In a shocking (or not so shocking) update, the upcoming Atari VCS console has once again been pushed back. It's now scheduled for launch in late 2019 due to further hardware revisions.
According to The Indiegogo Atari page and the Atari blog on Medium, the Atari VCS is being retooled with new specifications in mind. Initially, the Atari console was revealed to be a Linux-based gaming PC for the living room. The console would be built around an AMD brand chip that featured Radeon R7 graphics and the overall capabilities were comparable to that of a mid-range PC.
Here we go again with Atari delays
However, Atari revealed the company was no longer satisfied with these specs and the development team would be upgrading the console to run on a more powerful chip in the form of an AMD Bristol Ridge processor. It's a chip that made it's debut back as 2016. This would afford the console modern visual capabilities including 4K resolution output, HDR and frame rates of up to 60 FPS.
Now, Atari is reporting that their engineers have once again returned to the drawing board are upgrading the console to run on one of the latest AMD Ryzen processors. The new chip will be a 14nm model, sporting the high performance of two Zen cores and Radeon Vega graphics.
Not only will the new chip aim to provide the same graphical fidelity as the previous choice but will deliver a "cooler and quieter performance." It will also run much cooler in comparison.
Atari plans to fulfill its promise to deliver the console to its crowdfunders on Indiegogo at the end of 2019, followed by a commercial launch in 2020.
The Atari blog states, "AMD’s all-new Ryzen embedded chip will be faster, cooler, and more efficient, allowing the VCS to benefit from a simpler and more effective power architecture and thermal solution...The new processor includes built-in Ethernet, Native 4K video with modern HDCP, and a secure frame buffer that fully-supports DRM video (Netflix, HBO, etc.)."
A development hell
Initially teased back in June 2017, the console was presented as a mystery gaming platform of sorts; titled as the 'Ataribox.' The buzz around a potential successor for the defunct Atari console line had incited much anticipation and speculation among journalists and consumers alike.
In March 2018, the platform received its official name which is a call back to the classic Atari 2600.
However, between the time of its announcement and now, the Atari VCS has become a recurring joke due to constant delays and an ambiguous presentation. The company has failed to settle on the actual specs for the console, trading its chips in for more powerful ones from AMD.
Also, the company has failed to show actual gameplay footage from the console, which sparked trending concerns that the company might be out to scam its Indiegogo backers. Hopefully, the company will have some tangible evidence to show soon.
