A few more details about the Atari VCS, an internet-connected, 4K-capable gaming and video streaming device inspired by the vintage Atari 2600 console emerged on Monday.
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Ahead of shipping, pre-sales on the Atari VCS are to start on May 30 exclusively via Indiegogo. Pricing during this period starts at $199 and includes access to a “Collector’s Edition” with a faux-wood front, or an option to buy a more modern “Onyx” model with an all-black finish. Atari hasn’t announced final pricing, but has said that the new product would sell for at least $249.
The new lineup for the Atari VCS will also feature packages with a Classic Joystick that looks like it came from the Atari 2600 era, as well as a more modern-looking controller that one would find on today’s gaming consoles.
But those who are willing to shell out the cash in the pre-sales period will bide their time, as initial shipments of the Atari VCS aren’t expected to start until spring 2019.
That product shipment is still that far away is a huge surprise. During a show-and-tell in March, PCWorld noted that what was on show was less than a functioning prototype, and conceptual at best.
Though products won’t reach the hands of consumers for months, there’s some sizable technical detail about what’s going inside the Linux-based Atari VCS, including a customer processor from AMD, support for 4K resolution, High Dynamic Range, and up to 60 frames per second, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0 and USB 3.0.
The device will also have access to a library of more than 100 “classic” games such as Asteroids, Centipede, Breakout, Missile Command, Gravitar and Yars’ Revenge, along with promises to deliver streaming video, though the company has yet to outline which OTT services will be integrated out of the chute.
