Since it’s announcement in 2018, the Atari VCS has seen a lot of news and developments. And, if we’re being honest, most of it hasn’t been good. Following numerous delays, however, we did get the news last month that units would start to become available for shipping within the next few weeks (initially for the original crowdfunding backers).
With an update to the official website, however, we now have an answer to one of the biggest questions surrounding the system (and trust me, there are still plenty of them left). Specifically, how much it will cost, and, in keeping with the apparent tradition, the news (again) is not good!
Atari VCS
Following the update, it has been revealed that the console will sold as a bundle including the system, a ‘modern’ controller, a classic controller, and a free copy of their ‘100 classic arcade and console games’. With it set to retail for a price of around $399.99 ($389.99 if you pre-order) that seems like a ludicrously expensive price for a system to which, even now, nobody seems to know exactly what it’s going to represent.
Is it simply a retro console? Will new games be made for it? Will it act as some type of media center? Is it a game streaming platform like the Stadia? – No bugger seems to know and even Atari VCS isn’t that forthcoming with details!
What Do We Think?
Had this retailed for around £200, many consumers might have been tempted into purchasing this merely for the novelty factor it provides. For $400, however, this is absolutely ridiculous. When you consider that both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are expected to release this November, with massively superior gaming hardware, and for just (probably) $100 more, this has disaster written all over it! Then again, it has pretty much since it was initially revealed in the first place! – I called this the Ouya Mark 2 in early 2019 and I’m still sticking with that description!
I mean, let’s be honest, given the choice between this and a PS5/Xbox Series X which would you buy?… Do I need to even ask that question? – If you do, however, want to learn more about the Atari VCS, you can check out the official product website via the link here!
What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!
I think the issue here is one of fixed costs and small target market resulting in a high markup to recoup costs.
The hardware itself is fairly weak – dual-core Zen, ~450 GFLOPS Vega GPU. Better than a PS3/XB360 though!