The Atari 800XL returns as a hybrid console and home computer for $220

[Daemon90]

Atari's 800XL, part of a home computer line that was discontinued in the early 1990s, is coming back as a modern hybrid console and computer, Engadget reports. It is designed by Plaion Replai, the company that also remade the Commodore 64 and is working on an upcoming Neo Geo. It connects to a TV over HDMI and has a handful of USB ports for accessories. Preorders are open now at $220, but shipments do not start until 23 April 2027

There are 25 games built in, including Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede and Missile Command. The graphics are 8 bit, roughly comparable to the original NES. A cartridge slot accepts any cartridge that was originally released for the system. USB also lets you load games from other Atari systems such as the 400 and 5200

The bit I love is that it is a computer as well as a console. It comes with a full size mechanical keyboard and Atari BASIC, so owners can write their own programs and run 1980s homebrew software. There is also a period accurate joystick that charges over USB. For anyone who learned to code on a home computer back then, that is a lovely bit of nostalgia

Plaion Replai's Commodore 64 remake was well received, so there is reason to think they will do a decent job here. The 800XL was a strong machine in its day, with better graphics and sound than many of its rivals. It never had the same profile in the UK as the Spectrum or the C64, though. Atari's computers were always more of a niche over here

The long wait for shipping is the one downside. April 2027 is more than six months away, and plenty can change in that time. Still, $220 for a working cartridge slot, a mechanical keyboard and 25 built in games is fair for a retro product of this kind. It is the sort of thing that will sell well to people of a certain age

Did anyone here own an Atari 8 bit computer? And are these retro remakes worth buying, or do you prefer original hardware?

The Atari 800XL hybrid gaming console is back after decades in obscurity - Engadgetwww.engadget.com