Atari VCS Launches Next Week
The strangest little console the world has ever seen is about to launch in Australia. The Atari VCS, designed to be a hybrid console/multimedia PC is coming to retailers across the country on the 10th of June. This odd fellow is designed to appeal to old folks like myself who were around when the Atari 2600 was the ducks nuts and the bee’s knees of home entertainment systems, with its classic 80s wood panel finish and inbuilt library of pixellated classics key features in its sales pitch.
But it is more than a fancy emulation machine. The system can be used as a multimedia PC, supporting Chrome, Linux and Windows operating systems, making its appeal much broader with the option to stream movies and games to your TV from your home PC. As it supports the full Chrome browser, it will more than likely support future gaming services like Gamepass’s Xcloud.
“We’re so excited to bring this reimagined ‘80s icon back in a completely modern way to everyone’s living rooms with the Atari VCS,” said Bluemouth Co-Founder and Managing Director David Provan in a recent press release. “The system brings a hit of nostalgia to fans with its classic arcade titles, but also complete versatility to play newer games and stream all in the same place.”
The system releases at the Aussie price of $849 and you can get the full list of features, straight from the press blast below.
The Atari VCS offers something for every gamer, starting with over a dozen titles from popular independent game developers — including Boulder Dash Deluxe, Danger Scavenger, Guntech, Jetboard Joust, Sir Lovelot, Something Ate My Alien, Tailgunner, Atari’s Missile Command: Recharged, and more — with new titles to launch on the Atari VCS store through the year. The Atari VCS also comes preinstalled with the Atari VCS Vault, an exclusive collection of over 100 arcade and Atari 2600 classics, fully optimised for use with the Wireless Classic Joystick, with its rumble and LED light effects that give retro favourites new life.
To coincide with the launch of Atari in Australia and New Zealand, Antstream Arcade is launching for Australian gamers, giving players access to a massive library of classic arcade games. Dubbed as the Netflix of retro games, Antstream opens up a catalogue of over a thousand carefully curated games to choose from, providing Atari users in Australia an expansive gaming experience. Antstream is currently live in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane[1].
The Atari VCS includes Chrome as its built-in browser, allowing full access to Google’s Workspace apps for productivity use such as checking emails and social media, catching up on work, or streaming content. The Atari VCS’s unique PC Mode is compatible with Linux, Windows and Chrome OS operating systems, among others, making the system a versatile two-in-one device. The Atari VCS is compatible with most PC peripherals including keyboards, mice and game controllers to create a flexible home game system.
The Atari VCS PC/console hybrid is designed as a multimedia PC and home game system to delight a whole new generation of gamers and creators. The Atari VCS is powered by an AMD Raven Ridge 2 APU and Ryzen GPU and comes equipped with 8GB DDR4 RAM and a 32GB hard drive with the option to customise and upgrade both RAM and storage. Atari VCS All-In system bundles also include a Wireless Classic Joystick and the all-new Wireless Modern Controller designed for both retro gameplay and the latest PC game titles.