Atari VCS Launches This Fall, Pre-Orders Now Open

Atari has been building a new home console designed to play both classic and modern games for over three years now, and it's finally coming to store shelves later this year. Renamed from the Ataribox to the Atari VCS back in 2018--and not to be confused with the Atari 2600, which was also known as the VCS-the VCS is now available for pre-order. Orders will be filled this fall.

This new console will include a reimagining of Missile Command as a launch title called Missile Command: Recharged. Per the announcement, more games for the console will be announced soon. The system costs $300, with a $400 bundle that includes the classic joystick and modern controller. GameStop appears to have slightly different prices listed, however, with the "all-in" edition coming in at $10 cheaper.

This new VCS has been haunted by delays and issues since its announcement in 2017. The VCS was originally scheduled for release in 2019, but it was pushed back due to hardware revisions. In late 2019, the console's lead architect left the project, saying that Atari had failed to pay him what he was owed. That architect, Rob Wyatt, later filed a lawsuit against Atari.

Pre-order Atari VCS