Flush it Friday: Atari VCS Edish
In my never-ending quest to avoid current-gen video game consoles, I’ve stumbled upon something badass in the form of a hybrid retro and modern console called the Atari VCS. That brand name should be well-known to just about everybody, and is generally associated with decades-old hardware and software. Well, let’s dive in and see what happens when Atari tries their hand at something more modern, but with the added bonus of retro gaming capabilities.
The Atari VCS is a small form factor computer with a custom Linux build for the operating system, bizarrely named AtariOS. That’s it! But that’s what makes it super cool and a true device for nerdy enthusiasts (and let’s face it, you aren’t an Atari fan if you aren’t a nerd… spend a little time on an Atari Discord server or message board for confirmation). Now to be fair, modern Xboxes and Playstations are also computers housed in sleek cases; but those are specifically gaming devices. Considering the VCS isn’t locked down to a particular operating system, you’re welcome to install any one of your choosing, for example Ubuntu and even Windows 10 if you’re a pleb.
AtariOS looks similar to whatever runs on the Xboxes and Playstations of the world: you’ve got your list of installed games, applications like YouTube and Discord, a friends list, an apps/games store, system information and such. An inexperienced user might have difficulty setting it up (new consoles require a firmware update to even work) but once things get running it’s just as user-friendly as any other console. For navigation you’ve got limitless possibilities, for instance the Wireless Classic Controller (pictured on the left) and the Wireless Modern Controller (pictured on the right), keyboard and mouse, or most third-party USB/Bluetooth controllers.
(Classic controller for decades-old Atari titles, Modern for…well, you know.)
Many of the classic 2600/5200/7800 titles are available in the store, for as little as $0.99. However there’s also a plethora of modern, indie-ish titles going for anywhere from $5 to $30. And one of the best batches of games is the Atari Recharged series, which are modern re-imaginings of those old games, with 3D graphics, analog control, etc. To give you an idea of which modern games it can handle, I’ll copy and paste the hardware specs here:
Featuring AMD Raven Ridge 2 APU and AMD Ryzen processor GPU with 8GB DDR4 RAM (upgradable), and 32GB eMMC fixed internal storage.
Now I have upgraded mine to 32GB of RAM and added a 512GB SSD, as that 32GB fixed internal storage fills up quickly. There probably aren’t any games that benefit from having that much RAM but that stuff is cheap enough these days, and now it’s future-proof. With that additional 512GB of storage space, I have the option to partition and install different operating systems as well. There’s also the capability of inserting a bootable USB drive with Ubuntu and run off of that, basically making it a regular computer with everything that goes along with it (word processor, spreadsheet, photo editing, everything). And the cherry on top is that you can purchase the onyx front panel (featured image) or a retro woodgrain variant (pictured here).
To wrap it up, yes it’s quite the niche console but I am the exact demographic for it. With this site’s readership being a little younger than myself, and more into current-gen AAA games, I doubt this will convince anyone to take the VCS plunge. But if any of this sounds enticing, there’s a whole world of nerdy Atari fans out there hanging out, assisting each other, buying and selling old carts, creating homebrew titles, chatting in Discord servers, running smol YouTube channels, and generally having a great time. I found my people.
Stick dropped some news on us. Roldy dropped some choons on us.
Aaron weighed The Jesus Lizard on our Toilet scale:
Joe and 365 dove into the inner machinations of Phil LaBonte’s li’l pea-brain on this episode of Toilet Radio:
Brock Samson helped us earn our dissoplomas:
Stick reviewed some underground metal from Wind Rose:
Reliquary Tower, the Menschenmüesli himself, took a look at Kanonenfieber‘s sophomore LP:
And finally, for anyone who didn’t skip straight to the comments, tell us about any interesting and/or weird consoles you’re into lately. Oh yeah, and I’m changing up the format for one day: please share your Good, Bad, and Beautiful; there’s too much ugly in the world. While you’re here, don’t forget to catch up on any of the week’s articles you may have missed. Have a great Friyay and a great weekend, dear flushers!
(All photos taken from Atari.com.)
