Going the same way as the Vega+ - namely vapourware by the looks of things.
Was this one âAll the old gamesâ in the vein of the NES Classic and similar, or one of the ones promising to be a modern-ish game console, too?
I feel like the ânostalgiaâ aspect of Atari games could wear thin quickly if thatâs the draw. Plus needing the computing power offered by probably some smart chargers to replicate games with impressive fidelity if thereâs not a lot of internet connectivity jammed on.
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Reading between the lines it seems they promised that you could play your old stuff plus modern stuff on the one console.
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I feel like for modern stuff you need a massive pool of resources to make a console. Even the Ouya, which was kind of a neat idea even if I donât regret not buying one, was kind of smart to avoid trying to be âhigh endâ at all and basically to target âphone gameâ style casual gaming as itâs core thing.
To make a cutting-edge console, even one thatâs basically a gaming PC in a locked configuration running a custom OS, youâve got to go from âpartsâ (CPU, GPU, etc.) to manufacturing as quick as possible. Howe many times has this Atari project probably tossed their design if theyâve been working this long.
(I think thatâs part of what happened with the infamous Duke Nukem delay. Didnât they basically restart development 2-3 times because they switched engines due to the engine aging?)
In case anyone suspected this of being merely a bump in the road:
Now thatâs a big mess for sure.
Apparently it was only mostly dead:
Atari VCS Will Offer Streaming Service Plex Following Game Consoleâs November Launch
Monty Pythonâs parrot has more life than thisâŚ
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This turned out to be a legitimate product. It got delayed a bit further due to COVID, but it launched last summer. It is pricy, starting at $300 for just the unit and $60 each for the classic 8-way joystick controller (CX40 style joystick) or the modern controller with ABXY buttons, analog stick and a D-pad. Both are wireless and you can get one of each in a bundle with the base system for $400.
But, you get a lot for that money. Website is at atarivcs.com.
- AMD Raven Ridge 2 (RG1606G) APU (Zen CPU and Vega 3 GPU)
- Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0 and four USB 3.1 ports, with two of those on the front
- 32GB eMMC internal storage
- Internal M.2 slot for SATA SSD drives. Has to have the B and M key on the connector, so NVMe is not compatible. Maximum physical size appears to be 2280 M.2 drives, with two other mounting points for shorter drives (possibly 2260 and 2242). Mount and screw not included.
- External storage via the USB ports.
- Cloud storage if you want to pay that subscription fee every month.
- 8GB RAM via two 4GB DDR4-2400 (or 2666) SODIMM RAM in standard slots. User upgradeable to a max of 32GB. Must be upgraded in pairs, so thatâs two 16GB SODIMMs.
- 802.11 b/g/n 2.4/5GHz wireless, Bluetooth 4.0
- 4K resolution (more on this below)
- Smartphone integration for remote mouse and keyboard control. You need both for some things, which could supplement plugging a physical keyboard and mouse into the back of the unit.
- Wireless joystick includes paddle/steering twist function for driving games, Pong, Breakout, etc, a side B button, LED lighting and rumble functions. Thereâs also a button to toggle into PC compatibility mode.
- Both controllers are rechargeable instead of using separate batteries and you can use them with the USB cables.
- Choice of black walnut (using real wood) or black plastic faceplate for the unit. Small detail, but at least they offer it, so you can match the original Atari VCS case or the Atari 2600 case. (In development, they made a clear plastic case.)
- Note: Controllers have updates separate from the unit.
Atari Mode:
- Atari Mode (aka âVCS Operating Systemâ) is a customized Debian distro of Linux.
- Atari Vault with 100 Atari VCS and Atari arcade games, optimized to work with both controllers.
- Video effects like adding scanlines to the display and whether to keep or remove the flicker inherent in the original hardware limitations.
- Apps for streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Hulu, Paramount+, Facebook, Twitter, ESPN+, FuboTV, Showtime, Twitch, Plex, Redbox, Apple TV+, Spotify, Pandora, and Sirius XM.
Gaming services:
- Atari Vault 2 for $5 offers 50 arcade, Atari 5200 and homebrew games
- Recharged versions of Centipede, Black Widow, Missle Command that enhance gameplay
- Quite a few from the Atari 7800, and indie and retro games.
- Antstream Arcade, Stadia, Xbox Cloud Streaming, Luna, GeForce Now and AirConsole
PC Mode:
- Built-in Google Chrome and Google Workspace for web access and productivity.
- Install the OS you want, such as Windows 10, Ubuntu Linux, Steam OS and ChromeOS. Will require a physical mouse and keyboard.
Usability:
- You can select between 1080p and 4K resolution. Reviews are saying 1080p is better for games and 4K is for streaming video. But even then, you will have better results streaming at 1080p, with less CPU fan usage and less lag.
- Anything thatâs plugged into a USB port is checked on boot-up to see if an OS is present. The M.2 slot doesnât have that priority. Itâs for storage space.
- Windows 10 may try to format the M.2 SSD, so watch out for that.
My take:
The primary purpose will be to play old Atari games and you get the benefit of it could be a decent computer. It wouldnât be a heavy-duty gaming computer, but I can see it doing okay. It might be fun to take this on a trip instead of a Chromebook or other laptop. Youâll have to have at least bring a mouse and keyboard with you.
Cost was a negative point in the reviews. It needs to come down, but with the global chip shortage and likely limited target audience, that may not happen.
I have a TV from 2015 that doesnât have the ability to be upgraded with apps like Disney+. Watching Disney+ through my Comcast account works, but getting finding anything is tedious. It takes one minute for the app menu to launch, another minute for Disney+ to launch, and then itâs a game of fighting with the remote because the scrolling tends to overshoot. Press an arrow button, wait, wait, wait, okay it finally reacted. Hey! I only pressed the button once. Why did it move over two or three spots? Back up. No, thatâs too far. Try again. Lather, rinse repeat.
Itâs the Comcast interface that makes it not enjoyable. In contrast, on my computer, launching Disney+ takes ten seconds, I can scroll up or down with the mouse, and thereâs no mis-detection of where Iâm trying to go.
So, the Atari VCS is one way of getting modern streaming apps on a TV that doesnât support them. Itâs just not something I can afford right now, especially when my likelihood of playing games on it is very slim. I have hundreds of games that I bought over the years that I still have and theyâre in storage.
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This looks freaking cool but I donât want to pay 400 bucks for the bundle.
You can get USB 3" arcade trackballs for about $40, but they donât include control buttons. If the Atari VCS supports external controllers, that would make Crystal Castles, Marble Madness and Missile Command even better on it. Could you just put the joystick controller next to that and use its fire button?
Centipede too.
And Millipede. How many of Atariâs games used a trackball?
Even though the wireless joystick has a rotation function built into the stick, it wonât be durable enough to handle a game like Tempest. A paddle controller is the only way to play that one without risking breaking a $60 accessory. It offers an easier range of fast motion because you can use all five fingers or even the side of your hand. With the joystick, you have to grip it with two or three fingers and that constricts how quickly you can rotate it.
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