Atari VCS Game Console Finally Launches June 15 (hothardware.com) 45
After being announced in 2017, the Atari VCS game console finally has a launch date: June 15th. HotHardware reports: However, pricing for the Atari VCS might leave many scratching their heads, especially considering that it is retro-centric and uses seriously underpowered hardware compared to modern gaming consoles from Sony and Microsoft. The base Onyx system is priced at $299, while an Onyx or Black Walnut All-in Bundle includes a wireless Classic Joystick and a wireless Modern Controller. Unfortunately, that bundle will set you back an eye-popping $399.
The Atari VCS [...] uses a rather pokey AMD Ryzen R1606G embedded APU. [...] However, Atari says that the VCS can also function as a full-fledged PC. You can even install Windows 10 or Linux on it, turning it into a versatile multimedia computer. The hardware is reportedly capable of running 4K videos and includes a built-in "Vault" containing 100 retro Atari 2600 and arcade games. That's all well and good for those with a penchant for retro gaming, but remember that we're talking about games that debuted roughly 40 years ago. That nostalgia could run a bit thin when you're talking about a device that costs $299 and up. Atari says over 11,000 of its original Indiegogo campaign backers have already received their consoles. Everyone else will have to purchase directly from Atari or a third party.
The Atari VCS [...] uses a rather pokey AMD Ryzen R1606G embedded APU. [...] However, Atari says that the VCS can also function as a full-fledged PC. You can even install Windows 10 or Linux on it, turning it into a versatile multimedia computer. The hardware is reportedly capable of running 4K videos and includes a built-in "Vault" containing 100 retro Atari 2600 and arcade games. That's all well and good for those with a penchant for retro gaming, but remember that we're talking about games that debuted roughly 40 years ago. That nostalgia could run a bit thin when you're talking about a device that costs $299 and up. Atari says over 11,000 of its original Indiegogo campaign backers have already received their consoles. Everyone else will have to purchase directly from Atari or a third party.
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When I was a kid I dreamed of playing Atari on the loo!
You modern punks with your smart phones are so spoiled!
"Seriously underpowered hardware" is not the issue (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:"Seriously underpowered hardware" is not the is (Score:5, Informative)
I have been using it for months (indiegogo). The Atari classic joystick is strange and a little cheap feeling but useful for both stick and paddle games. The system itself is nicely built and worked as soon as I turned it on. The menus are pretty easy to navigate. But ultimately without content it's going to be limited. It luckily makes it easy to dual-boot to any Linux distro you feel like installing, so RetroArch is always an option though that route. Given that other third-party controllers work fine on it, and an Xbox or PS4 controller is better quality than the modern gamepad they offer, the premium bundle hardly seems worth the price.
I think Atari VCS no worse of a choice than something like Nvidia's Shield TV. More expensive, similar capabilities, but a bit more hack-able out of the box. I'd be curious if I could get some Steam games like Divinity Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity, or Skyrim running acceptably on it (I'll take 1080p, I don't expect 4K for older games on low-end hardawre)
Re:"Seriously underpowered hardware" is not the is (Score:4, Informative)
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Out of curiosity, would one of the games "that weren't really playable before" be the Tron arcade machine on MAME? I've never found a satisfactory setup to play it.
Also, have you played Star Raiders on it, and how does that work without the little tablet controller?
Directed to LKM, but answers from anyone are very welcome.
Or just buy a Raspberry Pi for 1/5th the price (Score:2)
And do the exact same thing.
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And do the exact same thing.
I'm with you, at 399$ it's a bit steep. It looks like tehy are pushing the PC aprt to justify the price.Beyond the Raspberry Pi the price point for retro VCS seems to be around $60 retail and $100 when the game goes OOS.
I had an Atari VCS (Sears branded) and the games were fun. They may seem crude by today's standards but the gameplay is still there. Games like Combat are a lot of fun, and teh low re graphics add a feel to the game that is different, but not worse or better, than today's games.
The joyst
Linux, Bah! (Score:2)
This thing shouldn't be booting into linux, but CP/M . . .
and where do I
and where does the cartridge plug in on this thing, anyway?
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There are some RPi distros that boot into CP/M [daleske.de] (with the most excellent Ultibo) or C64 [accentual.com] or Apple II emulators if that's your thing.
If you really want cartridge then perhaps some papercraft is in order. Although I'd much rather go with an IMSAI 8080 [rockybergen.com] than an Atari VCS.
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more like soldering: the video cable is loose on my 2600, leaving dim shadowy video. But it reads and runs them just fine.
Someday I'll deal with an emulator to play appletrek one more time--but I need one with the purple tint from before the rev 7 motherboard to get the nostalgia right.
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I think a multicart of your favorite games might be the way to go if you have working 2600 hardware, and maybe some wireless controllers. Maximize convenience while still retaining the original functioning museum piece.
It's what I ended up doing to years ago to my NES. I put a USB debugger on it. Saved the 22 games from my childhood collection and put the actual cartridges in storage, running them off a CompactFlash based multicart.
Re:"Seriously overpowered hardware" - FTFY (Score:2)
I find it serious overpowered as a retro emulation console since you can get the same thing from a Raspberry Pi running RetroPi.
Sure it's no PS5 or Xbox Series X, but I also wouldn't call a Zen CPU/Vega GPU a "pokey" desktop either.
Seems to me it may be a good deal as a SFF desktop for $299.
But can it play Crysis? (Score:1)
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Re: But can it play Crysis? (Score:1)
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Nintendo Switch can play Crysis, so I wouldnâ(TM)t bother with the VCS. I like how some sites call the company âoethe shambling corpse wearing the skin of Atari.â
Isn't this the case for any company we grew up with in the 80s? Most of the people who made these companies great aren't at these companies anymore, or have very different roles now. Gunpei Yokoi didn't design the Switch, but people still see a through line from the Game Boy to the Switch. I think in general, it's a good idea to be skeptical about how much companies really mean, and judge them by their current products, rather than their history.
And by that measure, current Atari's VCS isn't that bad a pr
It's Priced for Its Market (Score:5, Insightful)
We're talking about a device designed to evoke nostalgia in an age group that tends to have a lot more disposable income. Nobody really thinks a little kid or a teenager is going to want to play Pong or Pitfall, do they?
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Thank you. People with nostalgia for that are in their high earning years.
I'd also like to note $299 was pretty close to the original price back in the 70s, over $1300 today.
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I'd also like to note $299 was pretty close to the original price back in the 70s, over $1300 today.
Hmm, I recall it was $140 at our Sears in the US Midwest, in the late 1970s. (Maybe the Sears' version was cheaper?)
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No, of course not. Those kids wouldn't dare be caught buying something that cheap. They're too busy buying $500 gaming consoles, $60 games, $20 quarterly add-on packs, and then talking to their buddies on $100 headphones while sharing their conquests on social media using $600 smartphones.
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We're talking about a device designed to evoke nostalgia in an age group that tends to have a lot more disposable income.
Yea, nostalgia is a powerful selling point; but I wonder what the demographics are for purchasers of the ~50$ all in one retro consoles are.
Nobody really thinks a little kid or a teenager is going to want to play Pong or Pitfall, do they?
Granted, the initial reaction may be Huh? but if they try it they may find the different experience enjoyable. We have a retro arcade / bar opening near us and unless they attract more than the nostalgia demographic they will be in trouble; especially since that age group probably has a lot less free time for going out to play games regularly. They need the 21 - early
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Considering they already made a few million off of this, it does look like a decent cash grab for people with a lot of disposable income. Ultimately you would expect Atari to be able to provide the same experience in a $50-$100 device the size of a TV stick, along with a $50 controller. Perhaps they will try to make a bit more money with a device like that after they have separated enough upper middle class buyers from their money.
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Nobody really thinks a little kid or a teenager is going to want to play Pong or Pitfall, do they?
You'd be surprised. Many would enjoy those.
That said, not on a $300 device they buy themselves ...
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Just imagine some poor kid that gets this "new game console" as a present from grandma.
$299 and $399 (Score:4, Insightful)
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Get yourself a MiSTer FGPA. Run all the 2600 stuff, plus dozens of other legacy systems without lagging issues from CPU-based emulation. It will still cost less than this Atari console.
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Dunno how I hadn't heard of this, but appreciate the heads up on it.
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Uh ... no. I had an Atari when I was a kid back in 1979. Would love to relive the experience on dedicated hardware but the prices are just insane. Emulators will do for now.
Price. Made me wonder what the original Atari 2600 went for back in the day. I found that detail:
US$199 (equivalent to $849.88 in 2020)
Seems the new model, is basically a bargain. Funny how we don't think that way.
Oh, and I also found a "low serial number" original 2600 on eBay going for the paltry sum of $1,500...ah, the price of being a kid again.
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Not a loss leader (Score:2)
Price may be ok when you consider that, unlike Sony and Microsoft, I presume they aren't making money off games. If that's true, you can save money in the long run if you're a gamer.
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You'd save money because there will be no games to buy? :p
Games aren't cheaper on the PC even when purchased directly from a publisher's "store". I doubt they'd be cheaper on this device, especially due to the relatively small audience.
The Atari skin suit (Score:5, Insightful)
Remember, when you hear Atari, read it as "a company that bought Atari's skin as a suit to wear" (and probably paid too much for it).
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Oh. You mean, NOT the company that cancelled one of the coolest contests ever because the owner wanted to keep the prizes for himself? NOT the company that went under because they blew their money on coke rather than trying to stay competitive with up and comer Nintendo?
Atari was rad, but I think it might be for the best that this isn't that.
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All the more worrying that someone wants to pretend they're them.
Overpriced? Look around. (Score:2)
That nostalgia could run a bit thin when you're talking about a device that costs $299 and up.
People pay HOW much for a smartphone they're going to throw in the garbage in 2-3 years? Ever seen what limited edition basketball shoes can run for?
On top of that, they're offering full support for installing a full modern OS on the hardware as well. How's that going in the PS5 world? Oh that's right, you can't even play a PS3 game on that $500 console.
(Wait, did I say $500? Yeah, that must have been 2020 "in stock" pre-chip-pandemic prices. Seems the going price is over $1000 now. What a bargain.)
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I suspect most people who would want to buy this just want to play old games, already HAVE at least one computer that they run a "full modern OS" on and have no need to have the device they play old games on do anything other than play old games.
Such a device should be about the size of a FireStick, plug into the HDMI port and make use of game controllers already on the market. Sell a "classic joystick" for another $50 for people who want one - and be done with it.
Distinctly underwhelming (Score:2)
wait 'till one is on ebay for $30... (Score:2)
Things never change. (Score:2)
$399 for a console that play 2600 games? The terrible corporate decision making is the biggest throwback of this whole article. Even all these years later Atari gonna Atari.
What developers and publishers have signed on? (Score:2)
I kept looking for upcoming games ever since this was announced and they've had a long time to build partnerships but I can't seem to find anything.
Atari Crypto Token (Score:2)
Is the ATRI crypto token going to have any involvement in this?
This seems like a hilariously overpriced console. Atari should have learned a lesson from Ouya.
https://www.coingecko.com/en/c... [coingecko.com]
Very Punny (Score:2)
"uses a rather pokey AMD Ryzen R1606G"
POKEY
I see what you did there.
Now I wonder if you did.
God, I'm old.