Atari's last gaming console was the Atari Jaguar released in 1993, but the company has recently announced a new gaming console.
What Is Atari's New Console
One of the biggest surprises of E3 was the announcement that Atari was making a new gaming console. The announcement was made shortly after a teaser trailer was released showing off what appeared to be a modern take on Atari's classic 2600 console.
Given the success of Nintendo's NES Classic and the fact that the console appears to be the Atari 2600, it is a logical assumption that Atari is merely releasing an updated version of their modern console which will have access to the 2600's library.
However, during an interview, Atari CEO Frederic Chesnais said that the console's technology would be based on tech found in PC. Both Microsoft and Sony's gaming consoles make use of PC hardware in order to make it easier for developers to port PC games to consoles.
Of course, it is also possible that Atari's new console will make use of PC hardware in order to emulate classic Atari systems. This could allow the device to function as an emulator capable of running all of Atari's classic games.
Sure, any PC can do the same thing, but one merely needs to look at the success of the NES Classic to understand the appeal of a physical machine capable of running people's favorite games. Beyond that, the NES Classic ran the NES's library far better than any emulator did.
Hopefully, we'll know more about Atari's new console soon
Atari History
Prior to the rise of Nintendo, Atari was synonymous with gaming having released its first console, the Atari 2600, in 1977. While undeniably primitive by today's standards, the system is responsible for popularizing home video game consoles and laying the foundations for what would become a billion-dollar industry.
Eventually, Atari abandoned the hardware market due to a combination of factors such as the video game crash of the 1980s and the increase in competition from the likes of Nintendo and Sega.
Atari nearly met its end in 2013 when it filed for bankruptcy, but the classic gaming company was saved by Chesnais who has worked to restore the brand's reputation. In recent year's Atari has survived via releasing titles for Android and IOS systems. Whether or not Atari's new console will restore the brand remains to be seen, but it is certainly going to be interesting to watch.
