Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!

Anything to do with games at all.
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Peter Crisp
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Peter Crisp » Wed May 30, 2018 10:36 pm

Lagamorph wrote:This can run Steam.
It comes with Linux (which you can install Steam on) but it should run Windows 10 no problem as well.

The spec list isn't actually too bad for the intro price of $200, but you kind of get screwed on it not coming with controllers (though in theory it should support Xbox and PlayStation controllers) but then outside the US you get double screwed by import fees smacking 20% ontop of the price.


I'd have to take a look, but if anyone else can put together a similarly specced HTPC for around £200 I'd certainly like to see.


My only objection to your statement is that they won't be paying retail prices for parts and I obviously have no idea how much cheaper parts are for hardware manufacturers but I'd assume it was at least a fair discount.

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Lagamorph
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Lagamorph » Wed May 30, 2018 10:51 pm

A very brief go on PC Part Picker I came up with this using the same CPU for £265

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/jrBn6s

But that doesn't include HDMI out.
If you want that the price jumps up to £287

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/WB6t7W

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Lex-Man
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Lex-Man » Wed May 30, 2018 10:51 pm

The CPU you actually be better than the OG PS4 so for desktop apps it might preform better, not that you're going to be running many games on the PS4. It seems like they've gone with a off the shelf APU rather than getting a full custom chip. It also has half the RAM. I'm still kind of tempted to get one, but I just don't think I'd use it much.

Amusement under late capitalism is the prolongation of work.
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Lagamorph
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Lagamorph » Thu May 31, 2018 12:33 am

Looking again at the VCS vs something like the custom self build I posted above the prices for the VCS can be worthwhile if it's the kind of unit/specification you're after.

The Early Bird VCS is $199, which works out around £150.
Add on 20% for customs brings it to £180. Add in £10 for courier admin charge, plus let's say £20 for shipping at an extreme, so for the VCS (with no controllers) you're looking around £210, versus a minimum of £265 for a self build. That's £55 to spend on controllers and/or games.

On the other hand, compare to the RRP of the VCS and it changes things slightly. That's $299, which works out around £225.
Now add on 20% for customs, £10 for courier admin and £20 for shipping and the price jumps to the £300 mark, so the self build suddenly becomes the better option.


A few other things to consider though,
1) The self build price gets you a unit right now. From what I gather £210 will get you a VCS in about a year (Spring 2019). By that point you could probably self build something even more powerful for the same money.
2) The VCS will, supposedly, come pre-loaded with about 100 classic Atari games, plus it comes with a custom Linux distro (based on Ubuntu) that, presumably, will have an exclusive storefront for purchasing further titles. Of course the open nature of Linux means I'd be incredibly surprised if the storefront, if not the entire OS distro, wasn't up and available for download onto any Linux box within a week of this landing in people's laps.


I'm probably putting way more thought into this than it deserves now I think about it though.

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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by NickSCFC » Thu May 31, 2018 7:21 am

Why won't they just announce a single modern game, the scamming strawberry floaters :?

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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by HSH28 » Thu May 31, 2018 7:36 am

Peter Crisp wrote:What's difficult to understand?
I was merely saying that from a technical perspective in 2018 making a new machine as powerful or more powerful than a PS4 shouldn't be hard.
I have a feeling a few people on here if given a bit of time could build a machine to a budget with better specs so I'm disappointed that a company who most likely had at least a few people trying to get them bulk deals on parts could only manage what we've seen.
A PS4 power level device is not exactly going to set anyone's world on fire in 2018.


For $200 I think you are wrong.

The CPU in a PS4 is underpowered compared to modern PCs, sure. But that doesn't mean the rest of the components are, the current consoles can't be directly compared with PCs, sure they sure similar components, but they are put together in a bespoke way.

The kind of machine you think should be available just doesn't exist, and making it wouldn't happen on this kind of budget.

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Victor Mildew
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Victor Mildew » Thu May 31, 2018 7:55 am

Who was it on here who used to think you could build a Xbox 360 beating pc for £150? (Back in the day obviously) :lol:

Focusing on pure console spec matching is to miss the point, you could have an exact like for like ps4 architecture but it's never going to perform as well without developer optimisation.

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Death's Head
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Death's Head » Thu May 31, 2018 7:58 am

So can this link to Steam and download games from there? If so, this could offer a very good, hassle free and cheap low spec PC gaming platform. Each console released isn't necessarily as powerful as what went before, see Wii, Wii U and Switch for details.

Yes?
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Moggy
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Moggy » Thu May 31, 2018 8:03 am

Ad7 wrote:Who was it on here who used to think you could build a Xbox 360 beating pc for £150? (Back in the day obviously) :lol:


I remember that argument. It was simultaneously one of the most entertaining and most boring conversations ever had on GRcade. :lol:

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Victor Mildew
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Victor Mildew » Thu May 31, 2018 8:07 am

Moggy wrote:
Ad7 wrote:Who was it on here who used to think you could build a Xbox 360 beating pc for £150? (Back in the day obviously) :lol:


I remember that argument. It was simultaneously one of the most entertaining and most boring conversations ever had on GRcade. :lol:


"You can get the DVD Rom drive for £13!"

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Moggy
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Moggy » Thu May 31, 2018 8:13 am

Ad7 wrote:
Moggy wrote:
Ad7 wrote:Who was it on here who used to think you could build a Xbox 360 beating pc for £150? (Back in the day obviously) :lol:


I remember that argument. It was simultaneously one of the most entertaining and most boring conversations ever had on GRcade. :lol:


"You can get the DVD Rom drive for £13!"


Here's the thread if you want to relive it.

t:the-139-gaming-pc-challenge-thread?p=3066068#p3066068

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Death's Head
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Death's Head » Thu May 31, 2018 8:37 am

Jumping to the end it seemed that a spec within budget was suggested but I'm guessing Rik didn't stump up the cash in the end.

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Moggy
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Moggy » Thu May 31, 2018 8:41 am

Death's Head wrote:Jumping to the end it seemed that a spec within budget was suggested but I'm guessing Rik didn't stump up the cash in the end.


Rik wrote:
Cal wrote:
Rik wrote:It's real. I will buy the parts myself and donate this gaming monster to a contributor.
Or we could hold a raffle and donate the proceeds to Grcade.


How about someone just sources all the parts, links and all so you can verify it, and then you just donate the cost to a children's charity or something? Do any of us really need it? You get to feel good, nobody gets hurt.


We can do whatever people want to do with it, we have to build it and benchmark it though to prove it can run the game. Then we can do whatever with it.


As it was never built, I guess Rik won the argument. :slol:

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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by jawafour » Wed Jun 06, 2018 11:16 pm

The Indiegogo campaign appears to be progressing well. The target was set at $100k and the total currently stands at $2.6m after just one week :o .

Sure, the console numbers are still small compared to the big console manufacturers but the system is probably proving to have more of a buzz around it then many folk had anticipated.

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Lex-Man
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Lex-Man » Wed Jun 06, 2018 11:41 pm

I am very tempted to buy one, but I know I'd never use it.

Amusement under late capitalism is the prolongation of work.
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Lagamorph
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Lagamorph » Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:20 am


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Victor Mildew
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Victor Mildew » Thu Jun 21, 2018 12:10 pm

Lagamorph wrote:http://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/06/21/atari_interview_in_full/


Shutupandtakemymoney.gif

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Lex-Man
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by Lex-Man » Mon Mar 18, 2019 10:10 pm

I just got this email about the Atari VCS. I really can't believe this is still something that is happening.


Hello Fans!

The team entered the year 2019 with a lot of great momentum and excitement around the Atari VCS project, confident in our direction and progress. Atari is working with some of the top talent and companies in the business, all helping to implement the vision for both the product and all the elements that go into it.

This project’s integrity and backers’ emotional and financial investments are and will always be our top priorities. Today’s new Atari VCS blog, linked below, discusses our recent decision to upgrade to an all-new AMD chip, and its impact on the product’s delivery which is now end of 2019.

When reading the blog, we hope you all appreciate the reasons why we decided to make this upgrade and why, when given an opportunity to improve the product in exchange for a new delivery date, we chose to upgrade. Working together with project partners and stakeholders, we took the time to fully-mature this important decision before making it public. The team is listening to your comments and questions and are confident that this change positively reflects many of our fans’ and backers’ feedback.

We also acknowledge your requests for more frequent updates, but please bear in mind that Atari and its partners are constrained by mutually-agreed approval processes and other restrictions that may be legal, self-imposed, regulatory and/or some combination of these. Details about the product(s) and strategies of both Atari and its partners can and will be shared only when all stakeholders agree.

We cannot thank you enough for your support!

— The Atari VCS Team



Reading the blog they seem to be suggesting that they've moved to 14 nano meter cpu with vega graphics cards. Although they don't give any indication of what model they'll be using. Also they will be shipping to North America at the end of 2019.

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jawafour
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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by jawafour » Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:29 am

Lex-Man wrote:...they will be shipping to North America at the end of 2019.

I still can't quite believe that we're gonna see a new Atari console! I'd love for it to do really well... we'll see!

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PostRe: Atari VCS | Formerly Ataribox | Plays games!
by NickSCFC » Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:31 am

jawafour wrote:
Lex-Man wrote:...they will be shipping to North America at the end of 2019.

I still can't quite believe that we're gonna see a new Atari console! I'd love for it to do really well... we'll see!


I can't believe that so long after the unveil and so close to launch we still don't have a clue what it is and not a single game has been unveiled.

I'm surprised a dev or insider hasn't leaked specs yet either.


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