The Atari VCS is a home video game console made by Atari VCS, LLC, a company connected to Atari, Inc., which is part of the Atari SA group. It is part of the ninth generation of video game consoles, along with Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S, Sony’s PlayStation 5, and Nintendo’s Switch 2. The console’s design is inspired by the Atari 2600, but it plays modern games and streaming videos through AtariOS, a system based on Linux that lets users download and install games compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11. The console shares its name with the original Atari Video Computer System, released in 1977 and later renamed Atari 2600 in 1982.

The system was first introduced as Ataribox in June 2017 and partially funded by supporters starting in May 2018. After delays, it was expected to be released in March 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early units were sent to supporters in December 2020, and the console officially launched in June 2021 in Australia, New Zealand, and North America. At first, it was only available in the United States, but by October 2021, it was also sold in Canada. The VCS has not been released in Europe, Africa, or Asia. In March 2023, Atari announced it would release 100 special-edition consoles that had been kept in reserve.

History

Atari Corporation stopped making hardware around 1996, shortly after it released the Atari Jaguar video game console. The company was closed down in 1998, and Hasbro Interactive bought the brand's intellectual property. In 2001, Infogrames Entertainment SA purchased Hasbro Interactive. Later, Infogrames changed its name to Atari SA, and the Hasbro Interactive division became Atari Interactive. Atari Interactive helped license the Atari Flashback consoles, which were released starting in 2004.

The idea for the Atari VCS came from Feargal Mac Conuladh, who joined Atari and became general manager to oversee the Ataribox project. He was inspired after seeing players use laptops connected to televisions to play games and use social media on the same device. He also noticed that Atari's game catalog had strong brand recognition. His goal was to create a device that would bring back memories of old Atari consoles and let players enjoy indie games without needing a computer. AMD, a company that makes processors, provided special parts for the device. While Atari made most of the hardware decisions, it also asked fans for suggestions about the device's appearance and other visual features.

The current version of the console works like a mix of a home video game console and a gaming computer, two areas Atari has operated in before. Conuladh learned from the failure of the Ouya, a similar crowd-funded microconsole. One lesson was to use the Linux operating system directly instead of a limited version of Android, to give more freedom to developers and users. He also wanted to avoid problems from Valve's Steam Machines, which had unclear hardware requirements. Instead, Atari kept the hardware design fixed and controlled by the company. Atari also planned to make all the consoles itself, not rely on third-party manufacturers.

In December 2017, just before starting pre-orders for the VCS (then called Ataribox), Atari found several hardware issues and delayed the pre-orders. At that time, Michael Arzt, head of Atari Connected Devices, took over production while Conuladh left the company. Atari CEO Fred Chesnais said this delay allowed them to review the Ataribox's goals and revise its specifications without losing its core features, such as being a Linux-based system that could run classic Atari games and new titles.

Atari first shared details about Project Ataribox in June 2017 during E3, showing images of the device but not technical details. This came after Nintendo released the NES Classic Edition in November 2016, a console that played pre-loaded Nintendo Entertainment System games. Journalists thought Atari's new system would work similarly, letting users play classic Atari games on a dedicated platform.

More details in September 2017 included plans to use Linux, allow users to install compatible software, and release the console in the second quarter of 2019. The price was expected to range between $249 and $299, depending on the configuration. The announcement also mentioned funding through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign planned for late 2017. Conuladh said Indiegogo was chosen to help with international sales and hardware support, including a partnership with Arrow Electronics, a company that has supported past Indiegogo projects.

Pre-orders were expected to start on December 14, 2017, but Atari delayed them, saying more time was needed to create the platform and ecosystem the Atari community deserved.

At the 2018 Game Developers Conference, Atari announced the device would be called the Atari VCS. Pre-orders for the console and controllers began on May 30, 2018, exclusively through Indiegogo, with shipping expected in the second quarter of 2019. The options included a "Collector's Edition" model with a wood-veneer front panel and an "Onyx" model with black and red-orange highlights. A base system, including a console and joystick controller, cost between $279 and $299. Within the first day, the Atari VCS received over $2.25 million in pre-orders, far exceeding the $100,000 target for production.

On June 27, 2018, Rob Wyatt, a system architect for the original Xbox and designer of PlayStation 3's graphics, joined the VCS team. Wyatt and his company, Tin Giant, had worked with Atari for months to define hardware and operating system requirements. Wyatt said he wanted to help bring Atari back, calling the project inspiring. This announcement came days after an interview between Atari's COO, Michael Arzt, and a reporter from The Register resurfaced, leading to questions about the VCS project's legitimacy.

In March 2019, Atari delayed the VCS launch to the end of 2019 and announced upgrades, including an unannounced embedded 14 nm AMD Ryzen processor with Radeon Vega-based graphics and two Zen CPU cores. The new AMD processor supports 4K video playback, has built-in Ethernet, and a secure framebuffer.

In July 2019, Atari promised more details about mass production and game content for the system in summer 2019. However, by the end of summer 2019, no working version of the Atari VCS meeting the product description had been shown publicly, and no additional game details were provided.

On October 4, 2019, Wyatt said he resigned from the project, citing non-payment by Atari as a key reason. After this news, some Indiegogo campaign backers asked about the project's status on the campaign's Reddit forum, but Atari removed these posts. In April 2020, Wyatt filed a lawsuit against Atari to recover payment for his design work.

Atari VCS's COO, Michael Arzt, said in December 2019 that the company was in the final stages of pre-production, with plans to ship pre-ordered consoles by March 2020 before sending them to retail. Arzt explained that the lack of communication over the previous year was due to limitations in partnership contracts but promised to provide more updates.

Hardware

The Atari VCS was introduced in 2017 and uses a special AMD main computer chip with Radeon graphics technology. Pictures from July 2017 showed the device had HDMI and USB ports, an Ethernet port, and an SD card slot. The design looked similar to the Atari 2600, with a black surface and a fake wood-grain front, but it was about half the size of the older model.

Conuladh said the hardware was similar to a mid-level computer from 2017, strong enough to run most games but not the latest high-end titles. This was before the device was redesigned to use AMD's new Ryzen R1000 chip, the R1606G, announced in 2019. Since then, the VCS has been shown playing games like Fortnite and Borderlands 2 at the 2020 CES event.

The hardware includes two types of controllers: a "Classic Joystick" and a "Modern Controller." The "Classic Joystick" is based on the single-button design of the Atari CX40 joystick, with extra buttons for menus and LED lights. The "Modern Controller" has a layout like other modern console controllers. Both were created with PowerA.

The Atari VCS collector's edition was only available to Indiegogo supporters and had a numbered label and a real wood Teak front panel. Other editions available to the public include ONYX (shiny black front and red back), Black Walnut (real wood front), and Carbon Gold (shiny black front with gold stripes). Carbon Gold is sold only at Walmart.

The Atari VCS uses a Ryzen-based AMD R1606G chip with two cores and four threads, running up to 3.5 GHz. It has Vega 3 graphics, supporting OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan, and an HDMI 2.0 port for 4K screens at 60 Hz with HDCP 2.2 protection. The VCS 800 has 8 GB of DDR4 memory (4 GB for the VCS 400), upgradeable to 32 GB, and 32 GB of internal storage with an M.2 SSD slot. Four USB 3.1 ports are included for external devices. The console also has a Gigabit Ethernet connection, WiFi, and Bluetooth.

The Atari VCS is a hybrid device that works like a computer and a game console. Its performance is similar to a "Linux gaming PC."

Software

The Atari VCS uses a Linux operating system. In 2017, a company email stated that the software is designed to be open, allowing users to install other Linux-compatible applications on the Atari VCS alongside pre-installed games, using Atari Vault (now called Atari VCS Vault). Other applications that can be installed include streaming services, music players, and web browsers.

Unlike the Atari 2600, which used cartridges for games, the VCS does not use cartridges or optical discs. Instead, players can download games from a built-in store. The Atari VCS will have a custom storefront developed with an undisclosed "leading industry partner," where users can download additional video games and applications. All users will have access to basic online features such as the store and online multiplayer. However, access to cloud storage and live streaming of video games will be available only through a subscription service.

Atari stated that the unit will come with many classic Atari retro games pre-loaded, as well as current titles from various studios. Conuladh mentioned that there will be "hundreds" of Atari games, plus other retro games from different catalogs. The console will include Antstream Arcade, a game streaming service that supports titles from the Amiga, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and arcade games.

Atari announced that the Google Chrome web browser will be pre-installed and will support some of the console's online services. On August 13, 2021, Atari added support for Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and Google Stadia through the built-in Chrome browser, with each service displayed as a separate app.

The Atari VCS is available with the Classic Joystick and Modern Controller ("all in"). Users can also purchase the device without these accessories. Atari allows users to use their own existing accessories, such as remotes, mice, keyboards, microphones, external speakers, and other controllers. The Atari VCS is compatible with most PC peripherals through both Bluetooth and USB 3.0.

In November 2022, Atari released the PC Mode USB. This provides an easy "plug-and-play" way to use the Atari VCS as a Linux PC. It is an Atari-branded 128 GB USB 3.2 drive that comes preloaded with a custom Debian operating system, additional storage, and the LibreOffice Suite.

On July 5, 2023, Atari announced that Playmaji's Polymega Remix add-on and Polymega App would be supported by the Atari VCS, as part of a "strategic collaboration" with the company. This followed Atari's minority investment in Playmaji around the same time.

The Atari VCS is not compatible with physical games from older Atari consoles because it does not have cartridge readers. On October 15, 2021, Atari announced under their "Flashback Fridays" series that emulated versions of selected Atari 7800 games would be available for purchase through the Atari VCS Store for $3 each. The first two Atari 7800 titles announced were Basketbrawl 7800 and Desert Falcon 7800. As of January 24, 2022, 14 Atari 7800 games were available on the Atari VCS.

Reception

Early users had different opinions about the console. GameRevolution said the console's small size was a positive feature, but noted its design was simple enough to fit with modern consoles. It also mentioned the Classic Controller was not very useful because few modern games work with it. Video Games Chronicle said the console's design was not strong enough to challenge companies like Microsoft or Sony. CNET said the console had unclear goals because of strong competition and Atari's past issues. Tom's Guide said the Atari VCS was not as advanced as newer consoles, but it was easier to buy than the PS5.

IGN gave the system a 5/10 score, saying it had some interesting ideas but failed as a console and computer alternative. CGMagazine had mostly positive comments, especially for fans of old games, but said the price was too high for most people to recommend.

Exact sales numbers for the VCS are not known. However, Atari's reports show hardware sales dropped from $2.44 million in 2021 to about $212,000 in 2022. Because of poor sales, Atari ended its partnership with the original manufacturer in December 2022. Atari said it still supports the VCS platform, adds more help for game developers, and continues to add new games. The company also mentioned several new hardware projects are being developed to improve the VCS system and increase its usefulness for users.