Preorders for the Atari VCS, formerly known as the Ataribox, will soon open, but there is still a sense of mystery surrounding the device.
The Atari VCS is certainly generating a lot of buzz, but without specific information on what it will offer to users, it is very hard to determine whether it is worth the $199 price tag.
Atari VCS Presale Launches May 30
Atari announced that the presale of the Atari VCS, formerly known as the Ataribox, will start on May 30. The initial preorders for the device will be placed exclusively on the Indiegogo platform.
There will be two versions of the Atari VCS. The first one, the Atari VCS Collector's Edition, features a woodgrain front bezel that was inspired by the original Atari VCS and will only be available for a limited time during the preorder period. The second one is the Atari VCS Onyx, which switches out the retro look with a modern, all-black design. Both versions of the Atari VCS will come with a Classic Joystick and a Modern Controller.
The Atari VCS price for preorders will be $199, with the price to increase after the initial quantities are sold. It is expected that the retail price of the console will increase to between $249 and $299.
What Do We Know About The Atari VCS?
Atari is all set to launch preorders for its mysterious device, but the Atari VCS specs, for both hardware and software, are still mostly unknown.
The company is positioning the Atari VCS as both an Atari retro console and a modern entertainment platform, with access to both classic and new games as well as other forms of media. The device will support 4K resolution, 60 frames-per-second content, and HDR output and will have both onboard and expandable storage options. It will also have USB 3.0, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0 support.
Atari also announced that the console will come with a copy of Atari Vault, which includes over 100 classic games such as Asteroids, Breakout, Centipede, Missile Command, and more.
However, it remains to be seen how Atari will be bringing all these known hardware and software specifications together. It looks like the Atari VCS will do a little bit of everything, and it remains to be seen whether that will resonate with customers, especially with a starting price tag of $199.
The initial Atari VCS shipments are expected for the spring of 2019. Hopefully, between then and now, Atari provides customers with a complete picture of what device will offer.
