Atari VCS Now Available in Stores – Here are details you need to know

Have you played Atari today? – said no one since 1983.

Atari has just announced (via Twitter) that its crowdfunded console, the VCS, is now available for purchase through Best Buy, GameStop, Micro Center, and the official Atari website.

The console was pitched on Indiegogo nearly two years ago. The campaign raised over three million dollars and, after several delays and a whole lot of controversy, began shipping to backers in late 2020. Described as a “hybrid” device by Atari, the VCS is a game console that can also be set up as a fully functioning PC.

In the default Atari Mode, players are able to play over one-hundred Atari 2600 and Arcade classics via the Atari Vault – the console’s pack-in title. Several reimagined classics, including Jetboard Joust and Missile Command: Recharged, along with several independent games, including Danger Scavengers and Something Ate My Alien, are also available for purchase from the console’s storefront. Retro game streaming service AntStream comes built in (but requires a subscription for full access), and other game streaming services, like Stadia, are also supported. Games can be played with both the Classic Joystick (if supported by the game) and Modern Controller, and certain games take advantage of the peripherals’ rumble and LED light effects.

The PC mode allows users to install operating systems, including Windows and Ubuntu, among others. Chrome is built-in, allowing for web browsing and supported plug-ins, using a keyboard and mouse setup or the Atari VCS Companion App for ease of navigation. Atari touts the VCS can be made into an “open and customizable PC experience”, making the console into a perfect emulation box, or even gaming PC, thanks to its upgradable hardware.

Can the VCS carve out a niche in the market now that it will be sharing shelf space with the Switch, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5? (Okay, probably just the Switch. Series X and PlayStation 5 aren’t on store shelves and probably won’t be for some time.)

The Atari VCS Base System is available for $299.99, and the Atari VCS All-In Bundle, which comes with both a Modern Controller and Classic Joystick, is available for $399.99. You can find the specs and a breakdown of the console’s capabilities, as well as the official Atari Shop, here.