Tuesday, August 22nd 2023
Atari and Plaion Announce the Atari 2600+ Retro Console
PLAION, a global leading publisher and developer of video games, and Atari, one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers, are proud to announce today that the Atari 2600+ - a modern day faithful recreation of the pioneering console that first appeared in 1980 - will be launching worldwide on 17th November 2023 and available to pre-order for $129.99 (€119.99 / £99.99).
Launching with ten of the most recognized video games in Atari's history, including Adventure and Missile Command, the Atari 2600+ has been created using modern technology to authentically replicate the original 4-switch Atari 2600 Video Game System. For those looking to relive the gameplay experiences of the '70s and '80s, included with the Atari 2600+ is the CX40+ Joystick Controller, recreated with the same size and layout as the original 2600 Joystick Controller for that added touch of nostalgia.
"Preserving classic games is a priority for Atari, and the release of the Atari 2600+ will make the hundreds of Atari 2600 and 7800 games that have been released over the last 50 years universally accessible," said Atari Chairman and CEO, Wade Rosen. "PLAION's approach to a quality recreation of iconic Atari hardware made them the perfect partner to bring the Atari 2600+ to market."
"We're excited to be working with Atari to bring back the Atari 2600 and help meet the growing consumer demand for retro hardware," said Commercial Director of Retro at PLAION, Ben Jones. "For gamers who remember the thrill of playing arcade games at home for the very first time, the Atari 2600+ will take you right back. For everyone else, the offer is one of timeless fun and the chance to experience a golden age of video games in a way that could only come from Atari."
Key features include:
Source:
Plaion
Launching with ten of the most recognized video games in Atari's history, including Adventure and Missile Command, the Atari 2600+ has been created using modern technology to authentically replicate the original 4-switch Atari 2600 Video Game System. For those looking to relive the gameplay experiences of the '70s and '80s, included with the Atari 2600+ is the CX40+ Joystick Controller, recreated with the same size and layout as the original 2600 Joystick Controller for that added touch of nostalgia.
"We're excited to be working with Atari to bring back the Atari 2600 and help meet the growing consumer demand for retro hardware," said Commercial Director of Retro at PLAION, Ben Jones. "For gamers who remember the thrill of playing arcade games at home for the very first time, the Atari 2600+ will take you right back. For everyone else, the offer is one of timeless fun and the chance to experience a golden age of video games in a way that could only come from Atari."
Key features include:
- BUILDING ON THE LEGACY: The new Atari 2600+ builds on the original machine with modern quality of life features such as HDMI output, USB power and multiple screen resolutions and includes a faithful replica of the original CX40+ Joystick.
- GO BACK IN TIME: The cartridge slot is backwards compatible with hundreds of original Atari 2600 and 7800 games. The Atari 2600+ launches with a 10 Games in 1 Cartridge which includes iconic games such as Adventure, Combat, Dodge 'Em, Haunted House, Maze Craze, Missile Command, Realsports Volleyball, Surround, Video Pinball, Yars' Revenge
- LOOK AND FEEL OF THE 1980's: The Atari 2600+ has been lovingly crafted using modern technology from the movement of the joystick to the feel of the metal switches to the authentic woodgrain front panel.
36 Comments on Atari and Plaion Announce the Atari 2600+ Retro Console
Playing old games is all well and good but nobody sits 2 feet away from a tiny CRTs anymore (or wants 10ft long cables).
Using your brain iz hrd.
Still, no reason for the "10 in 1" cartridge to exist, make it an almost everything cartridge then
With that said the wire looks really short and they perhaps could offer a wireless option. As choice is always king.
That joystick was one of the worst things about the 2600, it broke so often
segaretro.org/Mega_Drive_(2017)
This machine was either loved or hated, it just depends on your personal point of view. I'd personally enjoy a restored machine with the original circuit board and hardware + a flashcart, but that's me. Fun fact; this company was the licensee for Sega in the 80's and they still manufacture and sell a variant of the Master System to this day. It never really went out of style with poorer families in Brazil.
If Nintendo ever does the same with the NES, so I could play Battle City or Lunar Ball with my dad, like I used to when I was a child, I'm all in!
They even presented it as home theatre. Twitch, jewtube and so on. Yeah, i could buy raspberry and do the same for 60 bucks...
Sadly trying to live from "that time generation" kids it is impossible to live. If they want to be relevant. Then they must have at least decent hardware and plenty of other company games.
It gets even more bland when you look at the "Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration" on STEAM, which includes 100+ Atari games. Clearly a better deal. The package doesn't only include Atari 2600 games, though. "The massive selection of over 100 games spans seven different platforms: Arcade, 2600, 5200, 7800, Atari 8-bit computers, and, for the first time ever on modern consoles, Atari Lynx and Jaguar!".
Atari 2600 games take very little storage space, you could fit all released games on a little USB stick. Or on a "open source" cartridge. If there where demand for it someone would surely develop & release one. But I really don't see it. Would be a very low demand product. Games from back then are also very primitive compared to what we have now, not a huge entertainment factor anymore. However I would love to get them all as a STEAM collection, for historical purpose. Just to dive in into the past I never experienced.
List of games for Atari consoles:
"Atari plans to use the studio’s technology and publishing expertise to ‘enhance and improve’ games from its substantial back catalog." So they are pretty much back in the game.