Atari Faithfully Resuscitates The 2600 For The Next Generation Of Players
Image via Atari
After half a century of existence, Atari is still winning at its own game by feeding into players’ love of nostalgia. This time, it might have beaten its high score too: The gaming pioneer has announced the all-new Atari 2600+, a faithful recreation of the classic 2600 console from 1977 that’s bound to stoke admiration from vintage and contemporary gamers alike.
This retro tribute, developed with European game developer PLAION, directly borrows recognizable traits from the original, and it includes features like a true-scale remake of the 2600 joystick controller and metal switches that feel and move just like the ones of its muse.
Image via Atari
An iconic woodgrain panel fronts the unit, making the console an absolute chip off the old block. Though, it’s also worth noting that the mini-me is a tad smaller.
Image via Atari
What truly takes this classic back to the future is its leveled-up technology accommodating modern gamers and their high-definition television screens. The gadget is equipped with HDMI and USB output, and the addition of a widescreen mode creates more real estate for those pixelated graphics.
Image via Atari
To address the eight-bit elephant in the room, yes, the Atari 2600+ is built to play those dusty 2600 and 7800 game cartridges you’ve been meaning to fire up since decades ago.
In fact, the machine comes with a 10-in-one cartridge containing favorites like Video Pinball, Missile Command, Combat, Haunted House, and Dodge ’Em so you can run and jump into memory lane right away (in the same vein, the model, of course, supports the Mr Run and Jump game that Atari unleashed back in June—its first official cartridge since 1990).
Image via Atari
Elsewhere, the Atari 2600+, priced at US$129.99, tackles the frustration of stuck cartridges with an enlarged socket. And as you engage in a gaming session, the beloved Atari logo lights up.
Under the hood, the Atari 2600+ packs a Rockchip 3128 SOC microprocessor, paired with 256MB DDR3 RAM and 256MB eMMC fixed internal storage.
Image via Atari
“For gamers who remember the thrill of playing arcade games at home for the very first time, the Atari 2600+ will take you right back,” expresses Ben Jones, commercial director of reto at PLAION. “For everyone else, the offer is one of timeless fun and the chance to experience a golden age of video games in a way that could only come from Atari.”
The Atari 2600+ is available for pre-order, with shipping scheduled for November 2023 in the US. Keep an eye out for international release details, which will be revealed by the company at a later time.
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.
