Monday, July 6th 2020

Atari VCS Console Finally Set To Release in Fall 2020 for $389.99 USD

Jul 6th, 2020 00:35 Discuss (38 Comments)

The Atari VCS was first announced over two years ago in 2018 but has since suffered numerous delays. It looks like there may be light at the end of the tunnel for the Atari VCS 800 with the console now available for pre-order from Atari, GameStop, or Walmart. The console is only available as part of a bundle including the console itself, Wireless Classic Joystick, a Modern Controller, and free copy of Atari Vault of 100 classic arcade and console games. The bundle is priced at 389.99 USD and is expected to ship by the 2020 holiday season.

The console features a custom AMD Raven Ridge APU with Vega 3 graphics, paired with 8 GB DDR4 ram, and 32 GB eMMC internal flash storage. The device runs a custom Linux OS but also supports Linux, Windows, Steam OS, or Chrome OS if booting from an external drive. Connectivity consists of 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 while I/O includes a single HDMI 2.0 port, gigabit Ethernet port, and quad USB 3.1 connectors. A lower-powered Atari VCS 400 system is also planned with half the ram at 4 GB and is expected to sell for 249.99 USD.

Source: Atari

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38 Comments on Atari VCS Console Finally Set To Release in Fall 2020 for $389.99 USD

#26

danbert2000

If it came with a Vega 8 then you could conceivably play modern games at lowest settings and 720p. But with a Vega 3 and some ridiculous "new" game store, this thing is going to be OUYA 2. Who would spend nearly $400 on this when the new consoles will be just 25% more expensive but likely 2000% faster? And both consoles will have actual games to play, good games.

This could have made some sense at $200, but at this price point it's niche and therefore doomed to die a slow, unsupported death.

#27

Rahnak

Wow, Atari made some really poor decisions here. It‘s way too expensive and the launch date couldn’t have been worse. I wish them good luck but sadly I predict a major flop.

#28

silentbogo

lexluthermiesterWow, just wow. Many of you seem to feel about Atari the way I feel about Microsoft. The only thing is, Microsoft deserves disdain, Atari doesn't..

This Atari is not Atari. Just a few dudes dragging Atari name through dirt and mud just to squeeze some more cash out of it. There's nothing left of it, not even decency and self-respect. That's why all the hate.

As one journalist accurately described it:

"Atari" is the remains of Infogrames, a French software house that bought what was already a zombie brand in 2009 and at this point appears to comprise of three lawyers and a licensing agreement taped to a photocopier.

They still haven't returned money for Gameband Kickstarter fiasco, had to settle with Feargal Mac for breach of contract etc. etc. etc.
And it's going to be even worse - Rob Wyatt still waits for his compensation, and Atari didn't show up for a hearing (which now also includes defamation, and financial damages to Tin Giant because of that).

#29

kapone32

silentbogoThis Atari is not Atari. Just a few dudes dragging Atari name through dirt and mud just to squeeze some more cash out of it. There's nothing left of it, not even decency and self-respect. That's why all the hate.

As one journalist accurately described it:

They still haven't returned money for Gameband Kickstarter fiasco, had to settle with Feargal Mac for breach of contract etc. etc. etc.
And it's going to be even worse - Rob Wyatt still waits for his compensation, and Atari didn't show up for a hearing (which now also includes defamation, and financial damages to Tin Giant because of that).

Indeed it smelled fishy to me when I saw the price. For $389 US you could build a system with a 3000G and RX570 that would make this look like what it really iis.

#30

tomc100

I still have my Atari 2600 with a whole collection of games that I will sell for less than $100.

#31

lexluthermiester

silentbogoThis Atari is not Atari. Just a few dudes dragging Atari name through dirt and mud just to squeeze some more cash out of it. There's nothing left of it, not even decency and self-respect. That's why all the hate.

As one journalist accurately described it:

They still haven't returned money for Gameband Kickstarter fiasco, had to settle with Feargal Mac for breach of contract etc. etc. etc.
And it's going to be even worse - Rob Wyatt still waits for his compensation, and Atari didn't show up for a hearing (which now also includes defamation, and financial damages to Tin Giant because of that).

All I'm reading there is "blah blah blah". Every company has made mistakes and most are in the middle of some legal battle or another. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are each currently involved in over a dozen each. So your point really isn't one.

#32

xorbe

XBox makes the money on games. This Atari thing has to make money on the first sale package. You can't compare pricing like that. Unless you buy an XBox and no games. My complaint would be the lack of DisplayPort.

#33

lexluthermiester

xorbeMy complaint would be the lack of DisplayPort.

Most consumer TV's don't have DisplayPort, thus the choice for HDMI which all TV's for the last 13 years have.

#34

silentbogo

lexluthermiesterEvery company has made mistakes and most are in the middle of some legal battle or another.

I'm not sure if nostalgia makes you blind, or when you hear codeword Atari it switches your brain to "naive-mode"....
Every legit company makes good/semidecent stuff and occasionally makes bad decisions, which may or may not result in litigation (that includes Microsoft, which you seem to despise).
Since 2013 all Atari does is crap(mobile games, half-assed reboots outsourced to the cheapest bidder), shady stuff (online casinos, crypto, ICOs, money laundering) and outright scam (gameband and potentially VCS). Since 2013 they haven't produced anything tangible to compensate for all the bad stuff. Their only income is from licensing old IP and milking RCT.
Also normal companies usually get sued by other people or other companies, while in case of Atari it's former employees and former partners, which is a big red flag for a publicly traded company. It's definitely reflected in their stock, which is now lower than pre-VCS campaign and slowly but surely heads to its 2013 level.

#35

lexluthermiester

silentbogoI'm not sure if nostalgia makes you blind

Nope, I'm not even a fan of Atari. However, I have zero tolerance for overt, meritless and unqualified negativity, such as the nonsense displayed in this and nearly every thread/article discussing this new system. It amounts to a lot of self-important trolls tearing something down because they're butt-hurt over some imagined slight.

#36

silentbogo

lexluthermiesterI have zero tolerance for overt, meritless and unqualified negativity

Ok. I tried to keep it as factual as I can, thrown as many numbers as I could... If that's not enough to convince you, then I'll just leave you be with your unconditional belief in fairy tales, unicorns, and happy nerds getting VCS for Christmas.

#37

R0H1T

This would've been interesting had it released with something like the 4xxx zen2 based APU, even the lower end ones. Right now it's 2 years too late & likely just too slow for anything else but casual gaming.

#38

lexluthermiester

silentbogoOk. I tried to keep it as factual as I can, thrown as many numbers as I could...

No, what you did is called spin-doctoring.

silentbogoIf that's not enough to convince you

It is not.

silentbogothen I'll just leave you be with your unconditional belief in fairy tales, unicorns, and happy nerds getting VCS for Christmas.

Aww... That was adorable and illustrates my above point rather succinctly. You have no vested interest in the success or failure of such a system and yet here you are expressing criticism and negativity over a product that has not even had so much as a review. This demonstrates a very clear bias on your part and the part of anyone expressing a similar opinion. Very bad showing from you, old bean.

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Atari VCS Console Finally Set To Release in Fall 2020 for $389.99 USD

38 Comments on Atari VCS Console Finally Set To Release in Fall 2020 for $389.99 USD

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