New details have finally been revealed about theAtari VCS, formerly known as the Ataribox. Atari COO Michael Arzt took some time to explain some of the features that the long-awaited console will have at the 2018 Game Developer Conference. Pre-orders for the new console were supposed to go live last December, but the company pulled the plug at the last minute, offering an update back in March that the pre-orders will take place this month. But, there have been no updates in regard to the presale of the new Atari VCS console as of this writing.
While speaking to Eurogamer at the 2018 Game Developer Conference, Atari COO Michael Arzt revealed some new details about themysterious VCS console. Apparently, the new console is going to be a lot more than just a gaming machine. The company aims to have the new VCS work as a PC computer, home assistant, speaker, and entertainment hub. Gamers will be able tostream music and movies, much like the other consoles out there, but the big departure is that Atari aims for the VCS to be a PC that you may connect to your TV.
TheAtariVCS will be a more affordable PC with the price still in the unclear range of $250 to $300. People will be able to play the old classic Atari games along with the new PC titles. Previous announcements have claimed that the machine will be able to play “hot new indie titles,” which seems a bit vague. When it comes down to it, Atari still seems unsure of what exactly the VCS console is, leading to a lot of confusion.
More in-depth news is expected by the end of the month, according to Michael Arzt. Which means that thevideo gameconsole may actually go up for pre-orders at the end of the month as well. Arzt said that he knows that, “people want a lot of answers,” and also added that he’s, “not in a position to talk about yet that this (console) will do.” The lack of information has been disheartening for many fans who are ready for Atari to make a big comeback to engage in the console wars with Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. However, it still seems that there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the new console.
The vintage look of the Atari VCS has had fans excited since it was unveiled over the summer and now people are excited that it won’t be just like theNES or SNES Classic machinesthat only play retro games. The popularity ofReady Player One, which Atari is featured prominently in, makes now the perfect time for this new console to come out. Hopefully Atari comes through at the end of the month with more in-depth information about the VCS console as well as the long-awaited, second pre-order announcement. This report originated fromEuro Gamer.
