Atari's peculiar comeback in the console market was announced a while back. During that time the console's name changed from Ataribox to Atari VCS but we had yet to hear about a release date. In a press release today, Atari lifted the veil from some questions.

Pre-sales of its new Atari VCS hardware platform will start May 30, 2018. The pre-sale is exclusive to Indiegogo and features the time-limited Atari VCS Collector's Edition featuring the special retro-inspired wood-front:

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In addition to the Collector's Edition, fans will have the option to pre-order the Atari VCS Onyx, a sleek black version. Early-bird Atari VCS packages will be offered, including the Onyx starting at $199 USD for a limited period of time.

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Other packages will include the Classic Joystick and Modern Controller. Initial Atari VCS shipments are planned for Spring 2019. Fans who have signed up for "insider" email alerts at AtariVCS.com before May 24, 2018 will be eligible for special purchase incentives during the pre-sale.

The company also announced that it has partnered with AMD who will provide the Atari VCS custom processor with Radeon Graphics Technology.

Other features of the console announced include:

• Support for 4K resolution, HDR and 60FPS content
• Onboard and expandable storage options
• Dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0
• USB 3.0 support

A complete list of Atari VCS product specs will be posted with the pre-sale according to the press release.

Rather than being used solely for gaming, the Atari VCS aims to be a multimedia hub with access to other media and streaming options.

As an homage to the past, Atari VCS will cover the classics with the included Atari Vault of more than 100 classic games, including all-time arcade and home entertainment favorites like Asteroids, Centipede, Breakout, Missile Command, Gravitar and Yars' Revenge; a growing list of games, especially a full range of popular modern titles, will be announced at later dates.

"We continue moving forward on the Atari VCS project and are excited to see this pre-sale kickoff and to share more updates with our fans as we look toward the first shipments," notes Michael Arzt, Atari COO of Connected Devices. "We are building outstanding teams and forging alliances that will make this product great and truly worthy of the Atari VCS name. Expert hardware partners are helping make this project possible and we couldn't be more pleased with their contributions."

Do you think that there is a place for a fourth competitor in the gaming console market or does this feel like OUYA 2.0? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

SOURCE
Atari VCS Indiegogo Campaign Page

 

[ToonGoomba]

Sega: Dang...I guess Seg-ain't gonna sit back and watch what Atar-is doing. I need to act fast and make a more modern console. *Genesis mini comes out*

 

[Leobgood]

This is very fake news.

 

[pedro702]

could be possible i think even a last gen apu would problaly be enough

Not really fan made emulators take alot of recources for ps2 so yeah to play ps2 emulated games you need something more powerful than the switch by a decent margin, ps2 emus are preety demanding sadly specialy on cpu side, if this thing doesnt have a cpu with 2.4+ ghz per core its not gonna emulate ps2 for shit.

srs just look online the specs for ps2 emulation are preety damn high since ps2 emus are not optimized or well developed, your best bet to run all ps2 games full speed is a phat ps3 hacked and its preety damn cheap nowadays, i doubt atari is gonna put a major cpu since not even ps4 has such high clock cpu and gpu is preety neglictible for emulation.

there is a reason why retroarch doesnt even have a ps2 core.

 

[Deleted-355425]

I will wait it out and pick one up in a charity shop lol, jk... id like one but its not jumping out at me im afraid.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

This is very fake news.

What?...

 

[wiewiec]

Without full specs or even the list of "modern" games it is not really interesting for preorder this one day one. I will wait since they only showed this

 

[the_randomizer]

Without full specs or even the list of "modern" games it is not really interesting for preorder this one day one. I will wait since they only showed this

It's hilariously pathetic that, out of all the games they showed, they had to show Centipede? Really? Wow, such powerful hardware.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

It's hilariously pathetic that, out of all the games they showed, they had to show Centipede? Really? Wow, such powerful hardware.

That's not Centipede, it looks like a 16 bit style remaster of Jungle Hunt or something

 

[the_randomizer]

That's not Centipede, it looks like a 16 bit style remaster of Jungle Hunt or something

I meant in another commercial/ad. Still, 16-bit games are not a good way to showcase what's supposed to be a powerful console. Anything can run a 16-bit game.

 

[dpad_5678]

It's hilariously pathetic that, out of all the games they showed, they had to show Centipede? Really? Wow, such powerful hardware.

That's not Centipede, it looks like a 16 bit style remaster of Jungle Hunt or something

Am I the only one that sees Terraria?

 

[chirogan]

The idea is very nice. But it will Flop unless:

1. They Release the information about the upcoming console.
2. Increase the hype by releasing an Official product Trailer like what they did on the Switch/ Ps4
3. Create a triple A game and Bundle it with the Initial Release. (With a Single physical Release as well of course)
4. Advertise the exclusive AAA game really well.
5. Sell the old Virtual Console games at fair price / Cheap price.
6. And dont be a greedy a** in their comeback.

 

[pedro702]

The idea is very nice. But it will Flop unless:

1. They Release the information about the upcoming console.
2. Increase the hype by releasing an Official product Trailer like what they did on the Switch/ Ps4
3. Create a triple A game and Bundle it with the Initial Release. (With a Single physical Release as well of course)
4. Advertise the exclusive AAA game really well.
5. Sell the old Virtual Console games at fair price / Cheap price.
6. And dont be a greedy a** in their comeback.

there console does not read phisical games or any media so i wonder who will make an AAA game that is digital only and advertising what a new game is out download it now on atari shop?

 

[the_randomizer]

Am I the only one that sees Terraria?

On an Atari console...?

 

[VitaType]

On an Atari console...?

I think it indeed would be odd if they promote with indies instead of nostalgia such early on, yet Terraria as one of the "modern games" on a Atari console could be possible.
Terraria is on pretty much everything that was around and a current used device since its launch. Its on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, Windows Phone, Android, Apple iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, OS X, Linux, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii U. Ouya is covered by Android, just Pandora arguable is missing (Terraria for Windows came out in 2011 and the Pandora in 2010, yet the first ports from Windows to other platforms only begun in 2013)

Ohhhhh. I haven't a good feeling for the "modern games" claim on this system now

 

[dpad_5678]

On an Atari console...?

Look at the picture. The game looks EXACTLY like Terraria.

 

[VinsCool]

Look at the picture. The game looks EXACTLY like Terraria.

I guess this could confirm the theory of it being a Steam box of some kind.
If a game like Teraria runs on it, pretty much any indie games will.

 

[pedro702]

I guess this could confirm the theory of it being a Steam box of some kind.
If a game like Teraria runs on it, pretty much any indie games will.

they said its open linux OS so yeah any game that has very low specs and has a linux port should run, terraria is not a demanding game considering it even has a 3ds port lol.

 

[the_randomizer]

Look at the picture. The game looks EXACTLY like Terraria.

Are people supposed to be impressed that an Atari overpriced console can play Terraria? Even the Wii U could run it. I hardly see this as good marketing.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

Am I the only one that sees Terraria?

Yeah that's definitely what it now that I'm looking at it lol. I had Atari on the mind and haven't played Terraria yet

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Are people supposed to be impressed that an Atari overpriced console can play Terraria? Even the Wii U could run it. I hardly see this as good marketing.

Does it need to be be more powerful than the Wii U, though, if they're marketing it as a multimedia home theater device?

 

[the_randomizer]

Yeah that's definitely what it now that I'm looking at it lol. I had Atari on the mind and haven't played Terraria yet

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Does it need to be be more powerful than the Wii U, though, if they're marketing it as a multimedia home theater device?

I'd be all for that if they marketed it better other than using a game that's hardly demanding on the hardware. Show more than just these games, is that too much to ask?