The Humble Atari is on the Comeback Trail
In the midst of the angst of our usual binary console wars, a tiny yet curious smoke bomb has exploded on the periphery in the announcement of the Atari VCS. And just to be even more interesting, the “Video Computer System” seems to be quite literal.
The Atari VCS is apparently a console and PC hybrid system. The look is obviously inspired from classic Atari systems, but underneath is an AMD Ryzen R1606G processor with Radeon “Vega” graphics technology, allowing for reasonable HD gaming and streaming in PC Mode (where you can also choose to install whatever operating system you wish!)
The console also comes with 100 classic Atari games to boot, and the option to subscribe to Antstream Arcade where you have access to enhanced versions of classic games and a larger library of Atari titles on demand.
As of today, Australian customers can pre-order the Atari VCS and accessories through EB Games, JB Hifi, Catch, The Gamesmen, and www.atarivcs.com.au (for the eye-watering price of $699 with no controllers – Ed). The console is available as a black standalone box or a walnut-finished base bundled with a Atari Bluetooth classic joystick and Atari modern controller. The console is currently listed with a “sometime in 2020” release date at this stage.
