# Atari is working on its first console in more than 20 years



## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Jun 19, 2017)

Atari's CEO has confirmed that it is working on a new console called the Atari Box, although it is unclear when it will be revealed.


Atari's first home console, the 2600, was released in 1977 to rave reviews.

The firm then released a series of consoles, up until the Jaguar in 1993, at which point the firm was overtaken by competitors including Nintendo, Sega and Sony.

But Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari, has confirmed that after a 24 year lull, the firm is now working on new device.

Mr Chesnais told Venturebeat: 'We're back in the hardware business.'

Atari has also released a short teaser video, giving a glimpse of what the 'Atari Box' will look like.

The device appears to have wooden panelling – a signature feature across Atari's older devices, and a light-up Atari logo on the front.

Mr Chesnais has confirmed that the device will be based on computer technology, suggesting it could be used to play old classics, including Pac-Man, Pong and Asteroids.


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## R0H1T (Jun 19, 2017)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> Mr Chesnais has confirmed that the device will be based on *computer technology*, suggesting it could be used to play old classics, including Pac-Man, Pong and Asteroids.


AMD or x86


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## ZenZimZaliben (Jun 19, 2017)

R0H1T said:


> AMD or x86



AMD and INTEL and others are all x86, x86-64. I think you meant x86-64 or ARM.

I would imagine they go with x86 based processors.


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## R0H1T (Jun 19, 2017)

ZenZimZaliben said:


> AMD and INTEL and others are all x86, x86-64. I think you meant x86-64 or ARM.
> 
> I would imagine they go with x86 based processors.


Yeah I meant AMD, but it doesn't need x86-64 unless they're having more than 4GB RAM in there.


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## AsRock (Jun 19, 2017)

Yeah with a Atari all lit up , although they are not giving all that much info just that some thing Atari is on it's way.   I do hope it's more of a low powered item.


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## dorsetknob (Jun 19, 2017)

AMD / INTEL or ARM   it will be a 64 bit System and it will Start out with 8 gig (upgradable )Memory
Has To or its Dead on Arrival
Atari Still has BRAND persona and retro loyalty.

They also have a wealth of Opportunity to take the best of the other consol offerings and implement it into a new version of their consol

this could be 
Blue ray
4k Screen /game Resolution
VR/AR implementation inc wi fi conectivity for headsets and controllers ect


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## Frick (Jun 19, 2017)

dorsetknob said:


> AMD / INTEL or ARM   it will be a 64 bit System and it will Start out with 8 gig (upgradable )Memory
> Has To or its Dead on Arrival
> Atari Still has BRAND persona and retro loyalty.
> 
> ...



So just a really expensive PC with an Atari logo. I mean it is essentially all they can do at this point but it's really boring. At least the A-Eon Amiga X5000 was something different hardware-wise (even though it was enclosed in a boring bog standard Fractal Design case or whatever it is).

If they make a _really_ well thought out gaming PC for the living room it will gain a market though.


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## Frag_Maniac (Jun 19, 2017)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> *Atari is working on its first console in more than 20 years*



But the question is, once  it hits the market, will they abandon it in 20 months? LOL

Seriously though, we all know by now integrating game systems with home theater is more about the peripherals used than the hardware in the system itself. It's part of the reason Steam Box is not doing so well, other than Valve having a hard time getting Linux converted games to run as well as those made for Windows. 

I really don't see this doing too well.


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## eidairaman1 (Jun 19, 2017)

Nintendo barely hangs on. But open  platform play will help all consoles, Sony is greedy and won't do it though...


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## therealmeep (Jun 20, 2017)

Good to see something from Atari. I still have a 2600 in my setup. Held up well especially when you mod in composite video.


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## timta2 (Jun 20, 2017)

Take a look at the history and how many times the Atari name has been bought and sold. It's hardly the same company.


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## Beastie (Jun 20, 2017)

What is Atari? As far as I can discern there is no linear connection between Nolan Bushnell, Ted Dabney and the present company. This is a cash in on a brand.


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## Octopuss (Jun 20, 2017)

I had no idea Atari still existed.
I never owned a console and only briefly saw C64 back in early 90's before moving directly to PC


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## WhiteNoise (Jun 20, 2017)

This could be cool. I was recently playing some old arcade games on my 61" HD screen and thinking....this would look so much better in HD. 

I still remember the day back in the 70's when my Dad told me to jump in the car. We drove over an hour to the closest town and when we got there he said...wait here. I waited and when he walked out of the store he had a large brown paper bag. He didn't tell me what was in the bag at all. I was told not to touch the bag.

When we got home he pulled out the Atari 2600 and a bunch of games. I think I blew out my shorts when I saw it. Up to that point I had only played Pong. The first time I saw the Atari come to life I was BLOWN away by the graphics. I mean this shit was dope yo.


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## Rehmanpa (Jun 20, 2017)

I didn't even know Atari was still a company lol. This is awesome.


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## WhiteNoise (Jun 20, 2017)

Yeah they make games. Atari might have been bought out and such but they have been making games.


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## rtwjunkie (Jun 21, 2017)

Octopuss said:


> I had no idea Atari still existed.
> I never owned a console and only briefly saw C64 back in early 90's before moving directly to PC


Every now and then they have been a game publisher.


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## natr0n (Jun 21, 2017)

It's going to be pc based.

Atari really died out when they lost the dragon ball game license.


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## erocker (Jun 21, 2017)

Hopefully they make it easy to develop for. A console without games is a dead console.


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## remixedcat (Jun 21, 2017)

yawn... console peasants....

and it's just a lame cheap box that's atari in name only...which nobody cares about right now.


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## eidairaman1 (Jun 21, 2017)

erocker said:


> Hopefully they make it easy to develop for. A console without games is a dead console.



Game devs are lazy nowadays, hence why gaming is becoming so stagnant now.


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## Octopuss (Jun 21, 2017)

How is this going to work anyway? Every console needs games coded in different way, doesn't it? Xbox games are not playable on Playstation etc.
How do they expect devs to code stuff for yet another architecture? That doesn't make any sense to me.


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## erocker (Jun 22, 2017)

eidairaman1 said:


> Game devs are lazy nowadays, hence why gaming is becoming so stagnant now.


Agreed, but replace "developers" (who are generally hard working people) with publishers/corporate/execs.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jun 22, 2017)

I bet it runs on ARM and it is just this preloaded.  They're selling the look nostalgia is all, not unlike NES Classic Edition.  Seriously nothing to get excited about.


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## Prima.Vera (Jun 22, 2017)

FordGT90Concept said:


> I bet it runs on ARM and it is just this preloaded.  They're selling the look nostalgia is all, not unlike NES Classic Edition.  Seriously nothing to get excited about.


Exactly my thoughts. Can be something simmilar with nGreedia's Shield, able to play any Android games....


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## FordGT90Concept (Jun 22, 2017)

SHIELD actually has some grunt to it though (effectively a GeForce 920MX GPU) where Atari games require 0 grunt (can easily be run on ARM CPUs).


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## Frick (Jun 22, 2017)

FordGT90Concept said:


> I bet it runs on ARM and it is just this preloaded.  They're selling the look nostalgia is all, not unlike NES Classic Edition.  Seriously nothing to get excited about.



NES classic sold like hotcakes though, so there could be some excitement to be had here, if the games are any good.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jun 22, 2017)

NES Classic sold because of Nostalgia.  Doubt any of them got played for more than a few hours before people realized games made 30 years ago kind of suck today.  They were victims of their hardware.  Atari is even worse in that regard.


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## Capitan Harlock (Jun 22, 2017)

Atari is not the same companie from the 80's so i really don't see why they come out now with a console.


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## Deleted member 67555 (Jun 22, 2017)

Atari was the original gaming PC... literally
I would actually like to see an Atari console...


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## Frag_Maniac (Jun 23, 2017)

Frankly I find the Xbox Scorpio the only console to be making great strides. With 6 TFLOP graphics power and Keyboard/Mouse compatibility, there's nothing else that comes close. Of course for many it will matter a great deal whether that KB/M support means game control schemes being made for both gamepad and KB/M, or just another lousy adpated to KB/M scenario where it's hard as hell to control aim and even character turning with a mouse.

I really don't see why it can't be done, because there are already plenty of decent PC ports with good KB/M and gamepad support. If this is done right, it just might leave Sony wishing they had not dug themselves in a corner supporting their consoles only. At any rate though, I don't think Atari will even factor in. I feel this console will be about as unpopular as Steam Box. Kinda funny, in a pathetic way, that they used the word "box" too. A sort of bad omen.


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## remixedcat (Jun 23, 2017)

FordGT90Concept said:


> I bet it runs on ARM and it is just this preloaded.  They're selling the look nostalgia is all, not unlike NES Classic Edition.  Seriously nothing to get excited about.


yeah just like android gaming... gimmacky and full of leeches and it's like datamunching hell and 10 toolbars of 1998 internet action all over again...


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## AsRock (Jul 20, 2017)

Looks pretty cool, they actually doing a wood grain one like the original too.  How ever from what i been hearing is that Atari want support it like a Kickstarter kinda thing.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jul 20, 2017)

It's "plood," aka plastic wood.  Really popular in the automotive industry.

Kickstarter?


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## AsRock (Jul 20, 2017)

FordGT90Concept said:


> It's "plood," aka plastic wood.



Of course it is but so what ?, although the other is glass so MAYBE it is actually wood.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jul 20, 2017)

If $60,000 vehicles don't use actual wood, I doubt Atari would either.  The original Atari 2600 used plood too.


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## AsRock (Jul 20, 2017)

Hardly the same, but yes chances are it will not be wood not if it matters anyways. Even more so when it sounds like they are not willing to fund it and they want me and you fund it.

But maybe the 1st xx amount will have, who knows.


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## erocker (Jul 20, 2017)

I don't understand why Infogrames needs to run a Kickstarter campaign for this. Just kind of shows they already have little faith in the product.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jul 20, 2017)

Same reason other big studios test the waters with crowdfunding: gauge interest.  Interest can translate to investors.


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## Frag_Maniac (Jul 20, 2017)

erocker said:


> I don't understand why Infogrames needs to run a Kickstarter campaign for this. Just kind of shows they already have little faith in the product.


Then again, can they really afford to start up production, gambling on faith of their customers they abandoned with previous systems? Kickstarter is probably their only realistic option, and I'll bet that's what their financial advisors told them.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jul 20, 2017)

But Ouya, successful crowdfunding campaign and falls face first into the ground when exposed to the market.  I'm not convinced Atari can do any better.  If they have low end hardware, they can't really beat phones, NX, and SHIELD.  If they have high end hardware, they're competing with PlayStation and Xbox.  Where's the market for this?


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## erocker (Jul 20, 2017)

It's all in the game library. Currently that is zero. I have no idea how they will sell consoles.


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## lexluthermiester (Jul 20, 2017)

eidairaman1 said:


> Nintendo barely hangs on.


Are you joking? Nintendo has zero debt, is still selling 3DS very well and the Switch is still flying off shelves, in the middle of the slow season for the gaming industry. This Christmas season is going to be amazing for them. If that's "barely hangs on", where can I sign up to barely hang on also?


Frag Maniac said:


> Frankly I find the Xbox Scorpio the only console to be making great strides.


How is that exactly? Their E3 presentation was all flash and no bang. Not impressive. However, Sony and Nintendo showed actual impressive games.


Frag Maniac said:


> With 6 TFLOP graphics power


And if you believe that nonsense, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I want to sell you... Those are very generous *theoretical* numbers.


Frag Maniac said:


> there's nothing else that comes close.


Are you sure? PS4Pro does in fact have similar specs that are, by very definition, close.


Frag Maniac said:


> Of course for many it will matter a great deal whether that KB/M support means game control schemes being made for both gamepad and KB/M, or just another lousy adapted to KB/M scenario where it's hard as hell to control aim and even character turning with a mouse.


Now that is an excellent point and one of the reasons many gamers shy away from consoles for certain game types, myself included. However, there is another point you are missing, more on that below..


Frag Maniac said:


> I really don't see why it can't be done, because there are already plenty of decent PC ports with good KB/M and gamepad support. If this is done right, it just might leave Sony wishing they had not dug themselves in a corner supporting their consoles only.


And while those are interesting points, you forget one critical thing, trust. Microsoft has lost the trust of the public. They are losing their audience in a very serious way. Sony, Nintendo, Google and Apple are where people are going because those companies are far more trustworthy.


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## Vayra86 (Jul 20, 2017)

eidairaman1 said:


> Game devs are lazy nowadays, hence why gaming is becoming so stagnant now.



I disagree that gaming is stagnant. There is more variety on the market than ever before, and if you know where to look, there are tons of (hidden) gems to be found. Retro, recent, indie, triple A, it all has a place. And another thing we see is that big publishers are actively looking for suitable business practices towards the gamer, in terms of always-online, DLC etc. There is a lot of movement and we are getting what we want more easily these days too. We see the return of bundled map editors, free post-release content updates, we see an ongoing discussion about paid or unpaid modding, everything is super vibrant. Again, it's all about knowing where to look for your preferred games.

And another big thing these days is 90% of all vocal gamers are silly monkeys copying each others' criticism. A lot of complaints are blown out proportion and underneath all that you always find a community of people who either don't care or have evolved past that and actually understand the game concept for what it wants to be.



AsRock said:


> Looks pretty cool, they actually doing a wood grain one like the original too.  How ever from what i been hearing is that Atari want support it like a Kickstarter kinda thing.



I had high hopes until I read the above and saw it confirmed. This thing is dead already, they might as well drop it today. NEXT


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## Frick (Jul 20, 2017)

FordGT90Concept said:


> NES Classic sold because of Nostalgia.  Doubt any of them got played for more than a few hours before people realized games made 30 years ago kind of suck today.  They were victims of their hardware.  Atari is even worse in that regard.



Late answer, but this is such a very strange post. There's plenty of great NES games, and nostalgia is a powerful incentive. Is a sale worth less based on the reason for purchase?


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## FordGT90Concept (Jul 20, 2017)

They're not very great any more.


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## AsRock (Jul 20, 2017)

FordGT90Concept said:


> They're not very great any more.



But i personally would love to be able play the old Atari games again, thinking about it i have a 12+ cartridges stashed away lol.  Although what would encourage me to get it is if they got all those old games and gave them totally awesome graphics as long as they did not do ET again all could be really good.

Problem i see if that they don't seem to sure,  they want us to risk our money but not there millions that they have.


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## dorsetknob (Jul 20, 2017)

AsRock said:


> But i personally would love to be able play the old Atari games again, thinking about it i have a 12+ cartridges stashed away



Predicted crystal ball reading
Unless you get an old working Atari   Stashed is where they will Stay

There is no way they are going to ensure/enable Backward Media Capability ( i Rolled around laughing at that )
To do so would reduce media Sales in the future.
Old games might be ported to new media but that's about as far as its going to be.



Spoiler:    Click to hate      



Old Fart Kill joy enjoys spoiling your day


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## AsRock (Jul 20, 2017)

dorsetknob said:


> Predicted crystal ball reading
> Unless you get an old working Atari   Stashed is where they will Stay
> 
> There is no way they are going to ensure/enable Backward Media Capability ( i Rolled around laughing at that )
> ...



Yeah, as they are not worth shit,  if they have any sense all the old game's will come with the unit by default

Lets face it, Atari don't know shit yet  which makes it even worse LMAO.


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## Komshija (Jul 20, 2017)

Interesting... Does anyone here have Atari T-shirt?


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## Frag_Maniac (Jul 20, 2017)

lexluthermiester said:


> How is that exactly? Their E3 presentation was all flash and no bang. Not impressive. However, Sony and Nintendo showed actual impressive games.


You're talking games, I'm talking specifically the system. We all know the game library matters too, but quite honestly, that's always personal preference.


> And if you believe that nonsense, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I want to sell you... Those are very generous *theoretical* numbers.


The hardware specs are always taken straight from the manufacturer. Generally AMD are as diligent as Nvidia or Intel at reporting them accurately. 6 TFLOPS is equivalent to a 980 Ti, and prices on them before the bit mining caused prices to go up got as low as $400. You factor in that AMD charges less than Nvidia, and that these are mass produced APUs for consoles, which typically are sold at a small loss to get customers, and it's plenty feasible that such graphics power would be put in a console that they've already said will cost $500.


> Are you sure? PS4Pro does in fact have similar specs that are, by very definition, close.


This is where you are seriously out of the loop.

1. The One X APU is 2.3Ghz x86, the PS4 Pro is 2.1GHz Jaguar
2. The One X APU is 6 TFLOPs capable, the PS4 Pro only 4.2
3. The One X has 12GB GDDR5, the PS4 Pro only 8GB
4. The One X has a 4K/HDR Blu-ray drive, the PS4 Pro a 1080p Blu-ray/DVD

Just one of many sources on this: https://www.cnet.com/news/xbox-one-x-vs-ps4-pro/

That is $100 well spent in my opinion. Some are implying the added $100 price point will mean most won't buy it, but I disagree. There are tons of kids now considering dabbling into PC gaming that would spend their money better on a $500 One X.



> Now that is an excellent point...


They've all been good points, you just aren't up to speed enough on the subject to recognize it.



> you forget one critical thing, trust. Microsoft has lost the trust of the public. They are losing their audience in a very serious way. Sony, Nintendo, Google and Apple are where people are going because those companies are far more trustworthy.


They have gained back most of the trust they lost at the launch of Xone when they fired Mattrick and put Spencer in charge. They're much better at listening to what gamers want in a console system now, better than Sony in fact. This is really the first time a console manufacturer has offered spec on par with mid to high end PCs, and KB/M support as well. The only thing that remains to be seen is how extensive the KB/M support is.

I'm not going to water this down to game libraries though. I mean hell, Nintendo has big sales, but they're still clinging to a library of games that is mostly ancient rehashed titles. Serious gamers don't play kiddie games.


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## lexluthermiester (Jul 21, 2017)

Frag Maniac said:


> You're talking games, I'm talking specifically the system. We all know the game library matters too, but quite honestly, that's always personal preference.


True


Frag Maniac said:


> The hardware specs are always taken straight from the manufacturer. Generally AMD are as diligent as Nvidia or Intel at reporting them accurately.


Except that AMD is not making the claims. Microsoft is, and they are well known for fudging numbers and out-right lying for marketing advantage. Given the *known* capabilities of existing AMD APU's, 6TFLOP's seems a dubious claim. 4.6 TFLOP's is a more realistic number, again based on known facts.


Frag Maniac said:


> 6 TFLOPS is equivalent to a 980 Ti


The GTX 980ti running at Nvidia spec clock is a 5.4 TFLOP part. Increasing clock speed will increase that number.


Frag Maniac said:


> This is where you are seriously out of the loop.


Ok let's do this.


Frag Maniac said:


> 1. The One X APU is 2.3Ghz x86, the PS4 Pro is 2.1GHz Jaguar


That is .2GHz. If it were .1 would that be a small enough difference to be "close" to you?


Frag Maniac said:


> 2. The One X APU is 6 TFLOPs capable, the PS4 Pro only 4.2


Until someone independently proves this number, I'm going with a more technologically reasonable 4.8TFLOP's and vs 4.2, that reasonably close.


Frag Maniac said:


> 3. The One X has 12GB GDDR5, the PS4 Pro only 8GB


You're right on that one, it's 50% more and at a faster speed. But it's still in the ball-park.


Frag Maniac said:


> 4. The One X has a 4K/HDR Blu-ray drive, the PS4 Pro a 1080p Blu-ray/DVD


You conveniently left out that PS4Pro does 4k very easily and that Sony feels that most users will be streaming 4k content rather than using BD4k discs. That was a weak point to attempt.
Let's add a few more stats shall we?
5. Scorpio has 40 compute units where-as PS4Pro has 36. I call that close.
6. Those compute units run at 1172MHz vs 911MHz respectively. Again, that is in the ball-park.


Frag Maniac said:


> They have gained back most of the trust they lost at the launch of Xone when they fired Mattrick and put Spencer in charge. They're much better at listening to what gamers want in a console system now, better than Sony in fact.


You assume the mistrust is related to who's in charge. That is only one smaller aspect of the total problem. The greater part of the problem is that Microsoft keeps violating the general privacy and digital security of the public without regard to the long term ramifications of their actions. And they keep lying about how much data they are collecting. So yeah, not trustworthy. And an ever increasing number of people are realizing this.


Frag Maniac said:


> This is really the first time a console manufacturer has offered spec on par with mid to high end PCs, and KB/M support as well. The only thing that remains to be seen is how extensive the KB/M support is.


Mid to High end? No. The Mid-range suggestion is reasonable as is the point of the Keyboard and Mouse support. Make no mistake, good choices are being made with the system and it's going to be an improvement.


Frag Maniac said:


> I'm not going to water this down to game libraries though. I mean hell, Nintendo has big sales, but they're still clinging to a library of games that is mostly ancient rehashed titles.


Um, ok. Everyone is doing that to varying degrees of success. However, Nintendo is a lot better at it. They're also making a lot of really creative, original titles and they're not alone.


Frag Maniac said:


> Serious gamers don't play kiddie games.


What a subjective statement. "Serious" gamers play games they enjoy, regardless of genre. Perhaps the word you were looking for was "professional"?


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## Melvis (Jul 21, 2017)

My first gaming console was the Atari 800XL which I still have and then moved to the Atari 2600 which I also still have, those was the days of red square vs green square lol


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## Frag_Maniac (Jul 21, 2017)

lexluthermiester said:


> Except that AMD is not making the claims. Microsoft is, and they are well known for fudging numbers and out-right lying for marketing advantage. Given the *known* capabilities of existing AMD APU's, 6TFLOP's seems a dubious claim. 4.6 TFLOP's is a more realistic number, again based on known facts.


Again, it's not just MS' claims like you make it sound, it's "spec" that AMD divulges to Ms. TPU's own page on even the stock clocked Nvidia reference 980 Ti shows it having 6060 GFLOPS, which converts to 6.06 TFLOPS.  https://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/2724/geforce-gtx-980-ti So I guess you're calling TPU liars too?

And no, the PS4 Pro can't actually play 4k content without an actual 4k player. It can only upconvert, which is not at all the same.

And Spencer replacing Mattrick DID make a huge difference, mostly via lifting the many restrictions and backward compatibility (the latter of which Sony sucks at by comparison). The One X in fact will soon be adding original Xbox to backward compatibility, so I guess that smashes your library talk, since you don't mind rehashed titles. You seem to be oblivious that people in such positions have a certain amount of freedom to call the shots, so just replacing one with another whom has a different vision for the franchise can make a huge difference.

I also find it odd you point the finger at MS' regarding customer security, when it's PSN that has had two major hacks in recent years. The first of which came with the discovery they weren't even encrypting their customer's personal info. The second of which showed how little they did to prevent another one, despite it becoming public knowledge that they'd put customer's personal info at risk when the first hack happened.

Yeah Nintendo need to be and better be better at rehashing, because it's mostly all they do as far as their own content. Most gamers outgrow that and move on to more real world titles. That's what I meant by "kiddies". Nintendo has always catered mostly to younger players that can't afford decent systems. If they take that as an insult, they'll probably eventually understand it's not. With the exception of the few that still live with their parents into their 30s and play cartoon games until they die. Ah, but to each their own I guess. You call it "fun", I call it sad.


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## WhiteNoise (Jul 21, 2017)

I think Frag and Lex are in the wrong thread.


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## FreedomEclipse (Jul 21, 2017)

They should make a guitar hero knock off and call it 'Guitari'


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## lexluthermiester (Jul 21, 2017)

Frag Maniac said:


> Again, it's not just MS' claims like you make it sound, it's "spec" that AMD divulges to Ms. TPU's own page on even the stock clocked Nvidia reference 980 Ti shows it having 6060 GFLOPS, which converts to 6.06 TFLOPS.  https://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/2724/geforce-gtx-980-ti So I guess you're calling TPU liars too?


That is a calculated number based on estimations of performance. It's not a lie, it's a misunderstanding. Other sites use actual measured numbers. https://www.vrfocus.com/2016/05/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-1070-980-ti-980-970-comparison-guide/


Frag Maniac said:


> And no, the PS4 Pro can't actually play 4k content without an actual 4k player. It can only upconvert, which is not at all the same.


I have personally watched 4k content on the PS4Pro. When you hop on Youtube, for example, and select 4k as the output, it displays in 4k. https://www.playstation.com/en-nz/g...on-video/ps4-pro-viewing-youtube-video-in-4k/ TADA! Need help getting that foot out of your mouth? Perhaps a crowbar is in order?


Frag Maniac said:


> And Spencer replacing Mattrick DID make a huge difference, mostly via lifting the many restrictions and backward compatibility (the latter of which Sony sucks at by comparison). The One X in fact will soon be adding original Xbox to backward compatibility, so I guess that smashes your library talk, since you don't mind rehashed titles. You seem to be oblivious that people in such positions have a certain amount of freedom to call the shots, so just replacing one with another whom has a different vision for the franchise can make a huge difference.
> 
> I also find it odd you point the finger at MS' regarding customer security, when it's PSN that has had two major hacks in recent years. The first of which came with the discovery they weren't even encrypting their customer's personal info. The second of which showed how little they did to prevent another one, despite it becoming public knowledge that they'd put customer's personal info at risk when the first hack happened.
> 
> Yeah Nintendo need to be and better be better at rehashing, because it's mostly all they do as far as their own content. Most gamers outgrow that and move on to more real world titles. That's what I meant by "kiddies". Nintendo has always catered mostly to younger players that can't afford decent systems. If they take that as an insult, they'll probably eventually understand it's not. With the exception of the few that still live with their parents into their 30s and play cartoon games until they die. Ah, but to each their own I guess. You call it "fun", I call it sad.


Really? Perhaps you have a problem with contextual comprehension? All you're saying with those statements is; "Hi. I'm a hardcore fanboy with no objectivity and I have to win this argument!".


WhiteNoise said:


> I think Frag and Lex are in the wrong thread.


Yeah, you're right, we've derailed this thread. So I'm out.

Although, on topic, the AtariBox looks kinda cool. If they do Jaguar titles, that would be really interesting.


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## AsRock (Jul 21, 2017)

No lol, Jaguar games sucked more than the Atari game of ET did.


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## natr0n (Jul 21, 2017)

Pong Ultimate HD Remix. Black and white will be inverted.


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## lexluthermiester (Jul 21, 2017)

AsRock said:


> No lol, Jaguar games sucked more than the Atari game of ET did.


Not all of them sucked. Some of them were a ton of fun!
What would be even more interesting, is if they did Arcade, 2600, 5200, 7800, Lynx and Jag+JagCD titles. Kind of an Atari historical thing.


----------



## natr0n (Jul 21, 2017)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_vs_Predator_(Jaguar_game)

Be grateful.


----------



## Frag_Maniac (Jul 21, 2017)

lexluthermiester said:


> That is a calculated number based on estimations of performance. It's not a lie, it's a misunderstanding. Other sites use actual measured numbers. https://www.vrfocus.com/2016/05/nvidia-geforce-gtx-1080-1070-980-ti-980-970-comparison-guide


And what you fail to understand is the same applies with the PS4 Pro, thus it's still 1.8 TFLOPS behind. You're going by nothing but sites that claim real world specs. You don't even acknowledge that many devs, whom know full well what kind of hardware is required for 4k, have already said the One X is more suited to 4k than the PS4 Pro.



> I have personally watched 4k content on the PS4Pro. When you hop on Youtube, for example, and select 4k as the output, it displays in 4k. https://www.playstation.com/en-nz/g...on-video/ps4-pro-viewing-youtube-video-in-4k/ TADA! Need help getting that foot out of your mouth? Perhaps a crowbar is in order?


LOL, foot in MY mouth? Even Sony's own spec admits it's not a true 4k player. What you don't get is you can't go by YouTube's player. There are ways to trick YouTube into using higher bit rate. Just by outputting a 1080p capture to 2048x1152, you can make it look better than a 1080p upload. And just because the player  plays a vid at 4k doesn't mean it hasn't been doctored by upscaling. I imagine your eyes aren't even good enough to tell the difference between true 4k and upscaled 4k, given what you've said.


> Really? Perhaps you have a problem with contextual comprehension? All you're saying with those statements is; "Hi. I'm a hardcore fanboy with no objectivity and I have to win this argument!".


Odd of you to say since none of what you said there addresses the topic, and is obviously more fanboyish than anything I said. You don't win an argument by just implying MS is evil, and Sony isn't, without giving any reasons whatsoever. MS lifting their restrictions first revealed at initial launch on One, and working hard on backward compatibility doesn't just  happen out of the blue, they are decisions made by actual people that head Xbox. If anyone's acting like a dense, biased fanboy, it's you.


> Yeah, you're right, we've derailed this thread. So I'm out.


LOL, no, that was you overreacting to my saying MS is the only one putting up a decent console with One X. You were the one that wanted to turn it into a MS vs every other console pissing contest, and none of what you said had any validity.  This is what happens when gamers think YouTube is the end all be all for judging video quality.


----------



## Vya Domus (Jul 21, 2017)

lexluthermiester said:


> Until someone independently proves this number, I'm going with a more technologically reasonable 4.8TFLOP's and vs 4.2, that reasonably close.



MS officially announced core count and clock speeds , from who do you expect proof ? It's a technical specification , here is the formula : core count x clock speed x 2 = number of FLOPS. There is no such things as a need for independent proof or "technologically reasonable ".


----------



## dorsetknob (Jul 21, 2017)

Vya Domus said:


> MS officially announced core count and clock speeds , from who do you expect proof ? It's a technical specification , there is no independent proof or "technologically reasonable".


That's what they Say Your going to get
and that's what you will get as anything less than the published spec opens MS to Mr Sueyou contacting ...............
and of course MS are fully entitled to revise and change the Spec but you will still get the min of what the Spec's Specify


----------



## Vya Domus (Jul 21, 2017)

dorsetknob said:


> That's what they Say Your going to get
> and that's what you will get as anything less than the published spec opens MS to Mr Sueyou contacting ...............
> and of course MS are fully entitled to revise and change the Spec but you will still get the min of what the Spec's Specify



They already began production and briefed developers. They even called the guy from DF to their HQ and gave him this spec , along side an actual Scorpio APU die. I doubt it will change , it's pretty much set in stone at this point.


----------



## Frag_Maniac (Jul 21, 2017)

Vya Domus said:


> MS officially announced core count and clock speeds , from who do you expect proof ? It's a technical specification , here is the formula : core count x clock speed x 2 = number of FLOPS. There is no such things as a need for independent proof or "technologically reasonable ".


Exactly, the worst part of it is he puts more validity in random sites that claim the real world output is much lower, when we all know many such sites skew things to make one brand look better than another.

Anyways, sorry if we're straying from Atari talk here, but it only proves MS is cooking up something much more interesting, and I personally think it's well worth $500. I just hope the KB/M support  isn't exaggerated.


----------



## dorsetknob (Jul 21, 2017)

just chuck this here


----------



## Vya Domus (Jul 21, 2017)

dorsetknob said:


> just chuck this here



??? 40*64*1172*2 = 6000640 aka 6 TFLOPS , why are you all so doubtful of this ? I don't get it.


----------



## dorsetknob (Jul 21, 2017)

Vya Domus said:


> what are you all so doubtful of this ? I don't get it.



Some people just get their jollys arguing others use Porn


----------



## Vya Domus (Jul 21, 2017)

dorsetknob said:


> Some people just get their jollys arguing others use Porn



why not both


----------



## Frag_Maniac (Jul 21, 2017)

Vya Domus said:


> ??? 40*64*1172*2 = 6000640 aka 6 TFLOPS , why are you all so doubtful of this ? I don't get it.


Everything's FLOPing MS' direction, but in a good way. 

PS4 Pro, Blu-ray, too bad some don't know what that means.

No seriously, I applaud Sony for making the best 4k gaming TVs available lately (at a halfway reasonable price point anyway), but that makes it all the more curious as to why they refuse to make a console with a 4k player. I mean I know their upscaling is good, but when you pop in a 4k movie disc, you want it to actually PLAY in 4k, especially on a nice Sony TV. I guess they want you to spend another $270 on their X800 4k Blu-ray player.


----------



## AsRock (Jul 22, 2017)

natr0n said:


> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_vs_Predator_(Jaguar_game)
> 
> Be grateful.



OMG that game was bad too, both me and my brother got so bored of that and just ended up playing some thing else like Syndicate or more comparable Doom.

Years later Rebelion did a much better PC version but later tried again and just plain out right sucked ever since.

As for this XBox V's PS BS, they both suck as neither can have 4k gaming on all there games which is what they are marketed for.


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## Frag_Maniac (Jul 22, 2017)

AsRock said:


> As for this XBox V's PS BS, they both suck as neither can have 4k gaming on all there games which is what they are marketed for.


Console manufacturers live in a different world than others, because you know they're talking 30 FPS. They may tell you some games run at 4k60, but they aren't promising all games will. Graphics power of 6 TFLOP capability as mentioned is same as 980 Ti, and a 980 Ti can play a lot of games at much better than 30 FPS. If you want 60 FPS and any level of future capability at 4k though, it takes more like 1080 Ti power.

However TPU's 980 Ti bench over the 21 games tested averaged 53 FPS @ 4k, and only dropped below 30 FPS on a couple games. Plus console games are not made the same as PC games. Their game world's are often smaller with less interactive objects (doors that don't open), and they don't have as high LOD, so there's more popins. This all means they can cram more 4k titles in than you could on a PC with such spec.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_980_Ti/

You have to remember even though the One X will be better than any console made before, they're still targeting the console crowd. It will just be a better stepping stone to PC than any other alternative. Console gamers are used to low FPS and LOD, so I doubt it will bother them, especially since they're getting 4k and HDR. That's been the response of even PS4 players with upscaled to 4k games at lower FPS. No doubt the response will be even better on One X with true 4k and higher FPS. They're targeting people looking for a lower price point that don't mind some compromises.


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## Vya Domus (Jul 22, 2017)

Frag Maniac said:


> Console manufacturers live in a different world than others, because you know they're talking 30 FPS. They may tell you some games run at 4k60, but they aren't promising all games will. Graphics power of 6 TFLOP capability as mentioned is same as 980 Ti, and a 980 Ti can play a lot of games at much better than 30 FPS. If you want 60 FPS and any level of future capability at 4k though, it takes more like 1080 Ti power.
> 
> However TPU's 980 Ti bench over the 21 games tested averaged 53 FPS @ 4k, and only dropped below 30 FPS on a couple games. Plus console games are not made the same as PC games. Their game world's are often smaller with less interactive objects (doors that don't open), and they don't have as high LOD, so there's more popins. This all means they can cram more 4k titles in than you could on a PC with such spec.
> 
> ...



I didn't say that . You quoted me by mistake.


----------



## Frag_Maniac (Jul 22, 2017)

Vya Domus said:


> I didn't say that . You quoted me by mistake.


Sorry, fixed it.


----------



## AsRock (Jul 23, 2017)

Well i am less forgiving, they said they could do 4k native 60fps which is not the truth.  Any thing i buy and find that it is not what it claims goes right back, even more so when it cost $400-$500.

I can see the current ones being replaced pretty soon to so they can do 4K better with improved graphics.


----------



## Frag_Maniac (Jul 23, 2017)

AsRock said:


> Well i am less forgiving, they said they could do 4k native 60fps which is not the truth.  Any thing i buy and find that it is not what it claims goes right back, even more so when it cost $400-$500.
> 
> I can see the current ones being replaced pretty soon to so they can do 4K better with improved graphics.


Saying they can do 4k60 doesn't mean they're promising that for every title. They don't have total control over the way all devs develop their games, especially AAA non exclusive titles.

Anything you buy..., yeah, but you're also a PC gamer with higher standards, so consoles don't really apply to you. I just see this as a positive step up in the console realm. It doesn't mean I'm going to buy into it.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Aug 1, 2017)

Frag Maniac said:


> And what you fail to understand is the same applies with the PS4 Pro, thus it's still 1.8 TFLOPS behind. You're going by nothing but sites that claim real world specs. You don't even acknowledge that many devs, whom know full well what kind of hardware is required for 4k, have already said the One X is more suited to 4k than the PS4 Pro.
> 
> LOL, foot in MY mouth? Even Sony's own spec admits it's not a true 4k player. What you don't get is you can't go by YouTube's player. There are ways to trick YouTube into using higher bit rate. Just by outputting a 1080p capture to 2048x1152, you can make it look better than a 1080p upload. And just because the player  plays a vid at 4k doesn't mean it hasn't been doctored by upscaling. I imagine your eyes aren't even good enough to tell the difference between true 4k and upscaled 4k, given what you've said.
> Odd of you to say since none of what you said there addresses the topic, and is obviously more fanboyish than anything I said. You don't win an argument by just implying MS is evil, and Sony isn't, without giving any reasons whatsoever. MS lifting their restrictions first revealed at initial launch on One, and working hard on backward compatibility doesn't just  happen out of the blue, they are decisions made by actual people that head Xbox. If anyone's acting like a dense, biased fanboy, it's you.
> LOL, no, that was you overreacting to my saying MS is the only one putting up a decent console with One X. You were the one that wanted to turn it into a MS vs every other console pissing contest, and none of what you said had any validity.  This is what happens when gamers think YouTube is the end all be all for judging video quality.


And you called ME a fanboy. Wow..


Vya Domus said:


> MS officially announced core count and clock speeds , from who do you expect proof ? It's a technical specification , here is the formula : core count x clock speed x 2 = number of FLOPS. There is no such things as a need for independent proof or "technologically reasonable ".





Vya Domus said:


> ??? 40*64*1172*2 = 6000640 aka 6 TFLOPS , why are you all so doubtful of this ? I don't get it.


That is *NOT* how FLOPS are calculated. Not all IC's are created equal and there is no one set universal formulae for calculating FLOPS. Just like there is no universal formulae for calculating IPC. Each platform must be tested independently. Careful there sub-genius, your ignorance is showing.


----------



## Vya Domus (Aug 1, 2017)

lexluthermiester said:


> And you called ME a fanboy. Wow..
> 
> 
> That is *NOT* how FLOPS are calculated. Not all IC's are created equal and there is no one set universal formulae for calculating FLOPS. Just like there is no universal formulae for calculating IPC. Each platform must be tested independently. Careful there sub-genius, your ignorance is showing.



Nice thorough explanation on why I am wrong mate. I just love these comments.

That *IS *precisely the formula for *peak *floating point operations per second. That is the absolute limit of what the hardware can provide with no  software overhead. And it is the only objective measurement you can make for raw processing power.

That is because not all pieces of code can make perfect use of the hardware. Every "independent test" will provide a level of performance relevant only within the context of the test itself and in relation to how optimized it is and what you are trying to achieve with it.

There are algorithmic aspects that need to be taken into account as well , you can write a piece of sequential code that will prove that a Titan Xp is a piece of shit , similarly you can make use of the data parallelism these GPUs are design around and make it look like an absolute beast.

"Independent testing" is in no way suggestive enough to infer from it how capable the hardware is overall.

All I have to say is gain some serious knowledge buddy, for your own sake. Otherwise don't go around and pretend like you know what are you talking about.

Till then you won a place on the ignore list for insulting me for no reason in a incredibly poor attempt to prove your point.


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## lexluthermiester (Aug 1, 2017)

Vya Domus said:


> Nice thorough explanation on why I am wrong mate. I just love these comments.
> 
> That *IS *precisely the formula for *peak *floating point operations per second. That is the absolute limit of what the hardware can provide with no  software overhead. And it is the only objective measurement you can make for raw processing power.
> 
> ...


I've been working in this industry longer than you've been alive and am well aware of how things work. You are incorrect about how FLOPS are calculated, even for peak values. Your proposed mathematical equation fails to account for all possible variables between different calculation/function operations from platform to platform and even between different products within platform. Microsoft's declared TFOPS are literally a marketing number that have no bearing on real world performance. And the reason I've not offered anything more in this conversation is simple, I don't need to. Anyone who understands how compute operations function knows that Microsoft's declared numbers are a marketing fantasy and that your suggested "math" for estimating FLOPS is nonsense. If you wish to continue rambling on, it's a free world.


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## Frag_Maniac (Aug 1, 2017)

All this claimed genius, yet you can't fathom the difference between 4k upscaling and true 4k. Even your screen name is odd. Lex wasn't the master, Superman was. The only one "rambling on" here is you, and clearly out of an over inflated ego.


----------



## Vayra86 (Aug 1, 2017)

lexluthermiester said:


> True
> 
> Except that AMD is not making the claims. Microsoft is, and they are well known for fudging numbers and out-right lying for marketing advantage. Given the *known* capabilities of existing AMD APU's, 6TFLOP's seems a dubious claim. 4.6 TFLOP's is a more realistic number, again based on known facts.
> 
> ...



Don't know man, I do disagree that a 4.8 - 4.2 difference is a small gap. That's like jumping to a higher tier GPU. And with the knowledge of where the consoles stand performance wise, that is quite huge. This can be the difference between upscaling something and not doing so, especially for lighter games. And we also know that with these measly Jaguar cores every small bit of performance is going to help overall, in a big way and at the moments where it counts.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Aug 1, 2017)

Frag Maniac said:


> Lex wasn't the master, Superman was.


That was weak.


Frag Maniac said:


> The only one "rambling on" here is you, and clearly out of an over inflated ego.


Yup, that's gotta be it. Irony much?


Vayra86 said:


> Don't know man, I do disagree that a 4.8 - 4.2 difference is a small gap. That's like jumping to a higher tier GPU.


Exactly. Not the earth-shattering jump in performance Microsoft is making it out to be.


Vayra86 said:


> And with the knowledge of where the consoles stand performance wise, that is quite huge. This can be the difference between upscaling something and not doing so, especially for lighter games. And we also know that with these measly Jaguar cores every small bit of performance is going to help overall, in a big way and at the moments where it counts.


Those are good points. And to be clear, I do think that Scorpio is an improvement over the last generation of SoC, but there is no way that four extra GPU compute cores[40 vs 36 over PS4Pro] running 200ish mhz faster are going to equate to 31% greater performance. The laws of physics apply. It's just not going to happen.

Here the thing though, if Microsoft delivers on the KB&M support for the platform and the rumor of KB&M patches for the Halo games, I'm all in. Don't really care what the specs are if the games are good. Lack of KB&M support is why I stopped playing FPS's on consoles. Controllers are cumbersome as hell for FPS games and some gamers refuse to play in such a way, me included. Give us KB&M support and the whole thing changes.


----------



## Frag_Maniac (Aug 1, 2017)

lexluthermiester said:


> Lack of KB&M support is why I stopped playing FPS's on consoles. Controllers are cumbersome as hell for FPS games and some gamers refuse to play in such a way, me included. Give us KB&M support and the whole thing changes.


I don't disagree that it's the worst thing about consoles, but I find it really odd anyone would say it's a reason to stop playing on consoles. More like a reason to not  play on them to begin with, until now, IF One X really does get proper KB/M support. Not too convinced of that yet really.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Aug 1, 2017)

Frag Maniac said:


> I don't disagree that it's the worst thing about consoles, but I find it really odd anyone would say it's a reason to stop playing on consoles. More like a reason to not  play on them to begin with, until now, IF One X really does get proper KB/M support. Not too convinced of that yet really.


To be fair, I gave it a shot on the original Xbox with Halo1 & 2[and again recently with the Master Chief Collection], along with a few others. But this was AFTER having been a PC gamer for half a decade. FPS games are FAR more fun to play on PC. After Xbox/PS2/GameCube I gave up on FPS's and RTS's on consoles. KB&M support is a deal breaker. And I agree, Microsoft has a habit of saying one thing and then doing another, or just doing nothing.

EDIT;
After discussing this with a few coworkers, we have arrived at a conclusion. The only way Scorpio could do 6 TFLOPS is if they used the GPU and 6 of the CPU cores to do floating point calculations. Sony's estimations are based only on GPU compute numbers, but when you factor in the same scenario, the PS4Pro using it's GPU and 6 of it's CPU cores, the rough numbers are about 5.5 to 5.6 TFLOPS. But really, how many devs are going to do FLOP on CPU? None. So the 6 TFLOPS estimation by Microsoft is technically true, but Sony's numbers are more honest/realistic as they represent the scenario that devs will most likely use.


----------



## Frag_Maniac (Aug 2, 2017)

lexluthermiester said:


> To be fair, I gave it a shot on the original Xbox with Halo1 & 2...


My idea of trying consoles is when I'm at a friend's place and he shoves his gamepad in my face, no doubt looking to humiliate me since he knows I suck with them. That said, even though I did better than I expected I would in some cases in a boss bloater fight in The Last of Us, and some events in NFS Rivals where I kicked his ass, there's just too many awkward feeling moments as well where it's epic fail time to ever want to own one. And even IF One X gets proper KB/M support, I still think I'm better off with a PC.

As for the TFLOPS thing, I don't recall AMD ever just blatantly lying about such spec, including claiming it's all GPU power instead of shared with CPU. They'd be setting themselves up for lost sales, and there's no way in hell MS would be charging $100 more than Sony if it din't have significantly more power.

So all else I'll say on that is we shall see when it launches. Anyways, this has already distracted from the thread topic enough, and since we disagree on main points, I see no reason to continue diverting the conversation.


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## ZenZimZaliben (Aug 2, 2017)

Nothing beats a controller for Fighting/Driving/Flying/Scroller games though...regardless of platform. 

This Atari box is looking less and less appealing. Other than nostalgia I don't see much of a point. I hope they push this out with more than they have presented with so far.


----------



## Frag_Maniac (Aug 3, 2017)

ZenZimZaliben said:


> Nothing beats a controller for Fighting/Driving/Flying/Scroller games though...regardless of platform.


I tested that theory on GRID 2 by buying a friend's original Xbox controller cheap. While it did arc turns more smoothly, it was just too slow in response to correct small mistakes as well as a KB. The result was mistakes got amplified and I ended up wagging into walls. The way some of the better devs build algorithm filters for KB into their race games anymore, they drive pretty well. It really depends on the game and what the player is used to.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Aug 3, 2017)

ZenZimZaliben said:


> Nothing beats a controller for Fighting/Driving/Flying/Scroller games though...regardless of platform


Going to agree to a point. Speaking from experience, nothing beats a quality steering wheel for driving games and nothing beats a flight stick for flight/space sim games.



ZenZimZaliben said:


> This Atari box is looking less and less appealing. Other than nostalgia I don't see much of a point. I hope they push this out with more than they have presented with so far.


Not much is known about it yet. Give them time.


Frag Maniac said:


> It really depends on the game and what the player is used to.


So very true.


----------



## R0H1T (Aug 10, 2017)

It's alive. It's alive... It's alive


----------



## Frag_Maniac (Aug 10, 2017)

Artas1984 said:


>


^This just makes me sad that Bill Paxton passed away recently. He was awesome in Training Day.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Aug 23, 2017)

Frag Maniac said:


> ^This just makes me sad that Bill Paxton passed away recently. He was awesome in Training Day.


Couldn't agree more.


----------



## WhiteNoise (Mar 23, 2018)

This will be on my stand for sure. Too many fond memories for it not to be.


----------



## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Mar 23, 2018)

Gorgeous

is that your pic?


----------



## biffzinker (Mar 23, 2018)

It's from their press kit.

Atari VCS Press Kit -
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zNLuVdC-ASgQlT1Ff8Ebuj1B1qy6UL0L


----------



## erocker (Mar 23, 2018)

I can 3d print one and throw a Bristol Ridge APU in it myself for a fraction of the cost... I really like the controllers though!


----------



## silentbogo (Mar 23, 2018)

My worst expectations of this project came true. According to all the vague vagueness from the mouth of ataribox VCS team it seems like it's gonna be a boring linux box without content.
Also, april is a re-launch of the campaign, so for the past year they couldn't even come up at least with some solid lies about the ongoing progress. Only changed the name, kept the old chassis design and did not even confirm that it's a 100% x86_64 platform. So the worst case scenario is that it may as well be a bigger OUYA with some mundane by today's standards Helio x20 or (I seriously hope not) Allwinner A63  onboard. So far all we have is "It's probably going to be somewhere between Shield and Switch" (e.g. in an overestimated ballpark of Tegra X1). Given the current price on TX1 and projected price of Ataribox I seriously doubt that it's actually based on Tegra, and the only cheap x86 alternatives w/ equivalent performance are Atom X5 and last-gen Carrizo.


----------



## Assimilator (Mar 23, 2018)

Any console launch without exclusives is going to fail and I'm not seeing anything that suggests Atari have a plan in that regard. Unless they're going to try and emulate the S/NES Mini's retro games take, which I somehow don't think is gonna work with Pong unless all the hipsters decide to buy it.



erocker said:


> I can 3d print one and throw a Bristol Ridge APU in it myself for a fraction of the cost... I really like the controllers though!



And it would probably be faster than what they'll go with...


----------



## Jetster (Mar 23, 2018)

Will it be called the Atari 2700? Or the Atari II


----------



## FordGT90Concept (Mar 24, 2018)

erocker said:


> I can 3d print one and throw a Bristol Ridge APU in it myself for a fraction of the cost... I really like the controllers though!


Buy Xbox 360 controller?  Looks pretty much identical.  Even down to the ABXY layout.

Oh, you're talking about the joystick.  That really comes down to quality of the joint.  Most long sticks like that are made with cheap plastic joints anymore which are garbage.  I highly doubt Atari is doing any better.


----------



## Recon-UK (Mar 24, 2018)

I am rather excited at this news wow.


----------



## AsRock (Mar 24, 2018)

i bet they are not built as robust as they were then.


----------



## las (Mar 24, 2018)

It's confirmed to be as weak if not weaker than Switch aka pretty much useless without exclusives.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Mar 24, 2018)

las said:


> It's confirmed to be as weak if not weaker than Switch aka pretty much useless without exclusives.


Citation please.

Oh and for the record, the Switch is not "weak".


----------



## Recon-UK (Mar 24, 2018)

las said:


> It's confirmed to be as weak if not weaker than Switch aka pretty much useless without exclusives.



Do you consider hardware weak? or bad games weak?

Playstation 2 was weakest of the bunch in it's generation of consoles yet sold the most and has a vast library of excellent titles people still play to this day.

Don't judge a machine like this on hardware alone.


----------



## silentbogo (Mar 24, 2018)

lexluthermiester said:


> Citation please.
> 
> Oh and for the record, the Switch is not "weak".


Quote from IGN:


> “It might play the original Call of Duty but it might not play the latest Call of Duty, we’re just not sure yet,” says Michael Arzt, COO of Atari. “I can’t give you what percentage we are to completion … that’s something that’s very subjective and we’d rather underpromise and overdeliver.”
> 
> “It will be somewhere in between an Nvidia Shield and the Nintendo Switch,” Frederic Chesnai, Atari’s CEO, assures us. “In terms of specs, obviously, not in functionality.”



And there is a big gap between Shield and Switch (e.g. Tegra K1 and Tegra X1). E.g. nearly 50% more SoC performance and double the graphics horsepower.
So, it's like saying that the new iPhone XXX will be somewhere between Lenovo S60 and Xiaomi Mi6 in terms of performance. 
Total nonsense. 

Shield TV is down to $199 in its base configuration (which is faster than Switch due to lax thermals on X1), so I have no idea whattaf#$%k Atari is thinking.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Mar 24, 2018)

silentbogo said:


> And there is a big gap between Shield and Switch (e.g. Tegra K1 and Tegra X1). E.g. nearly 50% more SoC performance and double the graphics horsepower.


As I possess devices with both chipsets, 50% performance difference is crazy inaccurate. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out how wrong that is. The K1 has 4(+1) cores running at 2.3ghz with the GPU at 192 cores running at 950mhz(in my device). The X1 has the 4+4 core CPU config but only running at 1.9ghz+1.3ghz with the GPU having 256 cores running at 1000mhz. While there is improvement, it is not 50%. And the benchmarks bare that out. Generally there is between 25% and 30% improvement depending on the task. Both of my devices are Android based and both are connected to UHD displays. While the K1 based system doesn't keep up with it's big brother, it has no problems running anything I throw at it, from tough to run games and emu to UHD video.


silentbogo said:


> So, it's like saying that the new iPhone XXX will be somewhere between Lenovo S60 and Xiaomi Mi6 in terms of performance. Total nonsense.


No, that statement was total nonsense.


silentbogo said:


> Shield TV is down to $199 in its base configuration (which is faster than Switch due to lax thermals on X1),


And? The Shield doesn't come with any software/games. Atari will be including a bunch of games from past system libraries. That's were the value comes in.


silentbogo said:


> I have no idea whattaf#$%k Atari is thinking.


If the new Atari RetroVCS(or whatever they end up calling it) is based on K1, it will run anything Atari has ever made with flawless effort and will be more that capable of running anything new Atari is working on, which if rumors are even halfway true, will include a remake/sequel to Primal Rage and/or the Iron Soldier series, either of which will draw attention.


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## silentbogo (Mar 24, 2018)

lexluthermiester said:


> And it doesn't take a genius to figure out how wrong that is. The K1 has 4(+1) cores running at 2.3ghz with the GPU at 192 cores running at 950mhz(in my device). The X1 has the 4+4 core CPU config but only running at 1.9ghz+1.3ghz with the GPU having 256 cores running at 1000mhz.


Also don't forget that K1 is kepler-based, while X1 is maxwell-based, which contributes immensely to this difference. I'm not taking my numbers out of thin air. Benchmarks for both chipsets have been out for awhile now (geekbench, antutu, 3DMark, various synthetics etc.) Just google it.



lexluthermiester said:


> No, that statement was total nonsense.


Why? Cause I'm comparing a fictional device with two randomly taken devices and a performance gap as wide as Proxy Paige's butthole a barn door? Well, that's exactly what Atari did, and made it even more confusing by adding things, like "it's not going to be a console per-se", and "it’s a much more casual device ".



lexluthermiester said:


> And? The Shield doesn't come with any software/games.


Wut? Having a library of Android games and GeForce Now service is not enough? You get nearly 60 free PC games on GFN, which is more than XBL and PSN offers for their premium services.



lexluthermiester said:


> Atari will be including a bunch of games for past system libraries. That's were the value come in.


Which ones? Pong and Asteroids? Alone in The Dark?


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 24, 2018)

silentbogo said:


> Just google it.


Like this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegra I've run the benchmarks myself. That is where my numbers come from.


silentbogo said:


> performance gap as wide as Proxy Paige's butthole a barn door


You're trying to make mountains out of mole-hills. The difference is significant, but not huge. You missed the point about the K1 being a capable SOC. So what if it isn't the "latest and greatest", if it's damn good and well supported, who cares. The world isn't the same as it was even 10 years ago. You don't need cutting edge anymore to make something fun, engaging and beautiful. Look at the PS1, PS2, Wii and the Switch. All of those systems were the slowest of their respective generation of hardware and yet each has an amazing library of software.


silentbogo said:


> Wut? Having a library of Android games and GeForce Now service is not enough?


I have three Shield devices and no. The quality titles are ones you have to pay for generally. The free stuff is fluff for the most part. And Google Play is the same, the quality stuff you pay for.


silentbogo said:


> Which ones? Pong and Asteroids? Alone in The Dark?


Really? That's the best response you can muster? Try looking up the game title lists for the 2600, 5200, 7800, Lynx, Jaguar, Arcade titles not to mention the Atari PC series. If none of those games appeal to you, then you wouldn't be impressed with this system no matter what the specs and you're wasting your time & effort berating a system the specs of which aren't even known.

It would be easier for you to say; "Hi, I'm LoudBongo, I hate Atari and this system is crap because I don't like them. Everyone else should hate them with me."


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## silentbogo (Mar 24, 2018)

lexluthermiester said:


> It would be easier for you to say; "Hi, I'm LoudBongo, I hate Atari and this system is crap because I don't like them. Everyone else should hate them with me."


Apparently you have more faith in Ataribox than Atari themselves. I hope this blind fanboyism does not make you short of $300 sometime in the near future.
I'm gonna end this pointless argument before it gets out of hand and I start calling names and punching monitors. "Loudbongo" signing off.


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 24, 2018)

silentbogo said:


> Apparently you have more faith in Ataribox than Atari themselves.


No, it's called optimism and objectivity. I'm not going to call something garbage until it's actually seen the light of day. Atari has had it's share of successes and has done things right in the past, some of it recent. If they do this right, it'll be a cool little system. Thus my optimism.


silentbogo said:


> I hope this blind fanboyism does not make you short of $300 sometime in the near future.


Yet another brilliant expression. That's it? That's all you got? Calling me a fanboy. 


silentbogo said:


> I'm gonna end this pointless argument before it gets out of hand and I start calling names and punching monitors.


Really says more about you than anything else. You're the one being a jerk. 


silentbogo said:


> "Loudbongo" signing off.


That's probably best..


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## sepheronx (Mar 26, 2018)

If it could sport the Tegra X1, that would be great.  Would be a cool device and lots of potential.  But, as usual, wait and see.


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## r9 (Mar 26, 2018)

Microsoft and Sony have so much resources it's hard for any company to match them. 
Nintendo are doing a good job but Atari is no Nintendo.


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## silentbogo (Mar 26, 2018)

I guess I'll come back one more time for some more info: according to some reports from GDC conference Atari stated that it will be AMD Bristol Ridge APU. Though, no word on whether it's a mobile APU, or a low-power desktop APU. With current size and venting of the proto-box I suspect it can be an infamous FX-9800p capped at 15W (which is still not too bad for a 4K entertainment system, but not enough for FHD gaming).


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 27, 2018)

silentbogo said:


> which is still not too bad for a 4K entertainment system, but not enough for FHD gaming


There seems to be a difference of information floating around. There's been a ton of talk about them going with the ARM platform, thus the talk of K1. Rumors are rumors, we all know how that goes. Still, if they're going to go with an AMD SOC, they'll likely go with something a bit newer, but that's just speculation.


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## silentbogo (Mar 27, 2018)

lexluthermiester said:


> There seems to be a difference of information floating around. There's been a ton of talk about them going with the ARM platform, thus the talk of K1.


Well, at least we have some progress - AMD A10 Bristol ridge is more or less confirmed. Though, still no word on other specs.


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 27, 2018)

r9 said:


> Microsoft and Sony have so much resources it's hard for any company to match them.
> Nintendo are doing a good job but Atari is no Nintendo.





silentbogo said:


> Well, at least we have some progress - AMD A10 Bristol ridge is more or less confirmed. Though, still no word on other specs.


Cool! Hadn't seen that. IMO, A10+Linux based OS=Decent little system. Still leaning on the optimistic side.


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## dj-electric (Mar 27, 2018)

*raises hand*

Am i the only one completely unimpressed with this device?
I mean, i see almost no redeeming features in this. Its too weak for modern games (not inc indie), and too strong for retro gaming.

I really really don't get it. This seems like a potentially huge flop.


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## WhiteNoise (Mar 29, 2018)

dj-electric said:


> *raises hand*
> 
> Am i the only one completely unimpressed with this device?
> I mean, i see almost no redeeming features in this. Its too weak for modern games (not inc indie), and too strong for retro gaming.
> ...


As long as it flops onto my media stand I'm good.


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 29, 2018)

dj-electric said:


> Am i the only one completely unimpressed with this device?


No, but as stated above if you're not impressed, this isn't for you. Don't take me wrong, I'm not a huge fan of Atari. They've done some good things. However, I know quite a few people who are big fans of them and I see this as something they would greatly enjoy. So my optimism isn't personal as mush as it is excitement I feel for them, and they are excited. Having said that, if they get it right and offer good value for the platform, this will a fun system and I might just get one for myself.


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## WhiteNoise (Mar 29, 2018)

For me the Atari was my first game console. I had the 2600 at release. It was the most amazing thing to me back then. I have logged countless hours on that console during rainy days and whenever my parents let me. Just having a new Atari in my future makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Being able to share it with my kids...especially my 3 year old son is going to be a lot of fun.


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 30, 2018)

WhiteNoise said:


> For me the Atari was my first game console. I had the 2600 at release. It was the most amazing thing to me back then. I have logged countless hours on that console during rainy days and whenever my parents let me. Just having a new Atari in my future makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Being able to share it with my kids...especially my 3 year old son is going to be a lot of fun.


Exactly. For those who love the old systems, this is something to be excited about. Not everyone will get it.


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## Vayra86 (Mar 30, 2018)

dj-electric said:


> *raises hand*
> 
> Am i the only one completely unimpressed with this device?
> I mean, i see almost no redeeming features in this. Its too weak for modern games (not inc indie), and too strong for retro gaming.
> ...



It probably will flop, or just serve a very specific niche. Either way, this isn't going to make any sort of dent in the gaming market as it is now.

In reality its nothing special, just an emulator and retro looks, a plastic box with new hardware in it running old stuff. Any PC can do this.


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## lexluthermiester (Apr 4, 2018)

Vayra86 said:


> It probably will flop, or just serve a very specific niche. Either way, this isn't going to make any sort of dent in the gaming market as it is now.


Atari isn't tending to take the gaming scene by storm. And it seems clear you are not the audience for this product. This sentiment is, like the others who have expressed similar, pure pessimism. Until the specs and package details are released it is negative and pointless to render any judgment.


Vayra86 said:


> In reality its nothing special, just an emulator and retro looks, a plastic box with new hardware in it running old stuff. Any PC can do this.


The same was said about the NES-Mini and SNES-Mini and look how that turned out. I have each and really like them. And in respect to the PC point, this little system is going to be an authentic Atari brand product, which is important to some people.


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## Vayra86 (Apr 4, 2018)

lexluthermiester said:


> Atari isn't tending to take the gaming scene by storm. And it seems clear you are not the audience for this product. This sentiment is, like the others who have expressed similar, pure pessimism. Until the specs and package details are released it is negative and pointless to render any judgment.
> 
> The same was said about the NES-Mini and SNES-Mini and look how that turned out. I have each and really like them. And in respect to the PC point, this little system is going to be an authentic Atari brand product, which is important to some people.



The NES and SNES mini turned out exactly like what I'm saying, they suffer from latency and horrible ergonomics, because it really just is an el cheapo plastic box with a bit of branding and super weak hardware. Of course there is a horde of fans buying them, but that doesn't represent any type of quality except nostalgia. That's also clearly what Atari is betting on here.


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## lexluthermiester (Apr 5, 2018)

Vayra86 said:


> they suffer from latency


What latency would that be? If you're talking about the 20ms difference between the SNES Mini and a real SNES(I have both), that is equal to 20/1000th's of a second, or 1/500th of a second if you prefer. No human being on the face of the Earth can distinguish 1/500th of a second in real time. So I'm calling FUD on that one.


Vayra86 said:


> horrible ergonomics, because it really just is an el cheapo plastic box with a bit of branding


Your opinion, not shared by all, or even most.


Vayra86 said:


> and super weak hardware.


The hardware does exactly what it was designed to do, play SNES titles, giving an enhanced yet authentic experience to the player. And it does this well, perfectly as far a I can tell.


Vayra86 said:


> but that doesn't represent any type of quality except nostalgia.


Not true. Have you actually used a NES or SNES Mini? The build is solid, and is of high quality materials, better than the originals IMO.


Vayra86 said:


> That's also clearly what Atari is betting on here.


I don't doubt it. And as was said before, if they get it right they'll have a cool little system on their hands. Even if they only tweak Nintendo's example, they will succeed and the VCS will be something fun and interesting.


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## Vayra86 (Apr 5, 2018)

lexluthermiester said:


> What latency would that be? If you're talking about the 20ms difference between the SNES Mini and a real SNES(I have both), that is equal to 20/1000th's of a second, or 1/500th of a second if you prefer. No human being on the face of the Earth can distinguish 1/500th of a second in real time. So I'm calling FUD on that one.



20ms is quite a lot, that is also on top of the 20-30ms added by even the fastest HDTV.


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## lexluthermiester (Apr 6, 2018)

Vayra86 said:


> 20ms is quite a lot, that is also on top of the 20-30ms added by even the fastest HDTV.


With my TV in game mode, the real SNES has 70ish ms, with the SNES mini it's 90ish(averages). That's less than 1/100th of a second total latency. For classic gaming, you're not going feel the difference. Even modern gaming, it isn't bad. Could be better true, but it could also be a ton worse. If Atari gets it in those ranges, it will be good.

Here's another perspective as well, but before I continue, see these;
















Granted, both reviewers had their complaints but the C64 Mini seems to be a quality bit of kit. This is what most people are hoping for with Atari's VCS, but much better.


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## Vayra86 (Apr 6, 2018)

lexluthermiester said:


> With my TV in game mode, the real SNES has 70ish ms, with the SNES mini it's 90ish(averages). That's less than 1/100th of a second total latency. For classic gaming, you're not going feel the difference. Even modern gaming, it isn't bad. Could be better true, but it could also be a ton worse. If Atari gets it in those ranges, it will be good.
> 
> Here's another perspective as well, but before I continue, see these;
> 
> ...



Ah I see where the disconnect is now between us. I am comparing input lag to the original, analog experience, you are comparing it on HDTV's only. Regardless, 90ms = 6 frames @ 60 fps which is significant, and 70ms = 4.6 frames... of course, for some casual gaming 'it will do' but it is worse than any other gaming setup you can find.


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## lexluthermiester (Apr 6, 2018)

Vayra86 said:


> Ah I see where the disconnect is now between us. I am comparing input lag to the original, analog experience, you are comparing it on HDTV's only.


Oh ok, that makes sense. However, in game mode most displays are as responsive as CRT displays or only slightly off.


Vayra86 said:


> Regardless, 90ms = 6 frames @ 60 fps which is significant, and 70ms = 4.6 frames...


I think your math might be off. 1ms=1/1000th of a second. So 90ms is equal to less than 1/100th of a second which is less than 1 frame every second, at 60hz. The input lag wouldn't become noticeable until above 100hz. This is something I started testing to see if there was any truth to the frame lag issues people complained about years ago only to discover it was real.


Vayra86 said:


> of course, for some casual gaming 'it will do' but it is worse than any other gaming setup you can find.


I can't fully agree with that. I've been gaming since the early day of the original Atari VCS released in the late 70's and tech today is far better than it ever has been, as long as you buy the right equipment.


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## Vayra86 (Apr 7, 2018)

lexluthermiester said:


> Oh ok, that makes sense. However, in game mode most displays are as responsive as CRT displays or only slightly off.
> 
> I think you math might be off. 1ms=1/1000th of a second. So 90ms is equal to less than 1/100th of a second which is less than 1 frame every second, at 60hz. The input lag wouldn't become noticeable until above 100hz. This is something I started testing to see if there was any truth to the frame lag issues people complained about years ago only to discover it was real.
> 
> I can't fully agree with that. I've been gaming since the early day of the original Atari VCS released in the late 70's and tech today is far better than it ever has been, as long as you buy the right equipment.



16.67ms is the frame time of a single frame at 60 fps. If you have 90ms delay, you are 90/16.67 = 5,39 frames behind on input, which is nearly 10%.

At 30 fps you can halve that number, but it is still significant and as a measurement of time the delay is of course equal. However, at 30 fps you have half the opportunity to register an input as well.

You can translate this to 'normal seconds' all day but there is a reason people seek to minimize input lag and this is it. Real seconds can take 'extremely long'; have you ever fallen off a great height? You know how people always describe that as 'the seconds seemed to take forever' or how in that brief moment 'life passes by before them'? Heightened awareness and concentration creates a different perception of time and allows us to respond fast - really fast. Our brain can process information extremely fast, only our physical response is limited.

Latency is a strange beast, but what you have to consider is that the pipeline is much longer than the numbers you see on the box of individual components and in a regular setup its extremely likely that the best possible figure is not attained, even with the use of game modes. Some processing cannot be disabled and only a small minority of HDTVs have a fast response time even in game mode.

Comparing this to an entirely analog pipeline, which is really a direct, raw input data stream with no postprocessing in the pipeline (it all happens on the console), its a completely different experience. The biggest factor here is that all analog pipelines are more or less equal, while a digital pipeline can vary in numerous ways.


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## lexluthermiester (Apr 7, 2018)

Vayra86 said:


> 16.67ms is the frame time of a single frame at 60 fps.


Oops. You're right. LOL! I'm a mathematician, should not have made that error. My bad. 
Gotta do some retesting to make sure all the math was right. More after the break...


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## lexluthermiester (Apr 8, 2018)

Ok, finished retesting this morning and discovered I'd originally made a mistake in how the fps are calculated. The camera being used was shooting 240fps and I was calculating for something else. So the number were understandably off. The actual response rates are 40ish ms average for the original SNES and 55ish ms for the SNES mini and the same for NES mini. I got curious and tested the same games in the Wii VC and WiiU VC and the results were interesting. The Super Mario World in the Wii VC were around 70ms and the WiiU VC improved to about 65ms. Interesting stuff.

Hopefully, Atari can get their numbers close to these.


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## WhiteNoise (Apr 23, 2018)

You guys are making my head hurt. lol.


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## therealmeep (May 30, 2018)

Bump on this guy with all the tech specs and all along with pre-order being open.
Pre-order: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/atari-vcs-game-stream-connect-like-never-before-computers-pc#/
Specs:
Operating System Linux OS based on Ubuntu (Linux Kernel 4.10) 
Compatible Systems Linux 
Power Low TDP architecture - Less Heat & Noise 
Connections HDMI 2.0, 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Gigabit Ethernet, 4xUSB 3.0 External Inputs Classic Joystick, Modern Controller, Microphone
Storage 32GB eMMC, external HD, SD card
RAM 4GB DDR4 RAM 
Memory 32GB eMMC
CPU Bristol Ridge A1
GPU Radeon R7 
HDCP Integration HDCP 2.2

Those APU numbers mean that hopefully its an A12 9800E or an A10 9700, kinda disappointed it's not zen based but meh.
This dude looks like it should be a killer box with the ability to do emulation, and should be a decent htpc if nothing else, not to mention the pretty cool looking design aesthetic.


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## eidairaman1 (May 30, 2018)

therealmeep said:


> Bump on this guy with all the tech specs and all along with pre-order being open.
> Pre-order: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/atari-vcs-game-stream-connect-like-never-before-computers-pc#/
> Specs:
> Operating System Linux OS based on Ubuntu (Linux Kernel 4.10)
> ...



It was deved before zen. Perhaps if this model is popular enough they will release zen based models...


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## silentbogo (May 30, 2018)

therealmeep said:


> Those APU numbers mean that hopefully its an A12 9800E or an A10 9700, kinda disappointed it's not zen based but meh.


At least it's not some leftover Kabini SoCs. 
Pretty sure that the desktop A12-9800E is out of question. At most it could be an A12-97x0p or FX-9800p capped at 15W TDP (hint - "_Low TDP architecture_").
And we (at least the ones who tried Carrizo-based HP Envy laptops), already know how well that performs in games.


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## biffzinker (May 30, 2018)

New Intellivision console is coming, more details on October first.
https://www.theinquirer.net/inquire...-the-latest-classic-console-making-a-comeback


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## therealmeep (May 30, 2018)

eidairaman1 said:


> It was deved before zen. Perhaps if this model is popular enough they will release zen based models...


At least on their roadmap they still have a prototype or 2 to go, and this appears to be a fairly standard am4 system (except socket), so I would think that in the next year or 2 specs could change.


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## lexluthermiester (Jun 5, 2018)

Bump

More info has come to light;
https://www.techspot.com/news/74866-atari-vcs-pre-orders-go-live-indiegogo-hit.html

Even though that article references $1.75million, at the time of this posting the fund has raised $2.53million and has 25 days left. That number is ever on the uptick as the project gains backers every few seconds.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/atari-vcs-game-stream-connect-like-never-before-computers-pc#/

Seems like it's a thing after all. Looks cool too! Thinking I prefer the Onyx version, but know of a certain someone(LGR) that will likely dig the wood-grain version. Wonder if he'll get one..
Obligatory YouTube video from the article;


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## WhiteNoise (Jun 5, 2018)

Pretty expensive.


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## lexluthermiester (Jun 6, 2018)

WhiteNoise said:


> Pretty expensive.


Did you watch the youtube video from the project managers? AMD APU, most likely Jaguar, like the ones in XBO and PS4Pro. And at a base price of $199 for a linux-based system, how is that expensive?


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## erocker (Jun 6, 2018)

It won't be worth a thing unless they can get with publishers/developers to bring games to it that can't be run on an Android device.


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## lexluthermiester (Jun 6, 2018)

erocker said:


> It won't be worth a thing unless they can get with publishers/developers to bring games to it that can't be run on an Android device.


Given that it's X86 and Linux based, Steam and GOG will be options, if they do it right.


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## biffzinker (Mar 19, 2019)

The Atari VCS is delayed again until the end of 2019 due to the Excavator? APU being swapped for a Ryzen APU. I'm guessing their going with something similar to the Athlon 200GE?

"This upgrade will translate to better overall performance in a cooler and quieter box — all with minimal impact to our manufacturing processes.

"While additional specifications about the new AMD processor will be announced closer to launch, be assured that the new AMD Ryzen processor is a much better fit for this project in multiple ways and will further enable the Atari VCS to deliver on its promise to be a unique and highly flexible platform for creators."

https://www.theinquirer.net/inquire...-again-in-order-to-upgrade-the-amd-ryzen-chip


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 19, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> The Atari VCS is delayed again until the end of 2019 due to the Excavator? APU being swapped for a Ryzen APU. I'm guessing their going with something similar to the Athlon 200GE?


Seems like a step in the right direction.


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## metalfiber (Mar 25, 2019)

I still got my 2600 and 80+ games from when i was a kid. Plus accessories like rapid fire dongles, wireless controllers, and a trackball controller for Millipede. I'd have to do research on how to hookup the 2600 to a modern day tv to even play the thing again.

I just hope this next Atari isn't some kind of vaporware or anything close to what the Jaguar was.


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 25, 2019)

metalfiber said:


> I just hope this next Atari isn't some kind of vaporware or anything close to what the Jaguar was.


That's been a concern of some people. I think they're taking things carefully because they know everyone is watching and they want to build the Atari name, not damage it. I am cautiously optimistic on this one. A lot of lessons have been learned from the past and it "seems" like Atari is putting their best foot forward on this project.


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## kastriot (Mar 25, 2019)

Atari had it's glory days and that's it, it was fun while it lasted, no  more cookies.


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## lexluthermiester (Mar 25, 2019)

kastriot said:


> Atari had it's glory days and that's it, it was fun while it lasted, no  more cookies.


It would seem the crowd-funding disagrees. But hey, if you don't want one, don't buy one.


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## Vayra86 (Mar 25, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> The Atari VCS is delayed again until the end of 2019 due to the Excavator? APU being swapped for a Ryzen APU. I'm guessing their going with something similar to the Athlon 200GE?
> 
> "This upgrade will translate to better overall performance in a cooler and quieter box — all with minimal impact to our manufacturing processes.
> 
> ...



Fools and money shall be parted... look at all those other retro console releases. Its a one-off and they end up on a shelf collecting dust fast. There is no continuous development for it, there is no real platform support. This getting postponed for a CPU upgrade tells me enough, this reeks of dead on arrival.


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## silentbogo (Mar 25, 2019)

...and still no prototype. It's pathetic, even by the "new" Atari standards. Even Smach Z managed to glue together some resemblance of the working system.

Regarding the CPU: don't hold your hopes high. Dual-core Zen mentioned in update is most likely V1202b, which only has 3 Vega CUs. With this kind of money involved, I highly doubt it's some miraculous "pinkie-swear-not-off-the-shelf" custom SoC.


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## biffzinker (May 23, 2019)

Here's a look at the controllers.








						Peripherals Update: Designed for Atari VCS, in partnership with PowerA
					

Atari VCS Classic Joystick and VCS Modern Controller updates!




					medium.com
				












						Atari's VCS controller is what you would expect, but its joystick is not
					

Earlier this month, we highlighted some of the most memorable game controllers of the last four decades. Right at the top of the list was the Atari...




					www.techspot.com


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## lexluthermiester (May 23, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> Here's a look at the controllers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Based on the buttons it would seem likely that they are going with Android as a base for their OS. I think that is a great choice if they do it right, kinda like the NVidia Shield.


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## NdMk2o1o (May 23, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Based on the buttons it would seem likely that they are going with Android as a base for their OS. I think that is a great choice if they do it right, kinda like the NVidia Shield.


I could of sworn recently I'd read it would be Linux based but I could be wrong..


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## lexluthermiester (May 23, 2019)

NdMk2o1o said:


> I could of sworn recently I'd read it would be Linux based but I could be wrong..


Android is based on the Linux kernel, so this would still be true.


----------



## Vario (May 23, 2019)

I agree with @lexluthermiester I would bet on an Android base just for the Game Library as much as anything.  Probably similar to the Shield.


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## NdMk2o1o (May 23, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Android is based on the Linux kernel, so this would still be true.


I know this though so is osx, I meant a custom Linux os and not android specifically, though it was a few weeks back so I can't be sure, though it could well be a custom android build also


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## Chomiq (May 23, 2019)

If it continues like this the thread will have to be renamed to "Atari is working on its console for 20 years"


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## lexluthermiester (May 23, 2019)

NdMk2o1o said:


> I know this though so is osx


OSX is Unix/BSD based.


NdMk2o1o said:


> I meant a custom Linux os and not android specifically, though it was a few weeks back so I can't be sure, though it could well be a custom android build also


I think that was last year. The idea that it's going to be Android based is a great idea IMHO.


----------



## biffzinker (Jun 12, 2019)

PC Perspective said:
			
		

> It has been several years in the making but we may finally see the new Atari VCS this coming March, after numerous delays as well as hardware changes.  Inside the box will be either an Xen based AMD Embedded R1606G with two cores and four threads with a maximum frequency of 3.5GHz, Vega 3 Graphics at 1.2GHz and a 12-25W TDP or the Embedded R1505G which also has two cores and four threads, but tops out at 3.3GHz with the same TDP and a Vega 3 running at 1GHz.
> The two chips will be capable of providing 4K @ 60Hz, something the original Atari’s would consider absolute madness but is perfect for today’s TVs.  They will be available at GameStop.com, Walmart.com, and AtariVCS.com, with delivery of your new console some time in March 2020, to distract you from the citizens of a near future London.








Source: https://pcper.com/2019/06/240074/


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 12, 2019)

This is looking like it might be a very cool thing and not vaporware like has been bemoaned. Betting the ram upgradeablity will be in standard DIMM form.


----------



## Kissamies (Jun 12, 2019)

Isn't that modern controller just a third party Xbox One pad?


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 12, 2019)

Chloe Price said:


> Isn't that modern controller just a third party Xbox One pad?





It's got a similar design, but it's doubtful to have the same internals. I like the look of it.


----------



## Kissamies (Jun 12, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> View attachment 124781
> I like it.


Me too, my point just was that there's nothing *that* special about it


----------



## biffzinker (Jun 12, 2019)




----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 12, 2019)

Chloe Price said:


> Me too, my point just was that there's nothing *that* special about it


Beyond the aesthetics, not really and that's a good thing in my book. Solid and reliable design that is comfortable? Yes please!



biffzinker said:


>


Much better picture! I'm liking the D-Pad design.


----------



## silentbogo (Jun 12, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> This is looking like it might be a very cool thing and not vaporware like has been bemoaned.


Do you, guys, realize that 2 years later you are still drooling over 3D renders of VCS, instead of market-ready "Ataribox"?
Even on last week's fluff piece on FOX Business their CEO brought a shell of the old prototype, which means that this "new and upgraded" version still has no prototype with only 6 months left 'till supposed release.



lexluthermiester said:


> Betting the ram upgradeablity will be in standard DIMM form.


If it ever comes out, it'll have DDR4 SO-DIMM(one slot), like on AMD R-series evaluation board, cause realistically that's the only thing they can glue-in on a short notice, given that the SoC series only got announced this April.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 12, 2019)

silentbogo said:


> Do you, guys, realize that 2 years later you are still drooling over 3D renders of VCS, instead of market-ready "Ataribox"?
> Even on last week's fluff piece on FOX Business their CEO brought a shell of the old prototype, which means that this "new and upgraded" version still has no prototype with only 6 months left 'till supposed release.
> 
> If it ever comes out, it'll have DDR4 SO-DIMM(one slot), like on AMD R-series evaluation board, cause realistically that's the only thing they can glue-in on a short notice, given that the SoC series only got announced this April.


Why in blue blazes do people feel the need to be a debby-downers all the time? Push off, quit your moanin' and if it turns out to be a dud, then fine. But it's not some tiny company that no one knows anything about, this is Atari who in recent years has done well and earned a good reputation.


----------



## biffzinker (Jun 14, 2019)

Engineering Prototype

Arstechnica has news piece up on the Atari VCS.



> While hackers won't be able to replace the system's central APU chip, *the internal SSD and RAM can be easily accessed and replaced with standard parts*, providing at least a modicum of "future-proofing," representatives said.


Turns out Android isn't the OS after all.


> Sandbox mode will also let VCS users access the system's Linux 5.0 kernel directly and, with a mouse and keyboard plugged in to two front USB ports, and even develop their own games to submit to Atari's platform. Any game designed to run on *Ubuntu* should be playable on the VCS, representatives said, though developers may have to make slight changes to work with the VCS' full screen display buffer.











						Atari’s new VCS isn’t a console, but it isn’t quite a computer either
					

Quixotic, $250 system is targeting tinkerers, user-generated content, March launch




					arstechnica.com


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 14, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> View attachment 124927
> Engineering Prototype
> 
> Arstechnica has news piece up on the Atari VCS.
> ...


Well that's not bad either. A bit disappointing though. Android would have been an excellent base OS. I want that prototype shell though!


----------



## advanced3 (Jul 3, 2019)

A super expensive Raspberry Pi.


----------



## WhiteNoise (Jul 3, 2019)

Price seems a bit much. Not sure I see the point at that price. I hope the MSRP is just that...an MSRP and the actual cost is a bit easier to take.


----------



## Vayra86 (Jul 3, 2019)

advanced3 said:


> A super expensive Raspberry Pi.



Its really just another underpowered PC with a controller, or did I miss something...


----------



## CJCerny (Jul 3, 2019)

I think their biggest challenge is that the nostalgia for the old 2600/VCS just isn't there anymore. Those of us that grew up with them as kids are now in our 50's and have lots of other stuff to occupy our time, not to mention the fact that 2600/VCS games were so simple that they just can't hold your attention for more than a few minutes. If it was $29 and the form factor was a 2600/VCS joystick with a HDMI output and all the 2600/VCS titles released built in, I would buy one as a stocking stuffer.

If it is intending to compete with the Xbone and PSX with all new titles, they had better get going on the titles and hope for some lucky breaks, especially with indie developers. They haven't exactly been terribly clear about what you are supposed to be able to play on this box. It's a mess.


----------



## R-T-B (Jul 3, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> View attachment 124781
> It's got a similar design, but it's doubtful to have the same internals. I like the look of it.



Why not?  Xbox one presents as a generic bluetooth gamepad.  It'd be cheaper to just use that controller with some custom theming.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jul 3, 2019)

R-T-B said:


> Why not?  Xbox one presents as a generic bluetooth gamepad.  It'd be cheaper to just use that controller with some custom theming.


Good point.



CJCerny said:


> I think their biggest challenge is that the nostalgia for the old 2600/VCS just isn't there anymore.


That's not true. The nostalgia has faded a bit, but there's still enough to justify the new VCS. Keep in mind, there will be MUCH more than just 2600/5200/7800 games for it. There will be some Jag/JagCD titles and it's rumored to get some Lynx titles along with all of the new stuff in development. Atari themselves have also stated that the VCS will also be able to run Windows 10, Linux and Android. Wondering how they're going to do that. Likely seperate bootable partitions in the onboard storage or perhaps bootable external storage.


----------



## WhiteNoise (Jul 4, 2019)

@CJCerny 

Speak for yourself lol I'm only 46 and had the 2600 when it released...I'm no old grumpy 50 something yet!


----------



## Hotobu (Jul 8, 2019)

CJCerny said:


> I think their biggest challenge is that the nostalgia for the old 2600/VCS just isn't there anymore. Those of us that grew up with them as kids are now in our 50's and have lots of other stuff to occupy our time, not to mention the fact that 2600/VCS games were so simple that they just can't hold your attention for more than a few minutes. If it was $29 and the form factor was a 2600/VCS joystick with a HDMI output and all the 2600/VCS titles released built in, I would buy one as a stocking stuffer.
> 
> If it is intending to compete with the Xbone and PSX with all new titles, they had better get going on the titles and hope for some lucky breaks, especially with indie developers. They haven't exactly been terribly clear about what you are supposed to be able to play on this box. It's a mess.



I have to agree with this. Currently retro may be "in", but that's purely asthetics. Atari 2600 games are WAY to simple to be taken seriously now. Even games with super simple (to practically non-existent) narratives like Sonic or Mega Man at least give the player a reason for playing, and they have levels. Many 2600 games are single screen top score based, and I seriously doubt many people care about that. Leaderboards are a thing, but not the main thing. As for Indie games, that's probably a pipe dream too because the Switch has that locked down. Lynx and Jaguar? Those were awful systems. I challenge anyone (without looking them up) to name 5 games between those systems that were commercially successful, worth playing now, or were the best version of a multi-console release. Everything about this sounds like Palm trying to re-release the Palm Pilot.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jul 8, 2019)

Hotobu said:


> I have to agree with this. Currently retro may be "in", but that's purely aesthetics. Atari 2600 games are WAY to simple to be taken seriously now. Even games with super simple (to practically non-existent) narratives like Sonic or Mega Man at least give the player a reason for playing, and they have levels. Many 2600 games are single screen top score based, and I seriously doubt many people care about that. Leaderboards are a thing, but not the main thing. As for Indie games, that's probably a pipe dream too because the Switch has that locked down. Lynx and Jaguar? Those were awful systems. I challenge anyone (without looking them up) to name 5 games between those systems that were commercially successful, worth playing now, or were the best version of a multi-console release. Everything about this sounds like Palm trying to re-release the Palm Pilot.


Oh man, you need to take a closer look at the 2600 library. There are many a game that had surprising amounts of depth to them. Adventure, Frogger, River Raid, Pitfall, Stargate(the Defender clone, not the TV show) and I could go on with that list.


----------



## silentbogo (Jul 8, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Oh man, you need to take a closer look at the 2600 library. There are many a game that had surprising amounts of depth to them. Adventure, Frogger, River Raid, Pitfall, Stargate(the Defender clone, not the TV show) and I could go on with that list.


It's not that Atari anymore, just the name. They don't even own the IP for most the games you've mentioned (only for "Adventure"), and even then the IP alone is of no use.
They don't have a dedicated game dev staff, and given last year's comical Tempest situation they can't even communicate with their subcontractors.


----------



## Hotobu (Jul 8, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Oh man, you need to take a closer look at the 2600 library. There are many a game that had surprising amounts of depth to them. Adventure, Frogger, River Raid, Pitfall, Stargate(the Defender clone, not the TV show) and I could go on with that list.



...no, no I don't need to look, please stop. They're extremely shallow. I did forget to mention Pitfall as probably being one of the only games that could hold up, but the rest of those games wont hold the attention of anyone that didn't grow up with them for more than 10 minutes. They're all pretty terrible even by mid 90s standards. They have no music, and share the same pool of about a dozen sound effects. In adventure you-are-a-dot. Frogger is a single screen score based game. Some of the rest of those have scrolling screens at least though. Trying to hail 2600 games as being worthy of being played now is the equivalent telling anyone reading this to make their replies via manual typewriter and mail them. That sort of thing had it's place, but it's passe. Some things were only good for their time. Atari 2600 is one of those things. 


There will be some outliers, but for the most part the only people who would be interested are people 45+. The amount of them that still game or would care to play 2600 games is likely extremely small. Still it's a moot point because I don't think they even own some of those anymore seeing as they ended up as practically being on life support from so many commercial failures.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jul 8, 2019)

silentbogo said:


> It's not that Atari anymore, just the name.


And?


silentbogo said:


> They don't even own the IP for most the games you've mentioned (only for "Adventure")


They have license for it them. Atari has managed to snag the distro rights for almost the entire 2600 library.


silentbogo said:


> and even then the IP alone is of no use.


Oh please explain...


silentbogo said:


> They don't have a dedicated game dev staff, and given last year's comical Tempest situation they can't even communicate with their subcontractors.


That is a nay-sayer argument that has little merit.


Hotobu said:


> ...no, no I don't need to look, please stop.


LOL!


Hotobu said:


> but the rest of those games wont hold the attention of anyone that didn't grow up with them for more than 10 minutes.


Your opinion, impossible to objectively prove.


Hotobu said:


> In adventure you-are-a-dot.


True, a dot that has to run around the map collecting items(you can only hold one at a time) to help find the Golden Chalice and return it to the Yellow Castle, all the while a bat flies around stealing any item it sees and on top of that there are three dragons running around trying to eat you. On top of that, all of the items are in different locations each time you play.


Hotobu said:


> Frogger is a single screen score based game.


Single screen yes, however every level the traffic gets more challenging as does the river. It can get repetitive, but shallow?

Wait I thought you weren't going to take a look? 



Hotobu said:


> Trying to hail 2600 games as being worthy of being played now is the equivalent telling anyone reading this to make their replies via manual typewriter and mail them.


That analogy not only doesn't work, but also makes about as much sense as an oral bowel-movement.


Hotobu said:


> That sort of thing had it's place, but it's passe. Some things were only good for their time. Atari 2600 is one of those things.


Technology snobs be snobbish.


Hotobu said:


> There will be some outliers, but for the most part the only people who would be interested are people 45+. The amount of them that still game or would care to play 2600 games is likely extremely small. Still it's a moot point because I don't think they even own some of those anymore seeing as they ended up as practically being on life support from so many commercial failures.


Blah blah blah... Do you honestly think 2600 games are the only games included?  

If you're going to render opinions on things like this, many you should do research first...


----------



## advanced3 (Jul 8, 2019)

Atari 2600 games are way to boring to base a system off. Even the Jaguar was garbage and had zero decent games. I recently installed a bunch of Atari ROMs and has soon as the nostalgia wore off ( about 10 minutes) I realized they're just not fun anymore.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jul 8, 2019)

advanced3 said:


> Even the Jaguar was garbage and had zero decent games.


That's not true either. The Jag was far from my list of "Great Systems", but on all fairness it had some great titles. AVP, Iron Soldier series, Primal Rage and it had one of the better versions of Doom on any of the consoles and those just the one I've played. 

Listen folks, you all are trying to argue a point that is pointless. If you don't like the system, DON'T buy it. Talking smack about it to people who are already interested comes of as little more than whiny trolling. Let it go.


----------



## StrayKAT (Jul 8, 2019)

Eh, I don't care about nostalgia. I just think Atari has a great brand and could compete on modern terms if things aligned right. They've made massive mistakes over the years that never allowed them to capitalize on it, but the brand never died despite that. Whether that's consoles though, I don't know. I like the idea, but it's probably another mistake. They should just follow Sega's footsteps (software powerhouse). They've tried that too, but it could be better.


----------



## advanced3 (Jul 9, 2019)

I'm just as confused as Atari on what this actually is though. Its really an expensive niche product that I don't really see a need for. Didn't Steam Also try getting into consoles...didn't go to well, Oh and that other one there the Ouya.

 I'll give you AVP as being the best game on the Jaguar, Doom I had played to death well before Jaguar so it didn't impress me as much.


----------



## StrayKAT (Jul 9, 2019)

advanced3 said:


> I'm just as confused as Atari on what this actually is though. Its really an expensive niche product that I don't really see a need for. Didn't Steam Also try getting into consoles...didn't go to well, Oh and that other one there the Ouya.
> 
> I'll give you AVP as being the best game on the Jaguar, Doom I had played to death well before Jaguar so it didn't impress me as much.



Well, to be fair, Valve are incompetent.

No, really. They've all but consigned themselves to two games and mostly identify as a merchant now. Actual software development is half-assed. They can barely be bothered to update their app, let alone build an operating system. And they've left some of their beloved game properties to rot in cliffhanger hell, and now mostly focus on microtransactions for CSGo and Dota. Maybe they thought the Linux community itself would step in and do all the work for their lazy asses, but that didn't happen.

I know nothing about Atari's development team. It could be just as bad, but simply "not knowing" about Atari gives them more of an advantage than what we know about Valve.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jul 9, 2019)

advanced3 said:


> I'm just as confused as Atari


Atari is not confused.


advanced3 said:


> Its really an expensive niche product that I don't really see a need for.


Then don't buy it. This situation is like the market for SBC's. If you have no use for one, buying one would make no sense.


advanced3 said:


> Didn't Steam Also try getting into consoles...didn't go to well, Oh and that other one there the Ouya.


There's another company that once made playing cards for much of it's history, decided to get into video gaming and changed the world, they're called Nintendo. You were saying?


advanced3 said:


> Doom I had played to death well before Jaguar so it didn't impress me as much.


Comparing Doom on PC to Doom on consoles is an unfair perspective. Of course the PC version is better. However in the console market, the Jag version of Doom is one of the better versions. Opinion on that varies from person to person, but it's generally well liked. Another thing to consider is that the VCS is going to be multi-OS compatible. You'll be able to install Windows 10, Linux, AndroidX86, etc, etc in addition to the software that the system itself runs. With the hardware they chose it's not going to be a slow performer.


----------



## biffzinker (Sep 30, 2019)

The console is still on track for a late 2019/early 2020 release Techspot was told.

Pre-production motherboard





			
				Techspot said:
			
		

> Atari has announced a partnership with Antstream Arcade to bring its collection of retro games to Atari’s upcoming console.
> As per the agreement, Atari VCS gamers will have access to an enhanced version of the Antstream app at launch. Atari said it wants the app to debut with at least 50 Atari home and arcade titles as well as the full lineup of licensed retro classics from fan-favorite consoles like the Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, NeoGeo and Nintendo Entertainment System. This is in addition to the 100+ games that’ll be provided with each complimentary copy of Atari Vault that ships with every VCS.











						Atari VCS to offer thousands of retro games via Antstream Arcade partnership
					

Atari's upcoming VCS is one of the more intriguing console launches on the horizon, partially because... well, we still don't know much about the platform or the...




					www.techspot.com


----------



## lexluthermiester (Sep 30, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> The console is still on track for a late 2019/early 2020 release Techspot was told.
> 
> Pre-production motherboard
> View attachment 132976
> ...


The ram must be on the other side.


----------



## TheLostSwede (Sep 30, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> The ram must be on the other side.


And also very far from the SoC if you follow the traces. Not sure why they'd want to do it like that.
At least it has an M.2 slot for an SSD and one for wireless. Assuming the OS will be on the eMMC (assuming that is eMMC), it looks like it will be user upgradable to a degree.
I'm curious what the chip in the top right corner is as well. 
That is, if it ever launches... Glad I didn't put money on one when it was on Indiegogo.


----------



## biffzinker (Sep 30, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> The ram must be on the other side.


The RAM can be upgraded, no soldered on RAM? One or two SO-DIMM slots on the back of the board. Two slots would be a surprise but I'm going to guess there is only one slot available.

Wonder if 4 GB is on the board leaving the option for another 4 GB through a SO-DIMM slot for a maximum of 8 GB?

Copied the link from a prior post of mine.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Sep 30, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> The RAM can be upgraded, no soldered on RAM? One or two SO-DIMM slots on the back of the board. Two slots would be a surprise but I'm going to guess there is only one slot available.
> 
> Wonder if 4 GB is on the board leaving the option for another 4 GB through a SO-DIMM slot for a maximum of 8 GB?
> 
> Copied the link from a prior post of mine.


Right, forgot about that. Think I might get the 4GB version and upgrade it.


----------



## Liquid Cool (Oct 1, 2019)

I'd be in the market for one of these, but I have reservations about this being tied to Antstream.  I'm not a big fan of companies selling me something tied to a service that I have to purchase on a monthly basis.  Maybe that is normal for people who own Playstation or Xbox consoles?  I don't know.  Although, it is something that you'd never catch me doing under any circumstances.

Click Here for Press Release about Antstream

I'm on the fence about this...

I had an Atari.  I had all of the "old consoles" up until Sega Genesis.  That was my last console I got rid of in 1994-5.  Since then...I've used my pc for gaming.  Nothing else.

I do like the looks of this device, it really bought back memories...but 280-400 for 50 old games?

I dunno.  Again...on the fence.  Really like it, but definitely on the fence.

Best,

Liquid Cool


----------



## TheLostSwede (Oct 8, 2019)

Things are looking bad...





						Game over: Atari VCS architect quits project, claims he hasn’t been paid for six months
					

Retro console a mess, may never launch, sources allege




					www.theregister.co.uk


----------



## las (Oct 8, 2019)

TheLostSwede said:


> Things are looking bad...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



LOL ..


----------



## potato580+ (Oct 8, 2019)

definetly added to wishlist, anyway what took so long, any upcoming news?
ky nevermind, i saw the bad news hmm..


----------



## TheLostSwede (Oct 9, 2019)

This suggests things might not be terrible, but still...
Also sort of explains the memory slot placement.
The M.2 slot for SSDs is SATA only, not that it should matter too much, as it's still much faster than eMMC.








						Atari VCS Plastics, Thermals, and Internals
					

A peek inside the engineering lab, factory, and the Atari VCS itself — along with some hints of what’s next.




					medium.com


----------



## silentbogo (Oct 9, 2019)

TheLostSwede said:


> This suggests things might not be terrible, but still...


That's from Atari themselves. They are mainly using Medium to post marketing fluff instead of Indiegogo or social platforms.

Few things that bloggers and youtubers were concerned about, like PCB being non-functional, are very wrong and misleading, cause just the front side pic gives me hints as to where's what. 
SoC VRM is on the backside (left edge, near feedback resistors), along with both RAM slots (to the right of SoC). On the front you can clearly see +5VSB, +3VSB and +1.2VDDR, along with something that might be a +1.8V rail for minor peripherals and SPI flash power. From my point of view everything is there and seems functional. Weird even for a prototype, but totally functional. 
Also, some youtubers nagged about ASKPCB. What they don't understand, is that ASKPCB is not some small company that makes quick prototyping for cheap, it's currently one of the biggest PCB/electronics manufacturers for various brands, nearly on-par to Compal and Winstron. Something like "plz make a couple protos for our fake Atari" is out of their scope of operations.

Regardless, just like from the very start, I'm still on the pessimistic side of things. Just from the looks of things, fulfilling Indiegogo rewards will put them another few $m in the hole. Just BOM for the components definitely seems on the edge of $249 backer price.
Plus, they still have no software. In that same Medium fluff piece they still call a bare-metal console with no OS a "sandbox mode".


----------



## biffzinker (Dec 2, 2019)

Bad news for Indiegogo backers:


> Atari’s upcoming VCS won’t make it out to early Indiegogo backers by the end of the year as originally promised. The good news is that we're talking about a delay of only a few weeks and according to Atari brass, backers should still get their units before the general public.
> 
> In a recent Medium post on the matter, Atari Chief Operating Officer Michael Arzt said that given the work that still needs to be done like final stage certification and testing, they realized they needed a few more weeks than originally anticipated.

















						Atari VCS won't be delivered to Indiegogo backers before the end of the year as promised
					

In a recent Medium post on the matter, Atari Chief Operating Officer Michael Arzt said that given the work that still needs to be done like final...




					www.techspot.com


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 2, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> Bad news for Indiegogo backers:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Seems like a minor delay.


----------



## Space Lynx (Dec 2, 2019)

Does it only play older games? If so this is a huge mistake... that market is capped out. I googled launch titles and I see nothing modern AAA :/

This thing will be dead within a year.

PS5 on other hand, sold out every where yet again... was going to get the $199 bundle for my niece but waited to long, sold out everywhere... Sony $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


----------



## Prime2515102 (Dec 3, 2019)

So it's a Ryzen APU based computer with a custom Linux distro with a console emulator and smartTV apps, with a sandbox mode so you can install Windows on it, with 32GB of storage (for the 800), 8GB of RAM, and the wifi is b/g/n all for only $390? And it's shipping in March? And it's partially made of real wood???

I'll pass, but let me know when they start selling the standalone emulator with the 100 games for $9.95 or $19.95 with the joystick.


----------



## Space Lynx (Dec 3, 2019)

Prime2515102 said:


> So it's a Ryzen APU based computer with a custom Linux distro with a console emulator and smartTV apps, with a sandbox mode so you can install Windows on it, with 32GB of storage (for the 800), 8GB of RAM, and the wifi is b/g/n all for only $390? And it's shipping in March? And it's partially made of real wood???
> 
> I'll pass, but let me know when they start selling the standalone emulator with the 100 games for $9.95 or $19.95 with the joystick.



Take care.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 3, 2019)

lynx29 said:


> Does it only play older games?


No, it'll have a wide variety of titles across all of Atari's history and library of games, including a few PC titles. There are also new titles in development for the system.


lynx29 said:


> This thing will be dead within a year.


Not a very positive outlook.


----------



## Space Lynx (Dec 3, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> No, it'll have a wide variety of titles across all of Atari's history and library of games, including a few PC titles. There are also new titles in development for the system.
> 
> Not a very positive outlook.



Just doesn't seem all that promising unless they get some third party AAA games involved, that's how the markets work and the money flows. Which is why nintendo pushed so hard for it on the Switch, and got it. They learned their lesson on Wii U about relying on first party only.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Dec 3, 2019)

lynx29 said:


> Just doesn't seem all that promising


A lot of people said the same thing about the Switch and the Wii. I'm not saying that the VCS will have the same wild success, just that it's potential is there and success can not be predicted at this time.


lynx29 said:


> They learned their lesson on Wii U about relying on first party only.


Nintendo did not intentionally rely on first party titles. Third party support waned for WiiU, in spite of it's respectable specs and capabilities.


----------



## silentbogo (Dec 3, 2019)

Prime2515102 said:


> And it's partially made of real wood???


With latest "press-release" in mind, it has no wood, and it's not even matte plastic, as promised initially. Few posts earlier there's a pic of pre-production cases made out of toy-like shiny plastic.
I'm sure Walmart will be super-happy if this is what they get past the holiday craze.  



lexluthermiester said:


> A lot of people said the same thing about the Switch and the Wii.


Nintendo is a big company with a good track for consoles and games alike, while Atari is not even Atari anymore - just a dozen or so people with IP rights to Atari stuff and brown-stained track on Kickstarter.
Plus, both consoles had some original content and a "killer app" upon release. Third-party titles started development way before console release, and some already had a good long-term investment in Nintendo-friendly franchises, like Ubisoft's Rayman series. Atari has none. They've only managed to slap together a fake gameplay of Tempest, while Llamasoft wasn't even aware that they even work on VCS port. As far as I'm aware - there is not a single thrid-party developer working specifically on VCS game, and not a single modern title that was officially announced by Atari. Zilch. None. Zero. Nada.
The only confirmed games for VCS are the classic collection, and whatever's on  Antstream (glorified emulator-streaming-as-a-service, now also fueled by tencent and microtransactions).


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## Prime2515102 (Dec 3, 2019)

silentbogo said:


> With latest "press-release" in mind, it has no wood, and it's not even matte plastic, as promised initially. Few posts earlier there's a pic of pre-production cases made out of toy-like shiny plastic.
> I'm sure Walmart will be super-happy if this is what they get past the holiday craze.



Specs still say wood: "Materials             Plastic, Metal, Wood"

The front panel looks like wood, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.


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## silentbogo (Dec 3, 2019)

Oh, boy... Just when I thought it wouldn't get any worse, it actually did (....again....). Was browsing youtube after work, and a recent video from reviewtechusa popped up. Don't really like the guy, but on occasion he has some good info and sources.

Apparently a few months ago there was a good confirmation at least on some specs, and it's even more underwhelming than i thought.
VCS 400 : Ryzen R1505G [2c/4t, Vega 3], which is nearly identical to previously speculated V1202b. 4GB DDR4. 32GB eMMC.
VCS 800: Ryzen R1606G [2c/4t, Vega 3], which is an abysmal downgrade from previously speculated  V1605b [4c/8t, Vega 8] and performs about on par with FX9800p, which was supposed to go in it initially (before pre-previous delay/upgrade). 
P.S. You can buy a brand new Ryzen 3 laptop for $300 new. Or just build a base udoo bolt v3, and you'll get a more compact and better looking system.


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## TheLostSwede (Sep 30, 2020)

How many years is it by now, as I've lost count...








						Atari VCS Is Finally Ready To Ship To Backers Anytime Now
					

Crowdfunding has helped many dreams come true but also dashed many hopes. Pretty much like investors, backers took not just the financial but also the…




					www.slashgear.com


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## Rei (Sep 30, 2020)

TheLostSwede said:


> How many years is it by now, as I've lost count...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Meh, there have been many projects that took longer than this but yeah, from a big brand company like Atari, this is taking too long. I do like the design aesthetics of the console's casing but I don't like the new name to Atari VCS. I prefer the old name "Ataribox". Which sounds like "lunchbox" or "Xbox" or "toolbox", etc.


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## lexluthermiester (Sep 30, 2020)

TheLostSwede said:


> How many years is it by now, as I've lost count...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, it took a while didn't it? At least it's finally coming.



Rei said:


> I prefer the old name "Ataribox". Which sounds like "lunchbox" or "Xbox" or "toolbox", etc.


Gotta disagree. Wouldn't want the association with Xbox at all.


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## Rei (Sep 30, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> Gotta disagree. Wouldn't want the association with Xbox at all.


True... What about AtariStation then? Or AtariCube? Ataricast? AtariU? Atarimachine? Atari's GOD DAMN Device Thingy!!!!


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## sepheronx (Sep 30, 2020)

Rei said:


> True... What about AtariStation then? Or AtariCube? Ataricast? AtariU? Atarimachine? Atari's GOD DAMN Device Thingy!!!!


Maybe go back to old days and just give it a number. Or animal name like how Jaguar was or Panther prior (which never released).  But seeing as how it's aimed at the retro (older than Jaguar), then why not something akin to 7500 but newer? Atari 9200 or something?


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## lexluthermiester (Sep 30, 2020)

sepheronx said:


> Maybe go back to old days and just give it a number. Or animal name like how Jaguar was or Panther prior (which never released).  But seeing as how it's aimed at the retro (older than Jaguar), then why not something akin to 7500 but newer? Atari 9200 or something?


Funny you should say that, because "Atari VCS" is literally the name of the first Atari console before they renamed it "2600". The current name is a throw back to the original, which I think is cool.


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## sepheronx (Sep 30, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> Funny you should say that, because "Atari VCS" is literally the name of the first Atari console before they renamed it "2600". The current name is a throw back to the original, which I think is cool.



Atari 2600 was just a bit before me. It was the Atari 5200 that I remember so didn't know it was originally called VCS.  So it's good to keep it at VCS.

Meant to initially say Atari 7800 not 7500.


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## Rei (Sep 30, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> Funny you should say that, because "Atari VCS" is literally the name of the first Atari console before they renamed it "2600". The current name is a throw back to the original, which I think is cool.


Yeah, that's right but VCS could be any of their home console since it stands for Video Console System. The name still doesn't click with me...



sepheronx said:


> Atari 2600 was just a bit before me. It was the Atari 5200 that I remember so didn't know it was originally called VCS.  So it's good to keep it at VCS.


Yeah, Atari 5200 & the one after that was also called VCS in it's marketing but I think they dropped it after.


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## lexluthermiester (Sep 30, 2020)

Rei said:


> Yeah, that's right but VCS could be any of their home console since it stands for Video Console System. The name still doesn't click with me...


Actually it stood for "Video Computer System". The term "console" didn't refer to set-top devices until the mid 80's. Of course that also depends on who you ask.


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## Rei (Sep 30, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> Actually it stood for "Video Computer System". The term "console" didn't refer to set-top devices until the mid 80's.


Close enough... It was after all a read from long time ago so I'm just remembering off the top of my head.


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## lexluthermiester (Sep 30, 2020)

For those who would like to know more, the wiki has a lot of very useful info about the history of the original VCS/2600.








						Atari 2600 - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


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## Vayra86 (Sep 30, 2020)

Oh wow, Piano glossy plastic? I thought that died somewhere around the year 2005. 'Actual product might look different on pictures' I guess... damn.

I wonder what else is subject to change, but when I read Atari is also in Hotels and numerous other wildly varying activities and businesses, all I can see and say is "Leave that sinking ship". They haven't got the slightest clue of direction left in that company. This won't end well.


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## sepheronx (Sep 30, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> For those who would like to know more, the wiki has a lot of very useful info about the history of the original VCS/2600.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I played it. I took one apart many moons ago.

I never cared for it.  Only Atari I liked was 7800.  Then again, wasn't into gaming till NES.


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## Rei (Sep 30, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> For those who would like to know more, the wiki has a lot of very useful info about the history of the original VCS/2600.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's where I learned these stuff long ago.

I just don't see much success sales-wise in the new console. They would have to compete with new techs coming out such as PS5, Xbox 4, RTX 30 series, smartphone, etc. Only niche few outside of backers would want an Atari emulator within a linux system. Atari would have to keep sales expectations low.



Vayra86 said:


> Oh wow, Piano glossy plastic? I thought that died somewhere around the year 2005. 'Actual product might look different on pictures' I guess... damn.


Yeah, first time I saw the pic long time ago, it wasn't glossy... And now it is.... I would've thought they would use the same material as the classic system. Is it cuz glossy plastic is cheaper than most?


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## lexluthermiester (Sep 30, 2020)

Vayra86 said:


> Oh wow, Piano glossy plastic?


I think it looks good, but I like the OG woodgrain look.


sepheronx said:


> I played it. I took one apart many moons ago.


So did I. My mom freaked out until I actually fixed it. She never doubted me again after that.


sepheronx said:


> I never cared for it. Only Atari I liked was 7800. Then again, wasn't into gaming till NES.


It wasn't my fav either, but it was my first game system. Let's be fair, there were a ton a solid classic games for it. "Adventure" was my fav.


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## sepheronx (Sep 30, 2020)

lol, adventure was classic but whats always hilarious is how all the titles were just your generic.  I of course played Indiana Jones on it.  No, never played ET as I didn't know anyone who had a copy.  Mostly played Combat which I think was called Tank Wars on Collecovision.


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## WhiteNoise (Nov 6, 2020)

I'd still like to own one of these. I don't like the price but with a little luck, someone else will pay retail and then sell it to me at a discount because they never use it.


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## lexluthermiester (Dec 25, 2020)

sepheronx said:


> I of course played Indiana Jones on it.


I never finished that game, could never figure it out.


sepheronx said:


> No, never played ET as I didn't know anyone who had a copy.


My mom bought one... Then she went right back to PacMan and Frogger.


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## sepheronx (Dec 25, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> I never finished that game, could never figure it out.
> 
> My mom bought one... Then she went right back to PacMan and Frogger.



I never finished majority of the games on the system.  I was far too young and It was my sisters system.  I actually didn't play much video games when I was very young.  When I got a bit older and systems like the SNES were released, I started to play video games more.


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## Rei (Dec 25, 2020)

lexluthermiester said:


> I never finished that game, could never figure it out.
> 
> My mom bought one... Then she went right back to PacMan and Frogger.





sepheronx said:


> I never finished majority of the games on the system.  I was far too young and It was my sisters system.  I actually didn't play much video games when I was very young.  When I got a bit older and systems like the SNES were released, I started to play video games more.


LOL!  I love how it took you guys nearly 3 months to reply to this thread.

I haven't checked yet but this console should already be out to the mass market by now, right?


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## lexluthermiester (Dec 25, 2020)

sepheronx said:


> I never finished majority of the games on the system.


Most games for Atari's early systems do not have a finish, or end. They just loop around on themselves.


Rei said:


> LOL!  I love how it took you guys nearly 3 months to reply to this thread.


You know how it goes, out of sight, out of mind..



Rei said:


> I haven't checked yet but this console should already be out to the mass market by now, right?


You'd think. The RONA has delayed or forced the cancellation of a lot of things. I hope the VCS is only delayed.


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## lexluthermiester (Jan 26, 2021)

Here's a teardown, tweaks & upgrades ETA Prime did on the VCS. I think this little machine is very cool!









Steve also did a teardown and had some "interesting" thoughts.


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