Links to the latest firmware and resources below, but I want to point out that several people informed me the joystick on the classic controller can be spun to act like a paddle controller. This will be pointed out in my next VCS video as well, thank you everyone who corrected that! This is the latest firmware that still works as of Aug 26th 2023- drive.google.com/file/d/1ru8o6IObMlm34tAWXSHvSJVd72rUD5ps/view Here is the tool to create a bootable USB that Atari themselves recommends for Windows- rufus.ie/en/ Here is the Atari VCS Discord that has helped so many people- discord.gg/atarivcs This thread helps a lot if your not part of discord or don't know how to use discord- forums.atariage.com/topic/329504-atari-vcs-operating-system-won%E2%80%99t-update-help/page/6/ And of course here is the link to the exact version of the VCS I purchased. Remember, right now, if you've never ordered from atari before and are willing to sign up for emails, you get an additional 15% off with code Welcome15. You may be required to sign up before you can use the code- atari.com/products/atari-vcs-onyx-all-in
@@myrongaines5542 no problem the code helps a lot. It should've dropped the price like another 20-30 dollars I believe. I'm glad you picked one up I hope you enjoy it!
Wouldn't it be great if there was even close to an "Atari" company to say that to. It died way back with Nolan Bushnell (even though Warner Brothers butchered the milk cow after that, then even that Jack from commodore went crazy on the name after that)
I just got my vcs last week and I got it at the perfect time. I had zero setup issues with mine, no bios flashing or anything like that, it updated and didn't have problems, and 6 days after I got it, tech support fixed the zip code problem in the store and let me know and I was able to buy games. Between this and just getting my 2600+ the week prior I've been having a blast
Actually, the price is comparable to the price of a Switch. I never had Nintendo so I'm not interested in a Switch. I'm really impressed with how the arcade games look! That's how I first learned of Atari, playing Computer Space at the state fair (we called it Rockets and Saucers). Then it was Pong, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Breakout, Missile Command, Joust, Defender, Tempest, and various tank games, all for a quarter a play. We never had an Atari 2600 VCS. I got an Atari 800 Home Computer System on closeout when the Atari ST was released. The Atari 400/800 was originally designed to be the next generation of the Atari VCS, but then they decided to jump onto the home computer bandwagon. They added a keyboard, gave it a modular OS, and commissioned an 8K BASIC cartridge to go along with the game cartridges. I was interested in computer programming, not games, so they were entirely of secondary interest to me, but that's why they had the very best screen graphics and sound of ANY 8-bit computer system. My Atari 800 was a computer that was also a game system. This Atari VCS 800 is a game system that is also a computer. This looks like my ideal alternative to something like a PlayStation or X-Box. I'm REALLY not interested in first-person shooters. If only for the arcade games and the way they look so faithful to the originals that I fed so many quarters into. Setup is a pain? You did say it was crowdfunded so I expect a few rough edges. It really looks great to me! If I also get that Atari 50th Anniversary Collection, I'll be set!
I bought my VCS during the big sale last winter but didn't set it up until just a couple of weeks ago. I had to do the firmware flash like you did, which was less painful than expected, but there's been plenty of other pain points since then. The biggest one for me is the fact that I got hit with the ZIP code bug, which means I'm unable to purchase anything through the VCS store. Apparently there are others who have had this same issue for months now. I like the VCS for what it is and the potential it has, but these bugs need to be fixed ASAP. There's no excuse for this system to still have so many problems several years after launch.
I got hit with the same bug about a week ago and haven't been able to purchase anything since. I've tried so hard to love the VCS but there's just too many bugs in my opinion...
Awesome review man! I’ve been thinking of saving up for one myself, but needed to see what I’ll get for around 300$ CAN here: what I see is exactly what I want! Not only do I find an answer to my struggle with setting up arcade emulators, but I can do it with these controllers too? And that VCS Collection they give you just like that makes me very, very excited to get one! Thank you very much for this excellent review! :D
Dude, i was considering buying one of these. Im so glad i seen your video. If i have to go thru all that just to get started I'll wait til they fix it. Glad you got to enjoy it though.
I love Atari, grew up with it...but we have to be honest. They have released, or licensed these games for release, too many times. I own a VCS, was excited, but let's be real. It was a weak opening, because this has all been done before. You probably won't see this as your video is 8 months old, but I think, a recharged addition would have been better at launch. (At least, a recharged game) In reality they needed a new game to accompany the release.
This is a very good review. I love my VCS but you are so right when you say “you shouldn’t have to go to Discord” to figure out how to set this thing up. Why on Earth does Atari not provide guidance on their website? I will send you a friend request tomorrow!
I love my VCS especially the longer I have it. The classic controller is so good and it was smart to give a paddle-esque or spinner control to it. But that initial set up period almost made me box it back up and send it back! And there's probably people out there who did just that. Which is a shame. Now I have to make sure I keep it updated so I don't have to ever do that again....hopefully! Awesome. If you have a hard time sending the friend request then feel free to email me at 7800progamer@gmail.com and give me your username and we'll try it that way. Thanks for checking the video out!
You got remember the developer quit and didn't finish the console because Atari wasn't paying him. I think Atari wanted him to finish first instead of paying him during the development. It is Sega sandbox from XBOX developer.
Clearly they shipped these out before they were ready and haven’t built any new ones with the new firmware. Atari should have the retailers include an instruction document for every future sale they have. Really looks bad on them for leaving consumers high and dry.
Fantastic idea! They should hire you for PR and QA! Seriously with one comment you've partially resolved an issue that they seem to be stumped by. Not a great solution but it's something! Thanks for watching!
Oh I need to watch that! I'll definitely check it out feel free to link it for others that may be interested. Thanks for the comment I have an update on the VCS that I plan on releasing soon. Might be a few weeks away yet as I keep trying games on their storefront still but it's coming.
I appreciate your input, coming from someone who obviously appreciates the old school consoles like the 7800. I don’t mind the price but my lack of technological advancement does have me concerned about the setup.
It tripped me up for a little while. And it could all be avoided if the files and stuff you needed was available from the Atari website and not having to go to discord and reddit to figure stuff out. I'm not sure why Atari can't get this aspect of their console right because I'm having fun now that it's set up.
Cool thanks for taking the time to make this. Honestly, it sounds like a mini-pc with a custom flavor of Linux but the hardware is pretty decent for what it is. Now, I like Linux, but I'm not sure the average consumer wants to deal with it.
I wonder if this whole flashing business took place after the Atari 50 game dropped (I think around ?Oct/Nov? 2022). I remember trying all night to get it downloaded and installed. It'd been by far the largest game so far (~4gb) with a bunch of us trying to download/install at the same time. All-nighter on the Discord w/ a dev (awesome guy), a rep (awesome girl), and a bunch of us customers - infuriating yet fun. It turned out that something with the networking was only stable up to a certain file size (I don't know the specifics). The effect was that about 90% of us were getting to about the 90% download mark and then it'd suddenly freeze or crash out. Some actually got the full Atari 50 app downloaded, which gave the rest of us hope...which gave way to more disappointment. lol. Over the next couple days, the devs at Atari had cobbled together an updated downloader ... and it worked! Haven't had a single issue since. You know, it's funny. The packaging, the sense of style, the effort.. they hint at what an absolute powerhouse Atari could/should be, but it's like it's cursed. Marred by rough-edges and bits falling apart and going south. VCS needing to flash the hard drive, delays in getting it out and ending up under-powered. The Jaguard-CD, the Jaguar's lack-of-support and underpowered. The Atari Lynx (which I heard was great) but nobody supported seemed to much care about it. The controller that everybody hated (5200 or 7800 I can't remember - the one where the joystick wouldn't re-center itself), the Sword Quest contest debacle of the 2600. Every step of the way, Atari has been cursed in one form or another. And for reasons that I just can't put into words - I love the damn thing! Looking forward to what sh!ts the bed on my 2600+ when it arrives. LOL
That's interesting about when the 50th dropped. That was one of the first games I downloaded and it had zero issues so they fixed that! I just wish they could be more open with the firmware issues or at least offer a solution on the website instead of having to go to discord, AtariAge etc. The other thing is I've never been able to get any customer service so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Yeah Atari seems cursed, but some of it is from them being so innovative in the beginning. The 5200 controller was ten years ahead of its time in some ways and stuck in the coleco intellivision battle in others. I think the big issue with the 2600+ might be compatibility. But we'll have to wait and see. If it works great then Atari might have a pretty good seller on their hands!
I agree with your assessment - great hardware but very poor software and setup experience. I agree that if you’re a fan of Atari and feel comfortable flashing the unit (I followed the instructions on Discord and watched a UA-cam video by Atari), you should seriously consider getting one. I bought mine three months ago during the Memorial Day sale, and I knew going in that I would need to update the firmware. Even so, it was a bit of a challenge to find the latest firmware to download it. I bought it mostly because the console is so beautifully designed. Since the Recharged games are available on other platforms and I play the retro games on original hardware, the new VCS itself doesn’t offer me much in new gaming experiences. But as a fan of Atari, I really wanted the console for shelf display. However, I did end up updating the firmware and hooking it up because people on Atari I/O play it.
Finding the latest firmware should not be as difficult as it was. It took me 2 hours because I downloaded an older firmware initially so I had to start over. Everything should be there on the Atari website or links to everything should be there. I agree the console looks beautiful and I love having it on the shelf next to the 7800. Somebody like myself who doesn't have any other modern consoles to play their recharged games, this made sense as my choice to do so. Even if the choice limits me to mostly Atari software. But you make a good point, if you already have a modern console (switch, ps4 or 5, Xbox etc) then this is even more limited in value for you. As always thanks for watching!
Im 25 i was born in 1997. I grew up with the nintendo 64. I try to play everything but these days i play way more retro games than modern games. Even though i am too young to remember atari in its prime I am starting to play alot of atari games on my switch. And pc and i am having the best time iv had playing games in a while. I think tempest is my favorite. Iv been watching reviews for like 2 months now and although the reviews seem pretty mixed i honestly think im just gonna buy the vcs. Atari games are just pure fun and if i had a console that comes bundled with the vault and the classic joystick controller i honestly think I will love this. Thank you for the video I subscribed :)
Thanks for watching and subscribing! Before I bought the VCS I had asked a couple friends who are into Atari and bought one and they said not to. But I have to be honest I'm pretty happy with it! But keep in mind I don't have a switch, I don't have a new consoles and I keep forgetting about steam lol. So this is my first experience with a lot of these games. Also their is Tempest 4000 along with the originals on Atari VCS and you get the paddle / spinner controls on the classic controller! So that might be fun for you!
I plan on showing it off in my next video but you basically spin the joystick. It works and feels better than it might sound. I plan on getting tempest one week soon here too. I think you'll like it but I haven't tried that one specifically yet...
Excellent review. The Atari Vault was on Steam and I have it, plus part 2. All in all it cost me about 5 bucks. So I got to play all those games on my xbox controller for about 190 less than getting a Nu VCS. Play Black widow recharged if you can coz, the 1980 original kicks it into touch.
Thanks for the kind words and the recommendation! I'll give black widow a try. I've been playing Yars revenge recharged and that one is really good too!
What amusing is seeing this Atari review and hearing a Halo theme song in the background. I picked up the VCS 800 almost one year ago, but I have not plugged the unit into anything. I simply put it in a display case, for I do like the look. I hope the hardware works when I finally plug this thing in.
i don't think it need to be $150 it think the summer sale it being $224 is great enough to me but the price went back being $300 dollars on atari website now i'm ok with that i think $300 is a good price to me but it's still $400 dollars on the gamestop and best buy i also don't mind it being $400 dollars either as long the price is not above that than i'm fine with it and i do have this new atari vcs pc/console hybird hardware i love it i think it's a great underrated unpopular hardware it's my favorite atari hardware i love it better than nintendo switch, ps4, ps5 and xbox series x because i'm just not a fan of nintendo, sony and microsoft i'm only a fan of sega and atari there are just most unpopular things i love better than most popular things that's just my preference i respect everyone's honesty if some don't like atari vcs think it's bad disappointed with it and some that love the atari vcs think it's good, some think it's great and some think it's ok decent
Good point it's up to everyone to decide if it's worth the price to them or not. I'm happy for what I paid but at 150 I would've pulled the trigger months ago. Thanks for watching
@@TheAtariNetwork your welcome and exactly that's why i said what i said i don't listen to most that are judgemental that force there turth down our throat i'm right and your wrong ego mindset i don't like that at all when tell us what we should or shouldn't do and what we should or shouldn't support that are close minded i think we have the right to decide what is worth it to us or not be thinking for ourselves follow our heart gut insctincts i love that most are open minded respectful i know not all are disrespectful i think it's ok if we agree or disagree as long we are respectful about it i hope you have a good day sending you love take care
Unfortunately it's something that about half VCS owners have to do when they get their consoles according to what I've found out. Maybe one day they'll get this corrected but until then, it is what it is. Thanks for watching!
I'll tell you what man...feels like Atari almost tries to make me not want this. From the set up issues (which are TOTALLY unacceptable) that give the very strong impression Atari gave up on this thing almost immediately, to the eye watering price point, there are a lot of cons here. Yet I still want it....a console that is all Atari is a very attractive luxury. That being said I already have a Switch, 2600+, and GSP so the VCS feels like an expensive novelty at this point. And yet.... I still kinda want it 😂
Here's the thing. Wade Rosen the Atari President doesn't want this thing, it's a project he inherited from the previous regime. So you're almost right on the money there. The set up issues are unacceptable and I don't understand why nothing has been done to make it a better experience. Yes I get it, the VCS isn't their main priority, but they're still selling it! So fix it! Right now I enjoy my VCS but I would say to wait for a sale before taking the plunge. It can also act as a Windows PC if you're interested but I know next to nothing about that...
It's unfortunate that you received one with the old firmware. I bought mine last year and had some trouble setting it up but nothing like what you went through. As for support, Atari usually sends you to their discord where they have several employees always active to help you asap. It's a very cool system for an Atari fan. It's not for everyone though.
It's good to know that some units have newer firmware. That would explain why it seems some people don't have the same issues. And I wasn't aware actual Atari employees were on the discord. All great information for people considering the console! Thanks for sharing and thanks for checking out the video!
I believe that they need to make a standard for consoles now so you only have one thats made by different manufactures like the PC is or how VHS Recorders were, they do not need to be individual now and it would save on the environment.
It was on Steam until the 50 collection came out but I’ve seen Fanatical selling Steam keys for it. The DLC pack makes it even better. The best thing about Atar Vault is that Adventure has a level randomizer which gives it endless replayability. One of my favorite games of all time and the randomizer makes it many times better.
Damn i really wanted this thing after hearing it can do pc mode with custom OSs and steam, but these videos are really making me reconsider cuz the whole console just seems abandoned
Atari should pay you for saving sales of the VCS. I ordered Cyber Monday on sale and set it up today. Inexcusable that the firmware must be updated from a USB drive image that Atari doesn't offer to get any use at all out of this device. I was able to get the firmware updated, but I imagine many customers would give up before even realizing this is what they need to do. Others won't be able to figure out how to do it. Unbelievable!
I wish you would do a step by step video on how to do what you did to get it workable for the not tech savvy like myself. I just received me an Atari VCS and have no clue what to do. I know I'd be indebted to ya. Thanks for at least reading this.
I will try to get a video up as soon as I can but I am not a tech guy either. Here's the thread on AtariAge I used to finally get up and running. Make sure you download the latest firmware because I didn't. It's on one of the last posts forums.atariage.com/topic/329504-atari-vcs-operating-system-won%E2%80%99t-update-help/ You'll need a USB flash drive, one with like 8 gigs is plenty, then you'll have to download Rufus and have an usb keyboard available. Download the latest firmware, launch Rufus and locate your flashdrive and then the new firmware. Let it install to the USB and then follow the instructions from that post, I believe you plug in the USB keyboard, power on the VCS holding escape and choose to boot from USB. Let the new os install and after it finishes you should be good to go. Hopefully that will get you started but I'll try to get a video out this weekend hopefully to help
Great video. It has a Ryzen cpu so couldn't be $150 though. I think the VCS is the only Ryzen device below $200 (without controllers), and it's in a different league from the ARM based stuff (Nvidia Shield, RetroPi, 2600+, etc) and even the Switch which is more than 6 years old now. In my opinion the controllers are premium so they shouldn't be giving them away either. The unsubsidized price for a Sony controller is almost $200. Not saying anyone including Atari should be charging $200 for a controller.
You know I'm not a technical guy but these are some great points for my follow up video. I didn't consider what was running on the inside! I'll look into that some more thanks for the information! And thanks for watching!
Got this, I really wanted it to be my main set top box but it simply did not have the software support. And even hacking it was a lot more work and annoying than just setting up any other mini PC with batocera. I couldn't keep it. Hope the guy I sold to was able to enjoy it.
That's a shame but if it doesn't fit your needs it's not worth keeping. I hope you found a mini PC or something that fits your needs. Thanks for watching !
Important fact: This failed update was NOT a problem from the beginning.. I have 3 systems now and only the recent one could not update and that's because they've recently changed update servers to be not compatible with older, especially original firmware. Of course nobody willing to spend money updating all their stock, which they have too much of since most only bought them thinking they could sell it for more than they bought it. Poor guys who thought that would work. Actually I like the system and wish people just enjoyed what it is, and supported it.
If they won't update all the stock then they should make the information easy and accessible on their website, or at least put an insert in the shipping box with instructions should you encounter the issue. They seem to say "well if you encounter it then go to discord or Reddit and figure it out. We have a rep there find them" and that's not a good method for fixing the issue or instilling customer confidence. I don't hate the VCS. I've encountered more issues but through it all I really enjoy it and I'm glad to see Atari back in the game and giving their fans what they want. I just wish they did a better job with the issues of the VCS. They make it hard to recommend to your standard consumer by not addressing the issues more directly. Thank you for the clarification. Your comment about the update issue makes a lot of sense.
I didn't know this was a "new" system! (This is the first since Jaguar I take it?) It looks to have some impressive graphic capabilities. I am guessing they will make new games for this, (like the new recharged games etc.) The look of the system is awesome too! Atari is really bringing their A game lately! Now, do you think they will port over some 5200 games to this thing? Perhaps they will reissue an improved controller!
VCS Vault 2 is almost all 5200 games for the VCS. Plus there's some here and there in other various compilations. The classic controller is a great way not only to play their classic titles but paddle games as well because the stick spins like a paddle. Neo Sprint, Asteroids Recharged, Gravitar Recharged, Atari Mania, 50th Collection, BPM Boy, Tyre Trax and many more modern and classic games can be purchased from the store. Overall it would be a fun, classic Atari experience but potential difficulties setting it up and the "zip code glitch" that prevents 35% (roughly) of the user base from buying games reliably make it a tough recommendation for anybody but the most die hard of fans
I got one of these for $100 from gamestop about a year ago. I solely use it for a mini pc and emulate on it. Not too bad. The base experience is pretty lack luster.
That is a fantastic price. So it really is a decent PC for the money then? I might try to do something like that in the future. Maybe run retroarch or something on it. Thanks for checking out the video!
@@TheAtariNetwork I think it's a decent mini PC for $100, I installed windows and use retro bat as a front end. Pretty solid performance for what it is, I'm not knowledgeable of the mini PC market though.
@@chrispy3051 neither am I but your comment should help people just realize that's an option if these ever get clearance out. And you reminded me I want to try that myself. So thank you
The mini pc idea is something I thought about but only if I could get a deal like you did. I do a lot of emulation and use an android device or fire tablet for travel. This would be a powerhouse for travel.
Just bought the VCS. Will I still need to update the bios? Or does the newest firmware update the bios? Just seeing what I'm instore for I start setting it up.
I wish i wouldn't have missed out on buying the VCS when game stop had them on sale for $99. But that was my fault. I had the chance to buy one at that price, but i held off (cant exactly remember why) but when i went to pull the trigger they was out of stock. Is the menu screen tearing actually happening on the VCS or is it just due to the capture? 7:26 Nice halo background music.
Thanks for noticing the music lol. The screen wasn't tearing but I noticed my captured didn't look anywhere near as nice as in person. Maybe my equipment? At 99 dollars it would be well worth it. At the 199 price range I paid id say hardcore Atari fans only.
@@TheAtariNetwork yeah, I kick myself in the butt for not getting one when I had the chance at that price. I love Atari but I'm definitely not what you'd call a hardcore fan, I can't really justify the price being that I already have a few PCs (one a gaming PC).
That's perfect because minus that issue I'm having a great time with the console. It'll be an easy recommendation with that fixed and possibly a lower starting price. But I'm having so much fun exploring the console now, thank you. Definitely great news!
As cool as I think this is, having to download and flash the system right out of the box is a deal breaker for me. I’ll just keep playing their games on my PC.
It’s my understanding that the upcoming 2600+ is actually more like a 7800 disguised like a 2600 as it plays 7800 natively. Which is kind of odd to call it a “2600” but I guess there’s more familiarity with the 2600 name than the 7800. (Unfortunately)
Yeah the 7800 is definitely less known than the 2600 and I'm sure that's why it's named the way it is. But it is definitely more like a 7800+. Be sure to check the compatibility list on atari.com because not everything is compatible and we talked about it a bit more in our podcast on Vinnies channel ua-cam.com/video/9VeqccMFDe0/v-deo.html
@@TheAtariNetwork Thank you for the heads up. Question..what is your setup for capturing gameplay? See I have two UA-cam channels. One under the Dinnerfor1(1540 after UA-cam got done with me lol) and another that is a gaming channel called “ngiants22” but to capture game footage I’ve actually been using a very low end PC and running RetroArch (which has game capture functionality) and then using Filmorago (I won’t even tell you how out of sheer embarrassment) to setup the videos for my ngiants22 channel. The only reason I haven’t used a better PC set up is for fear of purchasing too little or too much power for game capture. I did purchase a game capture hdmi to usb dongle but as I mentioned, my pc is WAAAY underpowered to handle using that with software. So I’ve been doing it my way. But I’m definitely wanting to upgrade just don’t really know what I would need spec wise. Silly but that’s my story. If you want to see what I’m doing you can check out my channel (@ngiants2230 again accordingl to UA-cam) I welcome your thoughts and opinions and most of all your help.
I didn't realize I had comments being held for review and this was one. For capturing gameplay I use a couple different things. I have a clear click and a retro scaler 2x for Atari 7800 game captures. The console signal is split into my crt and the retro scaler, then that runs to the clear click via HDMI and then the clear click runs to my laptop via USB. It's all recorded using OBS. All those are Amazon off brands of more popular capture equipment like the retrotink 2x etc. For the Atari VCS I have something even simpler. It's a generic HDMI capture card I got off eBay. It sits between the console and the TV and runs to the laptop via USB. I keep two separate ones so I can just keep them hooked up behind the TV. My laptop really isn't suited for this kind of stuff. It's not that old but I only paid like 370 bucks for it. But I'm scraping by. I also use generic webcams and microphones that I got off Amazon. I plan on getting nicer stuff eventually but this all worked to get me going. If you need any help or links and stuff let me know! Sorry that it took a while for me to realize I had comments being held for some reason!
@@TheAtariNetwork no worries. Thanks for sharing. I’m working on finding a better solution for my channels but for now, like you, I’m getting by with what I have.
@@dinnerfor1540 I figured the best thing was to just get started and do it. Then I planned on upgrading equipment as I go. But honestly like you said before, my computer can barely handle what I'm doing. That's probably the most expensive piece but the one I need to get first. I hope your channels are doing well. I haven't seen any recommendations from UA-cam in a while so I'm gonna surf through them this weekend!
Yes this is a major issue to me too. And a used switch lite can be had in my local area for about 125-150 so it's even priced better. And I doubt there will be any exclusives because it just doesn't make sense from a profit standpoint. Thanks for bringing this up I want to try to think of a good reason for the VCS over the switch but idk if I'll come up with one...
@@atarileaf there is nothing on the VCS you can't play on pretty much any other gaming platform out there! I'm not sure Atari even has the resources to make exclusives... I mean, just getting this console released took a lot out of them...
Atari seems to think Canada do not exit. Still waiting to order it. You talked that no paddles in the video... but the joystick is build in paddle.... no ?
You are absolutely right I didn't discover that until a day after my video! I apologize for my ignorance and plan on correcting it in my next VCS video. It'll be out in a couple weeks but I think I'll add it to the pinned comments. Thanks for pointing that out!
It's interesting to note that Bandai Namco acquired Atari Europe in 2009 for all affected Atari IP excluding the USA and Japan, implying that the USA and Canada ended up in different regions for affected IP. Not sure how this affects VCS sales or their decision to only sell the VCS in the USA, and I've never seen where Atari every talks about the effects of the acquisition. Even though Atari Europe was reorganized under a different name (Namco Bandai Games Europe), the entity still exists under Bandai Namco.
In person I didn't notice any screen tearing but it happen in my most recent recording too. I believe it's just how I had the recording set up but I'll pay close attention next time I play it and let you know.
Try this video vimeo.com/784422540 I'm very far removed from the setup process and won't be able to help but join the Atari VCS discord server, check out the Atariage VCS forum and either ask for help or look for others who asked previously. I hope some of this helps
I've only ever seen the system talked about here on youtube. I have never had a conversation with another gamer about i. Hell, most gamers probably don't even know it exists and if they seen it, they would probably think its just another Walmart plug in play system.
That's true, I doubt many people have heard of the VCS or talked about it much. I have talked about it with a few of my friends but my circle is far from ordinary and very up with what the new Atari is doing. There is a reason why it's not talked about much and I think it's because there's little for modern gamers to really get here that they don't already have. If you have a switch, PS4, Xbox or even PC you can do what the VCS does already. It's more for fans of Atari who maybe don't have a modern console (such as myself) to play the recharged games, classic Atari stuff, and some relevant indie games while getting a streaming box and a cheap but moderately powered PC. Feel free to talk about it all you want on my channel, I'll have another update video soon!
I had 2 friends get it, 1 got it when I did about a yr and a half ago, setup was weird, but no firmware updates, convinced another friend to buy last yr, blackfriday sale, he got it for Christmas present, had same ordeal as the youtuber did, went back and forth with Atari, to find out he needed a USB stick and keyboard, to reload bios, he was peed off, he returned an told me what a crappy experience it was. It's a weird system, made for 2 generation ago gamers, but not user friendly in any way, if they could of got someone involved in making the wii, on board, and just made it user friendly on set up, gameshop, and made netflix/hulu work with controller vs weird mouse deal. Probably could of been a mild hit, but no telling how many returns for can't set this thing up has happened
@@petewillson205 thanks for sharing the experience of three different people. It's such a shame because once it's set up the VCS isn't horrible, just loaded with odd choices. Im sure people will find your comment useful, thanks again!
What's baffling is why they chose the silicone and OS they did, why didn't they go ARM with Android? The screen tearing is horrible, it looks very poorly optimized. $150.00 bucks, no thanks.
Depends when yours is manufactured from what I've learned. You got lucky as anybody who purchases one might have to go through the steps I described. But some won't.
Unfortunately you're not alone in that thought. I am having fun with it but apparently there isn't anything exclusive to it. The only reason I could think of getting this over say a switch lite is if you have no interest in modern games, you want to support Atari, and your interested in having the classic controller for paddle and spinner functionality and you want the PC features of the box. Thanks for watching
WHY do you have music blaring louder than the sound effects of the game and while I'm trying to listen to what you are saying? Do you think there is some unwritten rules somewhere that say you have to play music during a video?
First complaint like that out of 4500 views. I watched it multiple times and I don't think it was "blaring" or hard to understand but if others agree I'll tone it down next time.
I think companies (such as Atari) test as much as they can but sometimes problems don't make themselves apparent until they're in the hands of the masses. What's important is how you address those problems. I think their failure is in not addressing it in a manner that is accessible and easy to find. And it was probably out of fear of losing customers by admitting you might have to take extra steps once you receive it. But I think returns would be worse. Atari should open every unit they have in stock and reflash them before sealing them back up and sending them out. It would be costly but it would go a long way in customer confidence. But making the information accessible should be the minimum. But the VCS is not bad ONCE YOU GET IT WORKING. I'm having so much fun with it but it's far from a console that everyone will enjoy. Anyway thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!
LOL even 2$ is too much for this novelty junk! I may offer You maybe like 50 cents if You ever decide to sell it later....You do the shipping costs though!!
That's great! Unfortunately I can only report on my experience and I never got a response from Atari outside of them sending an automated email saying they received it and would be in touch. Hopefully my experience isn't typical. But I'm still having a ton of fun weeks after the fact so to me it was worth it anyway!
Links to the latest firmware and resources below, but I want to point out that several people informed me the joystick on the classic controller can be spun to act like a paddle controller. This will be pointed out in my next VCS video as well, thank you everyone who corrected that!
This is the latest firmware that still works as of Aug 26th 2023- drive.google.com/file/d/1ru8o6IObMlm34tAWXSHvSJVd72rUD5ps/view
Here is the tool to create a bootable USB that Atari themselves recommends for Windows-
rufus.ie/en/
Here is the Atari VCS Discord that has helped so many people-
discord.gg/atarivcs
This thread helps a lot if your not part of discord or don't know how to use discord-
forums.atariage.com/topic/329504-atari-vcs-operating-system-won%E2%80%99t-update-help/page/6/
And of course here is the link to the exact version of the VCS I purchased. Remember, right now, if you've never ordered from atari before and are willing to sign up for emails, you get an additional 15% off with code Welcome15. You may be required to sign up before you can use the code-
atari.com/products/atari-vcs-onyx-all-in
I just ordered a vcs on sale with the discount code. This will help a lot thank u good sir.
@@myrongaines5542 no problem the code helps a lot. It should've dropped the price like another 20-30 dollars I believe. I'm glad you picked one up I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for posting these links.
No problem!
thank you for posting the links
Now Atari just needs to learn a lesson from past failures, and actually support their own hardware
Wouldn't it be great if there was even close to an "Atari" company to say that to. It died way back with Nolan Bushnell (even though Warner Brothers butchered the milk cow after that, then even that Jack from commodore went crazy on the name after that)
@@JeffSmith03 Then by the sound of it, it's a good thing modern Atari is an entirely new set of people.
Last time Atari was relevant was early 80s, it was relegated as a minor player in the industry around 1989.
@@JeffSmith03That and Commodore computers which had the same owner. Nintendo just walks all over them.
Lol you should’ve learned a lesson in life and not supported thus
Amazing how AtariAge solves all of our problems. It's the first place I went when I had trouble with my VCS too.
It's such a great resource for all things Atari honestly. I'm so glad it was there as I'm not familiar with discord and stuff either
I just got my vcs last week and I got it at the perfect time. I had zero setup issues with mine, no bios flashing or anything like that, it updated and didn't have problems, and 6 days after I got it, tech support fixed the zip code problem in the store and let me know and I was able to buy games. Between this and just getting my 2600+ the week prior I've been having a blast
Actually, the price is comparable to the price of a Switch. I never had Nintendo so I'm not interested in a Switch.
I'm really impressed with how the arcade games look! That's how I first learned of Atari, playing Computer Space at the state fair (we called it Rockets and Saucers).
Then it was Pong, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Breakout, Missile Command, Joust, Defender, Tempest, and various tank games, all for a quarter a play.
We never had an Atari 2600 VCS.
I got an Atari 800 Home Computer System on closeout when the Atari ST was released. The Atari 400/800 was originally designed to be the next generation of the Atari VCS, but then they decided to jump onto the home computer bandwagon. They added a keyboard, gave it a modular OS, and commissioned an 8K BASIC cartridge to go along with the game cartridges.
I was interested in computer programming, not games, so they were entirely of secondary interest to me, but that's why they had the very best screen graphics and sound of ANY 8-bit computer system.
My Atari 800 was a computer that was also a game system. This Atari VCS 800 is a game system that is also a computer.
This looks like my ideal alternative to something like a PlayStation or X-Box. I'm REALLY not interested in first-person shooters.
If only for the arcade games and the way they look so faithful to the originals that I fed so many quarters into.
Setup is a pain? You did say it was crowdfunded so I expect a few rough edges. It really looks great to me!
If I also get that Atari 50th Anniversary Collection, I'll be set!
I bought my VCS during the big sale last winter but didn't set it up until just a couple of weeks ago. I had to do the firmware flash like you did, which was less painful than expected, but there's been plenty of other pain points since then. The biggest one for me is the fact that I got hit with the ZIP code bug, which means I'm unable to purchase anything through the VCS store. Apparently there are others who have had this same issue for months now. I like the VCS for what it is and the potential it has, but these bugs need to be fixed ASAP. There's no excuse for this system to still have so many problems several years after launch.
I got hit with the same bug about a week ago and haven't been able to purchase anything since. I've tried so hard to love the VCS but there's just too many bugs in my opinion...
Awesome review man! I’ve been thinking of saving up for one myself, but needed to see what I’ll get for around 300$ CAN here: what I see is exactly what I want! Not only do I find an answer to my struggle with setting up arcade emulators, but I can do it with these controllers too? And that VCS Collection they give you just like that makes me very, very excited to get one! Thank you very much for this excellent review! :D
Dude, i was considering buying one of these. Im so glad i seen your video. If i have to go thru all that just to get started I'll wait til they fix it. Glad you got to enjoy it though.
I love Atari, grew up with it...but we have to be honest. They have released, or licensed these games for release, too many times. I own a VCS, was excited, but let's be real. It was a weak opening, because this has all been done before. You probably won't see this as your video is 8 months old, but I think, a recharged addition would have been better at launch. (At least, a recharged game) In reality they needed a new game to accompany the release.
This is a very good review. I love my VCS but you are so right when you say “you shouldn’t have to go to Discord” to figure out how to set this thing up. Why on Earth does Atari not provide guidance on their website?
I will send you a friend request tomorrow!
I love my VCS especially the longer I have it. The classic controller is so good and it was smart to give a paddle-esque or spinner control to it. But that initial set up period almost made me box it back up and send it back! And there's probably people out there who did just that. Which is a shame. Now I have to make sure I keep it updated so I don't have to ever do that again....hopefully!
Awesome. If you have a hard time sending the friend request then feel free to email me at 7800progamer@gmail.com and give me your username and we'll try it that way.
Thanks for checking the video out!
You got remember the developer quit and didn't finish the console because Atari wasn't paying him. I think Atari wanted him to finish first instead of paying him during the development. It is Sega sandbox from XBOX developer.
Clearly they shipped these out before they were ready and haven’t built any new ones with the new firmware. Atari should have the retailers include an instruction document for every future sale they have. Really looks bad on them for leaving consumers high and dry.
Fantastic idea! They should hire you for PR and QA! Seriously with one comment you've partially resolved an issue that they seem to be stumped by. Not a great solution but it's something!
Thanks for watching!
Sounds like Atari never changes, whoever is controlling the name.
Awesome video
Good stuff. I wanted to see what the VCS was all about. I interviewed Jerry Buckner of pac man fever game a couple weeks back. Was a good time.
Oh I need to watch that! I'll definitely check it out feel free to link it for others that may be interested.
Thanks for the comment I have an update on the VCS that I plan on releasing soon. Might be a few weeks away yet as I keep trying games on their storefront still but it's coming.
ua-cam.com/video/7HP-bJZJYc8/v-deo.html@@TheAtariNetwork
I'm gonna watch it right now. Awesome thank you!
I appreciate your input, coming from someone who obviously appreciates the old school consoles like the 7800. I don’t mind the price but my lack of technological advancement does have me concerned about the setup.
It tripped me up for a little while. And it could all be avoided if the files and stuff you needed was available from the Atari website and not having to go to discord and reddit to figure stuff out. I'm not sure why Atari can't get this aspect of their console right because I'm having fun now that it's set up.
Most work right out of the box though.
Cool thanks for taking the time to make this. Honestly, it sounds like a mini-pc with a custom flavor of Linux but the hardware is pretty decent for what it is. Now, I like Linux, but I'm not sure the average consumer wants to deal with it.
I wonder if this whole flashing business took place after the Atari 50 game dropped (I think around ?Oct/Nov? 2022). I remember trying all night to get it downloaded and installed. It'd been by far the largest game so far (~4gb) with a bunch of us trying to download/install at the same time. All-nighter on the Discord w/ a dev (awesome guy), a rep (awesome girl), and a bunch of us customers - infuriating yet fun. It turned out that something with the networking was only stable up to a certain file size (I don't know the specifics). The effect was that about 90% of us were getting to about the 90% download mark and then it'd suddenly freeze or crash out. Some actually got the full Atari 50 app downloaded, which gave the rest of us hope...which gave way to more disappointment. lol. Over the next couple days, the devs at Atari had cobbled together an updated downloader ... and it worked! Haven't had a single issue since.
You know, it's funny. The packaging, the sense of style, the effort.. they hint at what an absolute powerhouse Atari could/should be, but it's like it's cursed. Marred by rough-edges and bits falling apart and going south. VCS needing to flash the hard drive, delays in getting it out and ending up under-powered. The Jaguard-CD, the Jaguar's lack-of-support and underpowered. The Atari Lynx (which I heard was great) but nobody supported seemed to much care about it. The controller that everybody hated (5200 or 7800 I can't remember - the one where the joystick wouldn't re-center itself), the Sword Quest contest debacle of the 2600. Every step of the way, Atari has been cursed in one form or another.
And for reasons that I just can't put into words - I love the damn thing! Looking forward to what sh!ts the bed on my 2600+ when it arrives. LOL
That's interesting about when the 50th dropped. That was one of the first games I downloaded and it had zero issues so they fixed that! I just wish they could be more open with the firmware issues or at least offer a solution on the website instead of having to go to discord, AtariAge etc. The other thing is I've never been able to get any customer service so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
Yeah Atari seems cursed, but some of it is from them being so innovative in the beginning. The 5200 controller was ten years ahead of its time in some ways and stuck in the coleco intellivision battle in others.
I think the big issue with the 2600+ might be compatibility. But we'll have to wait and see. If it works great then Atari might have a pretty good seller on their hands!
I agree with your assessment - great hardware but very poor software and setup experience. I agree that if you’re a fan of Atari and feel comfortable flashing the unit (I followed the instructions on Discord and watched a UA-cam video by Atari), you should seriously consider getting one.
I bought mine three months ago during the Memorial Day sale, and I knew going in that I would need to update the firmware. Even so, it was a bit of a challenge to find the latest firmware to download it. I bought it mostly because the console is so beautifully designed. Since the Recharged games are available on other platforms and I play the retro games on original hardware, the new VCS itself doesn’t offer me much in new gaming experiences. But as a fan of Atari, I really wanted the console for shelf display. However, I did end up updating the firmware and hooking it up because people on Atari I/O play it.
Finding the latest firmware should not be as difficult as it was. It took me 2 hours because I downloaded an older firmware initially so I had to start over. Everything should be there on the Atari website or links to everything should be there.
I agree the console looks beautiful and I love having it on the shelf next to the 7800. Somebody like myself who doesn't have any other modern consoles to play their recharged games, this made sense as my choice to do so. Even if the choice limits me to mostly Atari software.
But you make a good point, if you already have a modern console (switch, ps4 or 5, Xbox etc) then this is even more limited in value for you.
As always thanks for watching!
The 7800 ports are cheap and look great on the system, my kids love alot of the 7800 games
Everything you said is spot on! The bootable USB update is kind of insane!
Thank you! I'll have an update here pretty soon about my experience since going through all the initial stuff so stay tuned for that!
Im 25 i was born in 1997. I grew up with the nintendo 64. I try to play everything but these days i play way more retro games than modern games. Even though i am too young to remember atari in its prime I am starting to play alot of atari games on my switch. And pc and i am having the best time iv had playing games in a while. I think tempest is my favorite. Iv been watching reviews for like 2 months now and although the reviews seem pretty mixed i honestly think im just gonna buy the vcs. Atari games are just pure fun and if i had a console that comes bundled with the vault and the classic joystick controller i honestly think I will love this.
Thank you for the video I subscribed :)
Thanks for watching and subscribing! Before I bought the VCS I had asked a couple friends who are into Atari and bought one and they said not to. But I have to be honest I'm pretty happy with it!
But keep in mind I don't have a switch, I don't have a new consoles and I keep forgetting about steam lol. So this is my first experience with a lot of these games. Also their is Tempest 4000 along with the originals on Atari VCS and you get the paddle / spinner controls on the classic controller! So that might be fun for you!
@@TheAtariNetwork I can't wait to get it. I know I will love it. And tempest 4000 looks amazing.
@@TheAtariNetwork Also how does the spinner control work on the classic controller?
I plan on showing it off in my next video but you basically spin the joystick. It works and feels better than it might sound. I plan on getting tempest one week soon here too. I think you'll like it but I haven't tried that one specifically yet...
@@TheAtariNetworkOh that's cool you can do it with the joystick. I'll try it out
Excellent review. The Atari Vault was on Steam and I have it, plus part 2. All in all it cost me about 5 bucks. So I got to play all those games on my xbox controller for about 190 less than getting a Nu VCS. Play Black widow recharged if you can coz, the 1980 original kicks it into touch.
Thanks for the kind words and the recommendation! I'll give black widow a try. I've been playing Yars revenge recharged and that one is really good too!
What amusing is seeing this Atari review and hearing a Halo theme song in the background. I picked up the VCS 800 almost one year ago, but I have not plugged the unit into anything. I simply put it in a display case, for I do like the look. I hope the hardware works when I finally plug this thing in.
Price point should be $150
i don't think it need to be $150 it think the summer sale it being $224 is great enough to me but the price went back being $300 dollars on atari website now i'm ok with that i think $300 is a good price to me but it's still $400 dollars on the gamestop and best buy i also don't mind it being $400 dollars either as long the price is not above that than i'm fine with it and i do have this new atari vcs pc/console hybird hardware i love it i think it's a great underrated unpopular hardware it's my favorite atari hardware i love it better than nintendo switch, ps4, ps5 and xbox series x because i'm just not a fan of nintendo, sony and microsoft i'm only a fan of sega and atari there are just most unpopular things i love better than most popular things that's just my preference i respect everyone's honesty if some don't like atari vcs think it's bad disappointed with it and some that love the atari vcs think it's good, some think it's great and some think it's ok decent
Good point it's up to everyone to decide if it's worth the price to them or not. I'm happy for what I paid but at 150 I would've pulled the trigger months ago. Thanks for watching
@@TheAtariNetwork your welcome and exactly that's why i said what i said i don't listen to most that are judgemental that force there turth down our throat i'm right and your wrong ego mindset i don't like that at all when tell us what we should or shouldn't do and what we should or shouldn't support that are close minded i think we have the right to decide what is worth it to us or not be thinking for ourselves follow our heart gut insctincts i love that most are open minded respectful i know not all are disrespectful i think it's ok if we agree or disagree as long we are respectful about it i hope you have a good day sending you love take care
@@shawn6306 take care thanks for the good message
❤
Flashing a system first thing is not on my to-do list. Thanks for the heads up on that
Unfortunately it's something that about half VCS owners have to do when they get their consoles according to what I've found out. Maybe one day they'll get this corrected but until then, it is what it is. Thanks for watching!
I'll tell you what man...feels like Atari almost tries to make me not want this. From the set up issues (which are TOTALLY unacceptable) that give the very strong impression Atari gave up on this thing almost immediately, to the eye watering price point, there are a lot of cons here.
Yet I still want it....a console that is all Atari is a very attractive luxury. That being said I already have a Switch, 2600+, and GSP so the VCS feels like an expensive novelty at this point. And yet.... I still kinda want it 😂
Here's the thing. Wade Rosen the Atari President doesn't want this thing, it's a project he inherited from the previous regime. So you're almost right on the money there.
The set up issues are unacceptable and I don't understand why nothing has been done to make it a better experience. Yes I get it, the VCS isn't their main priority, but they're still selling it! So fix it!
Right now I enjoy my VCS but I would say to wait for a sale before taking the plunge. It can also act as a Windows PC if you're interested but I know next to nothing about that...
Oddly enough my AtariVCS work right out of the box without issue. I did however buy one of the 1st 6000 made though. lol
It's unfortunate that you received one with the old firmware. I bought mine last year and had some trouble setting it up but nothing like what you went through. As for support, Atari usually sends you to their discord where they have several employees always active to help you asap. It's a very cool system for an Atari fan. It's not for everyone though.
It's good to know that some units have newer firmware. That would explain why it seems some people don't have the same issues. And I wasn't aware actual Atari employees were on the discord. All great information for people considering the console! Thanks for sharing and thanks for checking out the video!
I believe that they need to make a standard for consoles now so you only have one thats made by different manufactures like the PC is or how VHS Recorders were, they do not need to be individual now and it would save on the environment.
About half a decade ago I paid $5 for Atari Vault on Steam. It's still up there if you want to play these emulations.
I didn't know it was on steam! Thank you for sharing that I'm sure it'll help some people who might want to check the vault out but not the VCS!
It was on Steam until the 50 collection came out but I’ve seen Fanatical selling Steam keys for it. The DLC pack makes it even better. The best thing about Atar Vault is that Adventure has a level randomizer which gives it endless replayability. One of my favorite games of all time and the randomizer makes it many times better.
@@AngryCalvin that sounds really cool. The only way to get it now is with a steam key?
Damn i really wanted this thing after hearing it can do pc mode with custom OSs and steam, but these videos are really making me reconsider cuz the whole console just seems abandoned
Atari should pay you for saving sales of the VCS. I ordered Cyber Monday on sale and set it up today. Inexcusable that the firmware must be updated from a USB drive image that Atari doesn't offer to get any use at all out of this device. I was able to get the firmware updated, but I imagine many customers would give up before even realizing this is what they need to do. Others won't be able to figure out how to do it. Unbelievable!
I don’t understand why they have just basic colors. If they took a n64 approach a little bit they’d gain more interest.
I wish you would do a step by step video on how to do what you did to get it workable for the not tech savvy like myself. I just received me an Atari VCS and have no clue what to do. I know I'd be indebted to ya. Thanks for at least reading this.
I will try to get a video up as soon as I can but I am not a tech guy either. Here's the thread on AtariAge I used to finally get up and running. Make sure you download the latest firmware because I didn't. It's on one of the last posts
forums.atariage.com/topic/329504-atari-vcs-operating-system-won%E2%80%99t-update-help/
You'll need a USB flash drive, one with like 8 gigs is plenty, then you'll have to download Rufus and have an usb keyboard available. Download the latest firmware, launch Rufus and locate your flashdrive and then the new firmware. Let it install to the USB and then follow the instructions from that post, I believe you plug in the USB keyboard, power on the VCS holding escape and choose to boot from USB. Let the new os install and after it finishes you should be good to go. Hopefully that will get you started but I'll try to get a video out this weekend hopefully to help
@@TheAtariNetwork thank you so much.
Great video. It has a Ryzen cpu so couldn't be $150 though. I think the VCS is the only Ryzen device below $200 (without controllers), and it's in a different league from the ARM based stuff (Nvidia Shield, RetroPi, 2600+, etc) and even the Switch which is more than 6 years old now. In my opinion the controllers are premium so they shouldn't be giving them away either. The unsubsidized price for a Sony controller is almost $200. Not saying anyone including Atari should be charging $200 for a controller.
You know I'm not a technical guy but these are some great points for my follow up video. I didn't consider what was running on the inside! I'll look into that some more thanks for the information! And thanks for watching!
Got this, I really wanted it to be my main set top box but it simply did not have the software support. And even hacking it was a lot more work and annoying than just setting up any other mini PC with batocera. I couldn't keep it. Hope the guy I sold to was able to enjoy it.
That's a shame but if it doesn't fit your needs it's not worth keeping. I hope you found a mini PC or something that fits your needs. Thanks for watching !
I'm running a 1TB SSD in mine with Windows 11 in the sandbox mode. Once I maxed the RAM out it runs about anything I've thrown at it
Important fact: This failed update was NOT a problem from the beginning.. I have 3 systems now and only the recent one could not update and that's because they've recently changed update servers to be not compatible with older, especially original firmware. Of course nobody willing to spend money updating all their stock, which they have too much of since most only bought them thinking they could sell it for more than they bought it. Poor guys who thought that would work.
Actually I like the system and wish people just enjoyed what it is, and supported it.
If they won't update all the stock then they should make the information easy and accessible on their website, or at least put an insert in the shipping box with instructions should you encounter the issue. They seem to say "well if you encounter it then go to discord or Reddit and figure it out. We have a rep there find them" and that's not a good method for fixing the issue or instilling customer confidence.
I don't hate the VCS. I've encountered more issues but through it all I really enjoy it and I'm glad to see Atari back in the game and giving their fans what they want. I just wish they did a better job with the issues of the VCS. They make it hard to recommend to your standard consumer by not addressing the issues more directly.
Thank you for the clarification. Your comment about the update issue makes a lot of sense.
I didn't know this was a "new" system! (This is the first since Jaguar I take it?) It looks to have some impressive graphic capabilities. I am guessing they will make new games for this, (like the new recharged games etc.) The look of the system is awesome too! Atari is really bringing their A game lately! Now, do you think they will port over some 5200 games to this thing? Perhaps they will reissue an improved controller!
VCS Vault 2 is almost all 5200 games for the VCS. Plus there's some here and there in other various compilations. The classic controller is a great way not only to play their classic titles but paddle games as well because the stick spins like a paddle.
Neo Sprint, Asteroids Recharged, Gravitar Recharged, Atari Mania, 50th Collection, BPM Boy, Tyre Trax and many more modern and classic games can be purchased from the store. Overall it would be a fun, classic Atari experience but potential difficulties setting it up and the "zip code glitch" that prevents 35% (roughly) of the user base from buying games reliably make it a tough recommendation for anybody but the most die hard of fans
Just got my VCS on the Labor Day sale for $119
So, just arcade and 2600? Nothing else? Would be nice to have more. 5200, 7800, Jaguar and Lynx.
I got one of these for $100 from gamestop about a year ago. I solely use it for a mini pc and emulate on it. Not too bad. The base experience is pretty lack luster.
That is a fantastic price. So it really is a decent PC for the money then? I might try to do something like that in the future. Maybe run retroarch or something on it. Thanks for checking out the video!
@@TheAtariNetwork I think it's a decent mini PC for $100, I installed windows and use retro bat as a front end. Pretty solid performance for what it is, I'm not knowledgeable of the mini PC market though.
@@chrispy3051 neither am I but your comment should help people just realize that's an option if these ever get clearance out. And you reminded me I want to try that myself. So thank you
The mini pc idea is something I thought about but only if I could get a deal like you did. I do a lot of emulation and use an android device or fire tablet for travel. This would be a powerhouse for travel.
Just bought the VCS. Will I still need to update the bios? Or does the newest firmware update the bios? Just seeing what I'm instore for I start setting it up.
In Europe the atari VCS 800 cost £330 to £350 in the uk
this would be nice to use with batocera bec of looks it would look nicer than normal mini pc next to ur tv.
I heard that the classic joystick controller supports C input when connected wired, and D input when connected wirelessly. Is this correct?
Do you know if 4 joystick / paddle controllers can work at once for Warlords four player?
I wish i wouldn't have missed out on buying the VCS when game stop had them on sale for $99. But that was my fault. I had the chance to buy one at that price, but i held off (cant exactly remember why) but when i went to pull the trigger they was out of stock.
Is the menu screen tearing actually happening on the VCS or is it just due to the capture?
7:26 Nice halo background music.
Thanks for noticing the music lol. The screen wasn't tearing but I noticed my captured didn't look anywhere near as nice as in person. Maybe my equipment?
At 99 dollars it would be well worth it. At the 199 price range I paid id say hardcore Atari fans only.
@@TheAtariNetwork yeah, I kick myself in the butt for not getting one when I had the chance at that price. I love Atari but I'm definitely not what you'd call a hardcore fan, I can't really justify the price being that I already have a few PCs (one a gaming PC).
Actually Atari is woking on the atari os update to fix this issue. Anyway, Nice vídeo. Create more vídeo about the vcs, maybe some lives to us👏
That's perfect because minus that issue I'm having a great time with the console. It'll be an easy recommendation with that fixed and possibly a lower starting price. But I'm having so much fun exploring the console now, thank you. Definitely great news!
It's been an issue for at least a year, with no easy solution other than reloading bios, definitely should of been on top of ataris to do list.
As cool as I think this is, having to download and flash the system right out of the box is a deal breaker for me. I’ll just keep playing their games on my PC.
It’s my understanding that the upcoming 2600+ is actually more like a 7800 disguised like a 2600 as it plays 7800 natively. Which is kind of odd to call it a “2600” but I guess there’s more familiarity with the 2600 name than the 7800. (Unfortunately)
Yeah the 7800 is definitely less known than the 2600 and I'm sure that's why it's named the way it is. But it is definitely more like a 7800+. Be sure to check the compatibility list on atari.com because not everything is compatible and we talked about it a bit more in our podcast on Vinnies channel ua-cam.com/video/9VeqccMFDe0/v-deo.html
@@TheAtariNetwork Thank you for the heads up. Question..what is your setup for capturing gameplay? See I have two UA-cam channels. One under the Dinnerfor1(1540 after UA-cam got done with me lol) and another that is a gaming channel called “ngiants22” but to capture game footage I’ve actually been using a very low end PC and running RetroArch (which has game capture functionality) and then using Filmorago (I won’t even tell you how out of sheer embarrassment) to setup the videos for my ngiants22 channel. The only reason I haven’t used a better PC set up is for fear of purchasing too little or too much power for game capture. I did purchase a game capture hdmi to usb dongle but as I mentioned, my pc is WAAAY underpowered to handle using that with software. So I’ve been doing it my way. But I’m definitely wanting to upgrade just don’t really know what I would need spec wise. Silly but that’s my story. If you want to see what I’m doing you can check out my channel (@ngiants2230 again accordingl to UA-cam) I welcome your thoughts and opinions and most of all your help.
I didn't realize I had comments being held for review and this was one. For capturing gameplay I use a couple different things. I have a clear click and a retro scaler 2x for Atari 7800 game captures. The console signal is split into my crt and the retro scaler, then that runs to the clear click via HDMI and then the clear click runs to my laptop via USB. It's all recorded using OBS. All those are Amazon off brands of more popular capture equipment like the retrotink 2x etc.
For the Atari VCS I have something even simpler. It's a generic HDMI capture card I got off eBay. It sits between the console and the TV and runs to the laptop via USB. I keep two separate ones so I can just keep them hooked up behind the TV.
My laptop really isn't suited for this kind of stuff. It's not that old but I only paid like 370 bucks for it. But I'm scraping by. I also use generic webcams and microphones that I got off Amazon. I plan on getting nicer stuff eventually but this all worked to get me going.
If you need any help or links and stuff let me know! Sorry that it took a while for me to realize I had comments being held for some reason!
@@TheAtariNetwork no worries. Thanks for sharing. I’m working on finding a better solution for my channels but for now, like you, I’m getting by with what I have.
@@dinnerfor1540 I figured the best thing was to just get started and do it. Then I planned on upgrading equipment as I go. But honestly like you said before, my computer can barely handle what I'm doing. That's probably the most expensive piece but the one I need to get first. I hope your channels are doing well. I haven't seen any recommendations from UA-cam in a while so I'm gonna surf through them this weekend!
Problem for me is its a redundant machine. There's really nothing on the VCS that I can't play on my Switch
Yes this is a major issue to me too. And a used switch lite can be had in my local area for about 125-150 so it's even priced better. And I doubt there will be any exclusives because it just doesn't make sense from a profit standpoint.
Thanks for bringing this up I want to try to think of a good reason for the VCS over the switch but idk if I'll come up with one...
@7800ProGamer so true but those recharged games, they are fantastic. I'll give Atari that
@@atarileaf I enjoyed the 3 recharged games I've played a lot so far. I could see getting all of them a few months down the road.
True story
@@atarileaf there is nothing on the VCS you can't play on pretty much any other gaming platform out there! I'm not sure Atari even has the resources to make exclusives... I mean, just getting this console released took a lot out of them...
When you are flipping through those games I see a lot of screen tearing. Was that just a byproduct of recording this video, or is that the console?
It was from my recording and doesn't show up when actually playing
@@TheAtariNetwork thank you!
Aw i want one
Atari seems to think Canada do not exit. Still waiting to order it. You talked that no paddles in the video... but the joystick is build in paddle.... no ?
You are absolutely right I didn't discover that until a day after my video! I apologize for my ignorance and plan on correcting it in my next VCS video. It'll be out in a couple weeks but I think I'll add it to the pinned comments. Thanks for pointing that out!
It's interesting to note that Bandai Namco acquired Atari Europe in 2009 for all affected Atari IP excluding the USA and Japan, implying that the USA and Canada ended up in different regions for affected IP. Not sure how this affects VCS sales or their decision to only sell the VCS in the USA, and I've never seen where Atari every talks about the effects of the acquisition. Even though Atari Europe was reorganized under a different name (Namco Bandai Games Europe), the entity still exists under Bandai Namco.
I just wished they shipped these to Canada 😔
Orange Pi 5 is probably better. But they're simular considering the hard drives. Atleast Xbox controllers work with the VCS.
Is screen tearing part of the recording or is it my system?
In person I didn't notice any screen tearing but it happen in my most recent recording too. I believe it's just how I had the recording set up but I'll pay close attention next time I play it and let you know.
Im having this issue and the update link didn't work
Try this video
vimeo.com/784422540
I'm very far removed from the setup process and won't be able to help but join the Atari VCS discord server, check out the Atariage VCS forum and either ask for help or look for others who asked previously. I hope some of this helps
I've only ever seen the system talked about here on youtube. I have never had a conversation with another gamer about i. Hell, most gamers probably don't even know it exists and if they seen it, they would probably think its just another Walmart plug in play system.
That's true, I doubt many people have heard of the VCS or talked about it much. I have talked about it with a few of my friends but my circle is far from ordinary and very up with what the new Atari is doing.
There is a reason why it's not talked about much and I think it's because there's little for modern gamers to really get here that they don't already have. If you have a switch, PS4, Xbox or even PC you can do what the VCS does already.
It's more for fans of Atari who maybe don't have a modern console (such as myself) to play the recharged games, classic Atari stuff, and some relevant indie games while getting a streaming box and a cheap but moderately powered PC. Feel free to talk about it all you want on my channel, I'll have another update video soon!
I had 2 friends get it, 1 got it when I did about a yr and a half ago, setup was weird, but no firmware updates, convinced another friend to buy last yr, blackfriday sale, he got it for Christmas present, had same ordeal as the youtuber did, went back and forth with Atari, to find out he needed a USB stick and keyboard, to reload bios, he was peed off, he returned an told me what a crappy experience it was.
It's a weird system, made for 2 generation ago gamers, but not user friendly in any way, if they could of got someone involved in making the wii, on board, and just made it user friendly on set up, gameshop, and made netflix/hulu work with controller vs weird mouse deal.
Probably could of been a mild hit, but no telling how many returns for can't set this thing up has happened
@@petewillson205 thanks for sharing the experience of three different people. It's such a shame because once it's set up the VCS isn't horrible, just loaded with odd choices. Im sure people will find your comment useful, thanks again!
The screen tearing looks pretty bad
What's baffling is why they chose the silicone and OS they did, why didn't they go ARM with Android? The screen tearing is horrible, it looks very poorly optimized. $150.00 bucks, no thanks.
Dude, the PS2 collections of classic Atari games are a better deal than this. And I'm not saying they're a fabulous option, but c'mon…
That’s weird… I didn’t have to do that to mine.
Depends when yours is manufactured from what I've learned. You got lucky as anybody who purchases one might have to go through the steps I described. But some won't.
Days of Doom Atari VCS Review!
ua-cam.com/video/Xo2IbBSfC0I/v-deo.html
Wanted one
Could not afford it
Herd mixed things about it
I love mine.....
It's a $150 machine if it worked out of the box, at best.
Unfortunately you're not alone in that thought. I am having fun with it but apparently there isn't anything exclusive to it. The only reason I could think of getting this over say a switch lite is if you have no interest in modern games, you want to support Atari, and your interested in having the classic controller for paddle and spinner functionality and you want the PC features of the box. Thanks for watching
WHY do you have music blaring louder than the sound effects of the game and while I'm trying to listen to what you are saying?
Do you think there is some unwritten rules somewhere that say you have to play music during a video?
First complaint like that out of 4500 views. I watched it multiple times and I don't think it was "blaring" or hard to understand but if others agree I'll tone it down next time.
@@TheAtariNetwork But what is the point of having a song with singing in it playing while you are speaking?
Unacceptable by Atari to release a product with issues
I think companies (such as Atari) test as much as they can but sometimes problems don't make themselves apparent until they're in the hands of the masses. What's important is how you address those problems. I think their failure is in not addressing it in a manner that is accessible and easy to find. And it was probably out of fear of losing customers by admitting you might have to take extra steps once you receive it. But I think returns would be worse.
Atari should open every unit they have in stock and reflash them before sealing them back up and sending them out. It would be costly but it would go a long way in customer confidence. But making the information accessible should be the minimum.
But the VCS is not bad ONCE YOU GET IT WORKING. I'm having so much fun with it but it's far from a console that everyone will enjoy. Anyway thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!
@@TheAtariNetworkthat is especially true with PC games!
No
LOL even 2$ is too much for this novelty junk! I may offer You maybe like 50 cents if You ever decide to sell it later....You do the shipping costs though!!
Atar will send you a flashed usb stick.just plug it in and it will update
That's great! Unfortunately I can only report on my experience and I never got a response from Atari outside of them sending an automated email saying they received it and would be in touch. Hopefully my experience isn't typical. But I'm still having a ton of fun weeks after the fact so to me it was worth it anyway!