Brief: Atari has just announced a new retro gaming console based on Linux. It will be available in Spring 2018 and is expected to cost between $249-$300.
The good old gaming company Atari is back in news. They are planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign for their proposed gaming console called Ataribox.
The retro-gaming console, Ataribox, plans to run Linux based operating system on its device that is expected to be released in Spring 2018. The gaming console will have a selection of Atari arcade games as well as the ability to play games from different platforms. It is expected to cost between $249 – $300 depending on its specifications or configurations.
As per the details revealed so far, Ataribox will have a custom AMD processor and Radeon Graphics. It will also have apps, streaming, music, web browsing and social features like any other gaming console.
For those who do not know, Atari built world’s first commercially available gaming console back in 1972. It sold millions of arcade games in the early years of video gaming. The company has not seen much success in last two decades but it is still a legendary name in the gaming industry.
Ataribox retro gaming console
So why is it being publicized as retro gaming console when it has all the functionalities of a modern gaming console?
The answer lies in the looks and the games it will have installed by default.
Ataribox has been modeled after the superhit Atari 2600 and it will have hundreds of old Atari arcade game.
According to the official announcement, “Our objective is to create a new product that stays true to our heritage while appealing to both old and new fans of Atari.” Other traditional Atari games will also run on it though it will use less horsepower to run them.
Ataribox will come in two models – one is black and red while the other will be a classic wood grain front. It is slim and looks more like a streaming set-top box or a cable box.
Based on pictures published on their site, the Ataribox will have HDMI output, USB ports as well as an Ethernet cable port to be used for the wired Internet. It is also expected that it will support SD cards that will allow for games and other content to be brought to your Ataribox.
What do you think of Ataribox?
The Ataribox is expected to be available through a pre-order campaign in Indiegogo and will begin in Spring 2018. For now, you can subscribe to their website for latest updates.
It is obvious that Ataribox will be compared with Steam Machine as it is also a Linux based gaming console. It can also be compared with Nintendo’s retro gaming console NES. But for me, it is too early to draw conclusions before we have more details.
What do you think about the new Ataribox? Share your opinion with us in the comment section.