Remember the Atari VCS, the Linux-powered gaming console? Well it's still alive and they've decided to give it a bit of an upgrade.
After crowdfunding on IndieGoGo back in 2018, we're still not seeing a huge amount of information or overall progress being shared on how it's doing. What we do know now, is that they're getting rid of the old Bristol Ridge APU and replacing it with the much newer Ryzen which should hopefully make it a more versatile unit. This also means it will be using Radeon Vega graphics and not Radeon R7 which it was previously.
It seems they've been working with AMD on this, as the APU they're going to be using apparently has yet to actually be announced officially by AMD. From what they say it will be a 14nm, with two Zen CPU cores.
As a result of the changes, they said the North American schedule for delivering the final product has been pushed back until the end of 2019.
You can see their full post about it here.
As far as we know, the Atari VCS is still being powered by Linux with the ability to run a normal Linux distribution on it which is why it's a pretty exciting device. I just hope once they eventually ship it, that it lives up to the backers expectations. If it does turn out to be a reasonable little unit, we will happily take a look if it interests readers.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Luke_Nukem Mar 18, 2019
I do hope that this VCS becomes successful.
Wait and see. As before.
Quoting: Guesti am willing to bet this thing never sees the light of day,i feel bad for anyone that backed this.
I agree. TBH - I wouldn't bother giving them any "airtime" until at least a functioning prototype is vetted by an objective third party. Same for the new Intellivision console as well, and I'm really hoping that won't be vaporware.
When they skip Kickstarter (which requires some kind of functioning prototype), and start straight with Indiegogo, I stay away until it ships.
Beemer
ElectricPrism Mar 18, 2019
QuoteHello Fans!
The team entered the year 2019 with a lot of great momentum and excitement around the Atari VCS project, confident in our direction and progress. Atari is working with some of the top talent and companies in the business, all helping to implement the vision for both the product and all the elements that go into it.
This project’s integrity and backers’ emotional and financial investments are and will always be our top priorities. Today’s new Atari VCS blog, linked below, discusses our recent decision to upgrade to an all-new AMD chip, and its impact on the product’s delivery which is now end of 2019.
When reading the blog, we hope you all appreciate the reasons why we decided to make this upgrade and why, when given an opportunity to improve the product in exchange for a new delivery date, we chose to upgrade. Working together with project partners and stakeholders, we took the time to fully-mature this important decision before making it public. The team is listening to your comments and questions and are confident that this change positively reflects many of our fans’ and backers’ feedback.
We also acknowledge your requests for more frequent updates, but please bear in mind that Atari and its partners are constrained by mutually-agreed approval processes and other restrictions that may be legal, self-imposed, regulatory and/or some combination of these. Details about the product(s) and strategies of both Atari and its partners can and will be shared only when all stakeholders agree.
We cannot thank you enough for your support!
— The Atari VCS Team
I dont like promises and setbacks.
I know its extermemly difficult to accurately predict human resources, research, development and production but it stinks.
We literally need videos of the prototype.
Also, I pray to god their top prioities arent coddling the fragile emotions of backers.
You literally have one job to do, dont butter us up, make the fucking product work.
Quoting: Guesti am willing to bet this thing never sees the light of day,i feel bad for anyone that backed this.You're quite likely right. On the other hand, a lot of people were grumbling about the chip, so if it ever does come out, this is probably better.
Quoting: Guesti am willing to bet this thing never sees the light of day,i feel bad for anyone that backed this.
I think it will come out, Atari won't delay or lie as much as RCL did with the catastrophically bad vega + handheld nor get into legal trouble with indiegogo and the VPlus really is as bad as people say it is i have seen and used one for real it actually really hurts and the plastic is cheap and I bet the vcs wont be and everything will work.
Because it feels like a SMACH Z 2.0
What's next, some research into whether a via c3 would not have been better?
It's also going to put them straight back at square one with development: no way in hell are they going to get it shipped in 2019.
Last edited by emphy on 18 March 2019 at 11:27 pm UTC
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