Details of the Ataribox revealed: It's like a NES Classic
Wood panelling confirmed!
Rumours have been flying around about the Ataribox and what exactly it's going to be for the past few weeks since it was revealed -- will it be a modern new console, ready to compete with the likes of Sony and bring Atari back to the top of the gaming world? Or will it be a cheapo retro machine in the same vein of the Atari Flashback? One of those was certainly likelier than the other, but now we know -- and unsurprisingly, it's going to be a retro machine, albeit one that's more in line with the NES and SNES Mini as opposed to the Flashback.
It has to be said, first off...jeez, it sure looks nice - a really good combination of retro and modern aesthetics, with the ribbed lines, raised back and sleek black. The intention is for there to be two versions of the machine - a wood edition, and a black/red edition, and the front panel can either be wood or glass. As far as looks go, it's definitely two thumbs up from me. Atari have also released details of the ports on offer - there's 4 USB slots (presumably for controls), an SD card slot, and HDMI has been confirmed.
Aside from all that, Atari have still released little details on what's actually inside the machine -- all they have stated is that it has "modern internal specs", and that the intention with the Ataribox is to deliver classic gaming content as well as current gaming content. We still don't even have anything remotely approaching a release date yet, or an idea of what games will be included on the system -- it'll probably be a while before we get either of those.
So in the end, we know a little bit more about this Ataribox than we do before, but we're still in the dark about it. This reveal won't change that many minds - the optimists will remain optimistic, and the sceptics will remain sceptical. What cannot be denied though, is that this new Ataribox is generating interest and column inches -- people are certainly curious about just what's inside of it, and it seems as though almost every site and major news source is devoting a bit of time to reporting on this new machine. So perhaps this trickling approach to info is the right one -- but in the end, it's all about whether Atari can actually deliver.
