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Atari VCS is now available to buy
Against all odds, you can buy the console-PC hybrid.
Three years after its original announcement, you can finally buy the Atari VCS. It’s available starting today through the Atari website, Best Buy and Micro Center. Over on Atari's website, there are two versions of the console available. You can buy the $300 Oynx base system or the $400 Black Walnut all-in bundle. The latter comes with a joystick and Xbox-like gamepad. Both wireless peripherals retail for $60 separately.
In addition to coming bundled with the Atari Vault, a collection of 100 free retro games, the console can double as a PC. It can run most modern desktop operating systems, including Windows, Linux and ChromeOS, and comes with Google’s Chrome browser built-in. If the bundled games aren’t your thing, the Atari VCS also has access to an expanded and optimized version of Antstream's Arcade game subscription service that includes thousands of retro titles from a variety of vintage platforms.
Between setbacks like the architect of the console calling it quits, it seemed like the Atari VCS was doomed to become vaporware. Now the question becomes if there’s an audience for a $400 console that’s mostly a nostalgia play. Projects like Ouya prove it's difficult to break into a landscape dominated by giants like Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony.
