Last month, Atari CEO Fred Chesnais confirmed that the company is working on a new console, as it looks to emulate the success of the NES Classic Edition, a nostalgia-filled retro console by Nintendo. The Ataribox, as the new device is called, will be the company"s first foray into the gaming console market after more than twenty years.
In a newsletter sent to fans, Atari has revealed some details and shared a few pictures of the console"s exterior. There will be two editions available for fans to choose from, a black/red variant (shown below) and a wood version (shown above). The company plans to deliver both classic games and current gaming content, so it has equipped the Ataribox with modern internal specs and ports. The device has a HDMI port, four USB ports and SD card support.
"Inspired by classic Atari design elements (such as the iconic use of wood, ribbed lines, and raised back); we are creating a smooth design, with ribs that flow seamlessly all around the body of the product, a front panel that can be either wood or glass, a front facing logo, indicator lights that glow through the material, and an array of new ports (HDMI, 4xUSB, SD). We intend to release two editions: a wood edition, and a black/red edition. As you can guess, those ports suggest modern internal specs. It also means that while we will be delivering classic gaming content, we will also be delivering current gaming content."
Atari has not provided any information on internal hardware, pricing, release date or what games will be available when the console launches, but the company says it listens closely to feedback from the Atari community as it makes these decisions. Atari"s last console was the Jaguar, which was released all the way back in 1993 and was deemed a commercial failure soon after, prompting the company to leave the video game console market.
Source and images: Kotaku