Atari launches replica 2600 console

Atari 2600 Plus. © Atari, Inc.

On November 17, Atari will relaunch the legendary Atari 2600 console priced at USD 130, with pre-orders already underway. Its redesign is similar to that of 1977, but at a slightly more compact, 8/10th scale of the original version. Joysticks are optional for an extra USD 25 for the CX40+ and USD 40 for the CX30+ pair. The console accepts original Atari 2600 and 7800 cartridges as well as new ones. It comes with a cartridge including ten games such as Adventure, Combat, Missile Command, Haunted House, and Yars’ Revenge. Some features of the console were updated, for example with an HDMI output for video and a USB-C plug for power. In order to keep it affordable, it is powered by a Rockchip 3128 SoC, which is a low-power quad-core chip capable of running old Atari games via an emulator (a technological choice made to offer an affordable product; using an FPGA [Field-Programmable Gate Array], a modern chip that can emulate the original chip, would be more expensive).

⇨ Ars Technica, Andrew Cunningham, “Atari launches replica 2600 console to go with all its replica 2600 cartridges.”

2023-08-22