Atari was at E3 and gave us new details about their Atari VCS (Video Computer System) home gaming and entertainment platform. You may remember that this console was expected to hit market almost a year ago. The Atari VCS Official Online Presale now underway for U.S. customers.
Atari’s demo suite at E3 displayed of the Atari VCS in its final pre-production form (as described in a recent development blog) and also verified several details including a confirmed starting price of $249.99 for the base model.
The Atari VCS will launch in 800 (8GB RAM) and 400 (4GB RAM) models. Both models are fully user-upgradeable by easily swapping-in more RAM and expanding storage, and can be purchased in bundles that include an Atari VCS Classic Joystick and VCS Modern Controller. The Atari VCS is also available as stand-alone units, allowing users to connect their own existing Bluetooth and USB controllers and peripherals.
We also got word on the debut of the Atari VCS 800 Black Walnut All-In bundle with a new woodgrain faceplate, exclusively available on AtariVCS.com. Atari also introduces the all-new Atari VCS 800 Kevlar Gold All-In bundle with a sleek woven fiber face, exclusively available at Walmart.com, while the dramatic and familiar black and red Atari VCS 800 Onyx All-In will be a retail exclusive at GameStop.com.
Classic Joysticks priced at $49.99 and Modern Controllers for $59.99, created in partnership with PowerA, are also available now for preorder. All of these Atari VCS products are available now for consumers to preorder for 2020 shipping (see full list below of Atari VCS Official Online Presale pricing and availability sorted by retailer). In addition to the finished VCS models, Atari shared several items and images from its hardware engineering lab that showcase the evolution of the hardware’s development cycle.
The Atari Sandbox Mode is what looks to make the Atari VCS a very different game and entertainment machine. Powered by an AMD Ryzen processor featuring Radeon Graphics technology, the VCS is an open platform capable of booting up and running multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, etc.) to unlock the full power of a PC on your TV and the almost unlimited game, content, and apps available online.
Accessing operating systems like Windows, Ubuntu, Chrome OS, and others is easily accomplished by simply attaching an external USB drive that has the desired OS installed. From there, users can download any existing game libraries and other entertainment or productivity apps. The Atari VCS is fully compatible with any standard USB or Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, controllers, and most other PC peripherals; at E3 Atari had working prototype versions of its VCS Classic Joystick and VCS Modern Controller connected to its demo systems.
The key features of the Atari VCS shown off at E3 included:
- Modern PC Games: Using the Atari VCS Sandbox mode with a Windows or Ubuntu install, Atari is making a variety of popular and demanding triple-A PC games, Atari first-party titles, and cool Indie games available to play using the Atari VCS Modern Controller prototype and/or mouse and keyboard. This makes porting, downloading, and accessing existing game libraries easier while validating the high-performance capabilities of the Atari VCS hardware. In addition, the Atari VCS comes optimized for the future of cloud-streamed games.
- 4K HDR Movies and TV: Taking its place in the heart of the modern living room, Atari VCS is optimized for streaming of users’ favorite video entertainment apps. Every Atari VCS 800 system is 4K HDR capable out of the box for all apps and content types, while the Atari VCS 400 system delivers standard 1080p (4K available in certain apps and/or via RAM upgrade). Popular video apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Showtime, and browser-based channels like Twitch and YouTube come to life in vibrant 4K HDR thanks to the powerful AMD tech.
The entire Atari VCS lineup of systems, bundles, and peripherals are available now for preorder at GameStop.com, Walmart.com, and AtariVCS.com, with deliveries starting in March 2020. Pricing starts at $249.99 for the Atari VCS Onyx 400 (4GB) Base model and goes up to $389.99 for one of three Atari VCS 800 (8GB) All-In system bundles that include an Atari VCS Classic Joystick and Atari VCS Modern Controller. Additional international presale dates and retailers will be announced.
About Author
