The Linux-powered Atari VCS will accept pre-orders May 30th, shipping next year

Quoting: elmapulthe console is small.
there is no space for heat dissipation, and eve if it have enough space, it dont have space for many transitors.
if you can fit 1000 transitors i 1cm, you can fit 2000 in 2cm.

small device=weak, this thing will flop, everything is saying that its a scam

I didn't see "just kidding" anywhere in your post. Maybe you forgot to add it. :P

The ASUS Tinker Board (just an example) is a single board computer that can do 4K @ 30fps and the board's footprint is as big as a credit card. This is 2018. It was 1974 when we could fit 2000 transistors per square cm. In a computer the size of the Atari VCS we can certainly fit enough technology to do significantly better than the Tinker Board.

Anyway, we can't expect to play Crysis in 4K @ 60fps on this console, even if Crytek comes up with a GNU/Linux build. So playing old games at high resolution and frame-rate is easily achievable with AMD graphics in a box that size. What we don't know is what else can be played with the thing they're building. They say "a full range of popular modern titles" and that's laughable considering they didn't even mention one, but expect people to pre-order.

They clearly haven't settled on the final version of the hardware for this console.

QuoteRetro-inspired, but not a “retro-box,” the Atari VCS will be a fully customizable entertainment experience. This means access to a vast array of games, media and streaming content options. As an homage to the past, Atari VCS covers the classics with the included Atari Vault of more than 100 classic games, including all-time arcade and home entertainment favorites like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Breakout®, Missile Command®, Gravitar® and Yars’ Revenge®; a growing list of games, especially a full range of popular modern titles, will be announced at later dates.

[...]

Atari appreciates the community’s intense curiosity about VCS games and content, hardware specifications, production timelines and other key information, and is confident that it is putting the right pieces in place for a successful product and launch.

It's not a scam, but it would dumb to pre-order something as vague as what they announced. I appreciate what they trying to do, I can hardly wait for it to be properly introduced, but their communication strategy is terrible. Getting people excited, failing them with a campaign, leaving them in the dark for a long time, then coming up with marketing talk and a "next spring" announcement is definitely bad.

From what we know so far, the only selling point and true value is "the included Atari Vault" and the retro feeling of the console. Everything else can be done with another console or a PC. So I wonder if there's anything else worth having that can't be achieved with other platforms. Because it's a tough competition out there, with interesting consoles and gaming devices that are a lot of fun.

What would set them apart from the crowd would be a partnership with GOG. As long as the Atari VCS comes with a GNU/Linux distro on an x86 CPU, adding DRM-free in the equation would make them a lot more interesting. It would be great if the Atari Vault would become available on GOG (DRM-free). At the same time, they could build a partnership to develop GOG Galaxy for Linux, or even an official GOG Downloader for Linux. It's one full year, so if they come up with that kind of partnership then people would be much easier convinced to pre-order, knowing that their investment goes into the development of something cool on multiple fronts, even outside the Atari VCS project.

Let's say the people who pre-order get access to alpha/beta builds of the VCS and GOG software developed in the process, for testing and feedback purposes. And if the pre-order people add a few more bucks/euros, they will get some goodies when the Atari VCS gets launched. GOG can easily work out some deals (even non-Atari) to cover the goodies on their part, and Atari could offer special discounts for Atari games on GOG. Win-win-win!

Share your thoughts about what could possibly motivate you to pre-order.


Last edited by kneekoo on 1 May 2018 at 2:22 am UTC

Quoting: elmapulThe console is small. There is no space for heat dissipation... everything is saying that its a scam

Since I expect the CPU and GPU to be a single APU, heat should be less of a issue. Also IIRC one of the new AMD Ryzen APUs with Vega graphics runs at like 60 watts or something really low like that.

These are good indicators that it's entirely possible that heat will not be too much of an issue in most moderately aired indoor environments.

Quoting: kneekoo... their communication strategy is terrible. Getting people excited, failing them with a campaign, leaving them in the dark for a long time, then coming up with marketing talk and a "next spring" announcement is definitely bad.

I think this is a indicator that the people running the show are engineers first and marketers second or not at all. In any case -- it actually is a good sign in that sense indicating that it's not a scam and that it has a chance on turning out right vs some BS marketing fad hype-train with 0 product.

Quoting: kneekooWhat would set them apart from the crowd would be a partnership with GOG.

I strongly suggest you tweet them asking for this feature. Since it is in the development phase, this sort of partnership would need to begin development soon and likely have huge benefits for both sides.

I expect GOL someone to do a decent review of the hardware once it comes out.

Still waiting for it and what possibly it could offer :)


Last edited by hardpenguin on 1 May 2018 at 7:15 am UTC

I doubt the 4k support is for indie games. They probably expect the device to double as a media center machine.

sounds to me like a glorified android box..... O_o;
if you have something to show, believe me you show it to potential clients! You don't ask for their money promising games from the 2600 era on a 200$ console.

What should take a small team of engineers, designers and sales people long to produce an almost off-the-shelf small steam box? Historically, Atari did not take long (also with a small team) getting their Atari 520STM designed and into production 25 years ago. Even starting from scratch I think they can do it in less than a year. My plan for the year (not too serious):
1. Take 3 Months in getting hardware sorted.
Off the shelf parts working as a mini-steam-machine on a bench (e.g. Ryzen 3 2200, low-profile mini-itx motherboard).
Sort out simple cooling solution and simple wall-wart type PSU.

2. Take 3 months in getting software sorted.
Get licences to a few older Linux games and Atari Vault.
Get Valve support and agreement to use Atari branding on SteamOS.
Check software works on Platform and fix.

3. Take 3 months in finding a capable Chinese Manufacturer/Integrator.
Get good supply deals and do Q.A. on prototypes.

4. Take 3 months in getting marketing and sales channels operational.
Launch plan and early press release of units.

I doubt we will see a Ryzen 2200G or even 2200GE. It would make no sense to use a socket processor for a embedded system. Especially because a Embedded Ryzen was announced in February for gambling hall computers.

I would love to see a Ryzen V1605B (like in the Smash-Z) but with the price tag of "only" 200$ I'm afraid it could be only a V1202B which wouldn't be capable enough to play most steam games. But maybe they really have a deal with AMD and design a cross over of both designs: "V1205B" - a 2 core cpu with Vega 8?!

If somebody has a notebook with an Ryzen 5 2500U. You could give some intel what FPS you currently have in games. Would be very interesting to read!

" The Atari VCS platform will offer support for 4K resolution, HDR and 60FPS content, "
in other words, 4k videos not gaming, or retro gaming in 4k...

Quoting: kneekoo

Quoting: elmapulthe console is small.
there is no space for heat dissipation, and eve if it have enough space, it dont have space for many transitors.
if you can fit 1000 transitors i 1cm, you can fit 2000 in 2cm.

small device=weak, this thing will flop, everything is saying that its a scam

I didn't see "just kidding" anywhere in your post. Maybe you forgot to add it. :P

The ASUS Tinker Board (just an example) is a single board computer that can do 4K @ 30fps and the board's footprint is as big as a credit card. This is 2018. It was 1974 when we could fit 2000 transistors per square cm. In a computer the size of the Atari VCS we can certainly fit enough technology to do significantly better than the Tinker Board.

you dont get the point, i dont know the number of transitors and i didnt specify if it as 2cm² or 2cm³ either.
the issue is, there is nothing that you can do in an small device that you cant do better on a bigger one, they could make something more powerfull but instead chose to make something compact.

this thing is not what going to give us more triple A games, the multiplatform Triple A that we are missing from the current gen, so what is the point of this thing? an indie box for the price of an ps4? thanks but no, if i want to help linux i will spend those 200 U$D in games instead of this thing that contribute nothing to us.
there is no atari fanboy out there anymore after so many time without an new console and with the miss use that they did with they franchise in an atempt to come back to the modern generation.

do you really think that atari can compete with sony, ms and nintendo?
with an smaller device launched in the midle of the generation?