Atari VCS (2020 console)

Atari VCS (2020 console)

Atari VCS is a home video game console and Microconsole produced by Atari SA. The system was first revealed in June 2017 and pre-orders began on May 30, 2018. After several delays, the console was expected to ship in March 2020, but was delayed again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The unit will be available for pre-order from Indiegogo, with a planned release date of the second quarter of 2019.

About Atari VCS (2020 console) in brief

Summary Atari VCS (2020 console)Atari VCS is a home video game console and Microconsole produced by Atari SA. The system was first revealed in June 2017 and pre-orders began on May 30, 2018. After several delays, the console was expected to ship in March 2020, but was delayed again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While its physical design is intended to pay homage to the Atari 2600, the new Atari VCS will play modern games and streaming entertainment via a Linux-based operating system. The price is expected to fall between USD 249 and USD 299, based on some options based on the configuration. The unit will be available for pre-order from Indiegogo, with a planned release date of the second quarter of 2019. It will be able to run classic Atari games along with newer titles, and will be an open platform for other software to be installed, as well as a store for games to be downloaded and installed. The concept of the Atari V CS came from Feargal Mac Conuladh, who joined Atari and became general manager to oversee the Ataribox release. He said that he was inspired to create the unit after seeing players connect laptops to televisions to play games, that had were not available for consoles, on the larger screen, and then use social media platforms outside of the games, but via the same laptop, to communicate with friends. His design goal was to feed nostalgia for the old Atari consoles and allow players to enjoy indie games without a personal computer.

He also decided to use a higher-performance laptopdesktop APU than the smartphonetablet APU used in the Ouya, as to be able of provide more capabilities and a more open system to developers and users. Atari will contract for the manufacture of all the consoles themselves, rather than relying on third parties to manufacture their own systems based on their own specifications. The company has also kept open to suggestions from Atari fans on the unit’s aesthetics and other visual features. The console in its current rendition would function as a sort of hybrid between a video game consoles and a gaming PC, two branches of electronics Atari has operated in previously. Atari first teased the project at E3 2017 during E3, releasing images of the box but did not give out any technical specifications. Further details on the technical specifications were released in September 2017 provided more technical details, including the plans to use Linux and provide an open approach for other compatible software. In December 2017, Atari recognized there were still several issues they needed to address with the hardware, and decided to postpone the pre- orders. At that point, Michael Arzt, the head for Atari Connected Devices, took over production while conuladh left Atari, though the two had been coordinating on its development previously.