Atari at E3 on Tuesday announced a distribution deal with GameStop and Walmart for the company’s upcoming VCS console.
The Atari VCS first went up for pre-order more than a year ago on Indiegogo, raising roughly $3 million in the process. Those systems are still on track to be delivered in late 2019, we’re told.
The new batch of consoles is offered in multiple configurations with availability based on where you pre-order from. The entry-level VCS 400 packs an AMD processor with embedded Vega graphics and 4GB of RAM. It’ll set you back $249.99. The Atari VCS 800, meanwhile, with 8GB of RAM goes for $279.99 while an “all-in” system bundle with a gamepad and a joystick commands $389.99.
As before, the price is well above that of recent retro machines like the SNES Classic or PlayStation Classic. The hook, in this case, is that it’s not just a fixed collection of games from your childhood it’s a 4K-capable machine that can play modern titles alongside the vintage ones. Whether or not it works as well as promised is another matter, but you at least won’t be stuck with whatever came in the box.
his new wave of consoles won’t be available until March 2020. Look for pre-orders to open sometime this week.
