Upcoming Atari console will offer classic & new games

A little over a month ago, it was confirmed that a new Atari game console is in the works. We now know what it will look like and that it will feature HDMI output. The Ataribox will deliver classic games as well as “current” ones.

Ataribox: A modern Atari console
The upcoming game console will be named Ataribox and will stay true to the original version with its “iconic use of wood, ribbed lines, and raised back”, the company revealed today. A glowing Atari logo adorns the front cover.

Two editions will be available:
A wood edition
A black/red edition


So how powerful is this thing? The company did not say but hinted that it will be based on “modern internal specs” and that it will offer both classic Atari games as well as new games. It was also confirmed that it has HDMI output, 4 USB ports, and a SD card reader.

- “As you can guess, those ports suggest modern internal specs. It also means that while we will be delivering classic gaming content, we will also be delivering current gaming content,” the company wrote in its announcement.

This is all we know for now as the company has yet to reveal pricing and launch details. Further details will be announced “in the months ahead”.

It is not clear how the Ataribox will compare to modern game consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox. While it has been speculated that the Ataribox is a retro console similar to the Nintendo mini-consoles, today’s announcement suggests otherwise. Sony and Microsoft dominate the market for game consoles as Nintendo’s Wii U flopped and other new platforms such as Google’s Android TV and Apple’s tvOS have yet to capture a meaningful slice of the gaming segment. Nintendo recently launched Switch, which is off to a strong start.

The full announcement from the company behind the Ataribox is included below along with additional pictures.





 Our objective is to create a new product that stays true to our heritage while appealing to both old and new fans of Atari.

Inspired by classic Atari design elements (such as the iconic use of wood, ribbed lines, and raised back); we are creating a smooth design, with ribs that flow seamlessly all around the body of the product, a front panel that can be either wood or glass, a front facing logo, indicator lights that glow through the material, and an array of new ports (HDMI, 4xUSB, SD). We intend to release two editions: a wood edition, and a black/red edition.

As you can guess, those ports suggest modern internal specs. It also means that while we will be delivering classic gaming content, we will also be delivering current gaming content.

We know you are hungry for more details; on specs, games, features, pricing, timing etc. We’re not teasing you intentionally; we want to get this right, so we’ve opted to share things step by step as we bring Ataribox to life, and to listen closely to Atari community feedback as we do so. There are a lot of milestones, challenges and decision points in front of us in the months ahead. We’ll be giving you lots more information and status updates as we progress, and we are thrilled to have you along for the ride!

Hope you like where we are taking this, we’ll be in touch soon.

The Ataribox Project team.