Atari’s retro console is now the Atari VCS, with a logo beamed in from the 1970s

Atari was once synonymous with home gaming, back in the days when consoles featured titles with graphics so blocky they made Lego bricks jealous. With the newly named Atari VCS (from $250), Atari hopes to snare retro and modern gamers alike. For greying gamers, there’s a finish that echoes the original’s wood veneer, that beloved logo, and the promise of some old classics. But Atari claims the VCS is more than a retro box, arguing that it will “change the way you interact with your TV”. Stuff assumes that’ll be down to apps, games and services, rather than forcing you to navigate the interface using the cramp-inducing classic joystick controller.

Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.