Atari revives 800XL personal computer from the 1980s

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 17:37 · Archive

Atari is relaunching the 800XL, an 8-bit personal computer that originally debuted 43 years ago. The relaunch is a collaboration with game developer and publisher Plaion, following Atari's previous resurrections of iconic consoles including the 2600 and Mattel's Intellivision.

The new 800XL is a faithful recreation featuring a built-in mechanical keyboard for coding in Atari BASIC, HDMI and USB-A ports, and a fully-functional cartridge slot compatible with most Atari 400, 800, XL, and XE cartridges. It also plays software from those old systems when loaded from a flash drive. The device comes with a bundled joystick upgraded with eight action and function buttons, and 25 games built-in including Asteroids, Centipede, Berzerk, Missile Command, and Millipede.

The 800XL is available for preorder at $219.99, with shipping expected to start in April 2027.

How it is being reported

• The Atari 800XL hybrid gaming console is back after decades in obscurityThis updated version connects via HDMI and comes with 25 built-in games.Engadget · 8 Oct, 19:51
• Atari is bringing back one of its earliest 8-bit home computersAfter resurrecting iconic consoles like the 2600 and Mattel's Intellivision, Atari is relaunching one of the brand's personal computers that originally debuted 43 years ago. The 800XL is a faithful recreation of the all-in-one 8-bit PC that's being resurrected as part of a collaboration with game developer and publisher Plaion. While most retro enthusiasts will […]The Verge · 8 Oct, 15:16

In this story: Atari · Plaion

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