pool tables are also a bit more expensive than ping-pong table accessories.
Price is only the first number. Slate, solid hardwood, worsted wool cloth, a heavy steel frame, and a thick playing surface decide whether a table still plays true in fifteen years or gets replaced in five.
Conversion Tops: There are high-quality conversion tops that will turn your pool table into a ping-pong table. These tops can be expensive but are designed for excellent gameplay. They fold easily for storage, and you can buy a caddy with wheels for your convenience. However, you won’t get the same features, such as playback ability for single-player games. If you are serious about having a pool table in your game room but also want the option to play ping-pong, a conversion top is the way to go. If you are partial to ping-pong, however, the cost of having both tables in your game room may not be worth it. If you do decide on a conversion top, make sure that it has felt backing to protect your pool table.
A pool table topper for ping pong is the practical answer when you want both games and only have floor space for one table. Match the topper to your table size, and check the underside for felt or padded backing before you set it down on the cloth.
How to Choose Between a Ping Pong Table and Pool Table
A ping pong and pool table comparison comes down to five questions. Work through them in order, because the first answer often rules out one of the two tables before preference ever enters the picture.
- Measure the playing area. Account for the table, players, cues, furniture, doors, and walkways.
- Decide who plays most. Adults, children, beginners, and a rotating group of guests each point to a different table.
- Pick the pace you want. Pool runs slow and positional. Ping pong runs fast and keeps everyone on their feet.
- Decide whether the room has one job. A folding table or a conversion top keeps the space usable for something else.
- Compare construction, not price tags. Playing surface, frame, stability, and the accessories you will need matter more than the sticker.
Bring your answers to either showroom, or book an in-home consultation and we will measure the room with you and mark the clearance out in tape before anything is ordered. You can also send us your room dimensions and we will tell you which tables fit.
Why Waiting Costs You More Than the Table
Most game rooms stall at the same point. The space is cleared, the budget is roughly set, and then the decision sits for a year while the room gets used for storage instead of recreation. The real cost of that delay is not the price of the table. It is the twelve months nobody spent in the room.
Timing has a practical side too. Floor stock goes home faster than a special order, and custom cloth colors, finishes, and sizes have to be built and shipped. Installation calendars tighten as the holidays get closer, and a slate table needs a scheduled crew rather than a free afternoon. If you want the table in place for a specific weekend, plan backward from that date instead of forward from today.
Deciding also gets easier once you are standing between the two tables rather than reading about them. Our delivery, installation, and service team can tell you what a room will realistically hold before you commit to either game.
Why Atlanta and Alpharetta Homeowners Buy From Greater Southern
The business traces back to the late 1920s and the founding of Franco Novelty Co. in Montgomery, Alabama. The company bought its way into Atlanta in 1964, moved to Smyrna in October 2001, and entered the retail home recreation market at that point. In 2006 the owners partnered with Morris and Leo Benatar and expanded again by acquiring Atlantic Billiards.
That history matters when you are choosing a table that will sit in your house for decades. Both showrooms keep pool tables and ping pong tables assembled and ready to play, so you can feel the difference between a slate bed and a folding top before you spend anything.
The support behind the sale is in-house rather than contracted out. Pool table service covers leveling, recovering, and moves. Cue services handle repairs and re-tipping. Promotional financing is available subject to credit approval, and the crews that deliver a table are the same ones who come back if it needs attention years later.
When to Bring in a Game Room Specialist
Call before you buy if any of these apply to your space:
- Your only route into the room is a basement stairwell, a tight turn, or a narrow doorway
- A slate pool table needs to be assembled, leveled, or moved
- Your current table has a slow roll, worn cloth, or loose pockets
- You are not sure whether an 8-foot table will leave enough cue clearance on every side
- You want the whole room planned at once, with seating, lighting, and a game table together
Slate is heavy and unforgiving, and a table that is not level will never play true. Our crews handle the delivery, the setup, and the leveling on site, and they will tell you if a doorway or a stairwell rules a table out before you order it. Call the Atlanta showroom at (404) 352-3088, or use the contact page to send photos of the access route along with your measurements.
Summary:
Ultimately, it’s important to invest in a game that you enjoy the most or that you have the most excitement about playing. Your game room should reflect your personality and passions so that it brings you joy.
| Choose a pool table if | Choose a ping pong table if |
|---|---|
| You enjoy the excitement that comes with planning your next move and slow-and-steady competition. | You enjoy the thrill of a highly energetic game. |
| You are interested in spending longer, quieter amounts of time in your game room. | A shorter game that would allow players to take turns easily is important to you. |
| You plan on entertaining others who are interested in learning billiards and building their skills. | You plan on entertaining guests who might be novice players. |
| A grand and sophisticated style is important to you. | A sporty, playful atmosphere appeals to you. |
| You eventually want to add ping pong as well and are interested in a conversion top. | Storage is necessary for your game space. |
Frequently Asked Questions About Ping Pong and Pool Tables
Which is more popular, ping pong or pool?
Pool has the longer history in dedicated game rooms, while ping pong has the wider household following because the games are short and children can play from a young age. Neither wins outright. The better question is which table your room can hold and which game the people in your house will actually play.
Does a pool table or a ping pong table last longer?
A well-built pool table lasts longer. A slate bed and a solid hardwood cabinet stay flat for decades and can be recovered rather than replaced. Ping pong tables wear out sooner, though a top at least three quarters of an inch thick on a heavy steel frame will outlast a thin entry-level table by years.
Do these tables need professional installation?
A slate pool table does, because the slate arrives in pieces and has to be seated, shimmed, and leveled across every seam before the cloth goes on. Most ping pong tables ship preassembled or close to it and roll into position on their own casters. Our team delivers and sets up both.
Can I put a pool table in a basement?
Yes, and a finished basement is a natural spot for one. Check the stairwell, the turns, and the doorway first, because access rules out more tables than floor space does. Damp air is the other thing to watch, since it is hard on cloth, which is one more reason to choose a slate bed over wood or composite down there.
What accessories should I budget for?
For pool, plan on a set of cues, a rack, chalk, a cover, and spectator chairs if people will be watching. For ping pong the list is shorter: paddles, balls, a spare net, and a cover if the table lives in a garage or on a patio. Accessories are usually where a pool table pulls further ahead on total cost.
Can I see both tables before I decide?
Yes. The Atlanta and Alpharetta showrooms keep pool tables and ping pong tables set up and playable, so you can shoot a rack and hit a few balls in the same visit. Bring your room dimensions and we will tell you what fits before you commit.
Find the Right Game Table for Your Space
Whether you’ve already made your choice or still need help deciding, let us help you find the right game table for you. Contact Greater Southern Game Room & Patio today at (678) 240-0007. You can also visit either showroom in Atlanta or Alpharetta and play both tables before you decide.
Last updated on September 23, 2026
