Atari Brings the New Atari VCS Video Computer System to Life

Preorders began in the United States Tuesday for the Atari VCS, a retro-looking video game console loaded with modern technology. It's available to order on Atari's website, Walmart and GameStop. The consoles will start shipping in March, 2020.

The announcement was made at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles.

The base model, called the Atari VCS 400 Onyx, costs $249.99. A more expensive model with more memory, dubbed the Atari VCS 800, costs $279.99. Atari is also selling a bundle for $389.99, which includes a joystick and a controller.

The classic joystick and a modern controller can also be bought separately for $49.99 and $59.99, respectively.

"Atari made a commitment to its fans to make the new VCS the best and most versatile game and home entertainment platform it can be, with a wide array of options," said Atari CEO Frédéric Chesnais in a release.

The Atari VCS originally started as an Indiegogo campaign in 2018. The idea was to modernize the iconic Atari 2600, which was originally released in 1977. In total, it grossed more than $3 million in funding from nearly 12,000 backers.

The Atari VCS features a powerful AMD Ryzen chip that can stream 4K HDR video. The console also has a newly refreshed user interface and can be connected to the internet.

Details about new games and entertainment options will be announced later this year.

The re-introduction of the Atari comes at a time when customers are craving retro video game consoles with a modern spin. Last year, Sony released the PlayStation Classic, a revamped model of the iconic gaming console.

In 2016, Nintendo released the NES Classic, a slimmed-down version of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, which was for sale in the 1980s. The company sold more than 2 million of the retro devices in just five months.

Nintendo then released another version, dubbed the Super Nintendo Classic Edition, in 2017. That sold more than 4 million units worldwide and helped Nintendo power up its profits.

:story: CNN