Last updated on September 19th, 2023 at 11:12 am
The Atari VCS is a modern-retro console that was released in 2021. The console is a combination of a console and a PC, but it falls short of expectations.
The console is sleek and unassuming, resembling an original Atari console, but it lacks the clunky switches and cartridge port.
The console comes pre-loaded with a ton of classic Atari games, its own storefront, 4K content streaming, and the ability to boot into Windows or another operating system from an external drive.
The Atari VCS delivers on its promise of nostalgia-inducing retro gaming with old-school Atari titles, but the rest of the experience is like peeling an onion, with each layer revealing more flaws. The console’s 4K mode is pretty pointless, other than it makes for a good bullet point on the box.
The Arcade choices are better, with classics like Tempest, Lunar Lander, and Crystal Caverns, but there are only 18 games built-in.
The value proposition is a struggle, and the console costs too much and does too little for most people to recommend it.
The Atari VCS is a mystery wrapped in an enigma with a price tag that is hard to justify.
The console is best left to the best gaming PCs or a current console from the likes of Sony or Microsoft.
However, if you love Atari, are a tinkerer, or want an expensive PC that looks like an Atari, then the Atari VCS might be for you.
Atari VCS is a console that falls short of expectations. While it delivers on its promise of nostalgia-inducing retro gaming with old-school Atari titles, the rest of the experience is lacking.
The console’s value proposition is a struggle, and it costs too much and does too little for most people to recommend it.
This machine comes directly from from 40 years of video game history.
Atari 2600 Video Computer System the original console inspired this retro model.
“Every person at Atari and every partner involved with the new platform is just as fanatical about the brand and its heritage as our biggest fans are. With the Atari VCS name, we know how important it is to get everything completely right, and that’s why we briefly paused an imminent launch late last year. It was a difficult decision with the countdown underway, but we weren’t willing to go forward with even one thing out of alignment. We hope that despite the delay, Atari’s fans appreciate our extreme attention to detail and are as excited about the Atari VCS as we are.”, said Atari Connected Devices chief operating officer Michael Arzt in a statement.
Atari VCS will be sold with a Classic Joystick, and a Modern Controller prototypes.
