The long-awaited Atari VCS, Atari’s first proper home console since the Atari Jaguar 25 years ago, finally has a release date – and it’s right around the corner. Australian distributors Bluemouth Interactive have announced the microconsole will be released next week on 10 June, coming in at a substantial AU $849.95/NZ $899.95, available for pre-order on JB Hi-Fi, EB Games, Catch.com.au, The Gamesmen, and Mighty Ape for NZ residents.

The console, which was partially funded by a successful Indiegogo campaign in 2018, has a design that pays homage to the original Atari 2600 from the 80’s, includes access to the ‘Atari VCS Vault’ with 100 free Atari retro games. However, the console is also built for modern games as well, packing an AMD Ryzen processor, Radeon Vega 3 graphics and the ability to install your own PC operating system, stream movies, upgrade the 8GB DD4 memory and add storage to the internal 32GB via USB or internal M2 SSD. It also comes with two controllers, a wireless replica of the classic Atari joystick with added rumble, lighting, paddle/steering and second fire button, as well as a more modern controller for contemporary games.

New games available for the console include Boulder Dash Deluxe, Danger Scavenger, Guntech, Jetboard Joust, Sir Lovelot, Something Ate My Alien, Tailgunner and Atari’s Missile Command: Recharged. 

As part of the launch, Antstream Arcade is also launching for Australia, a service that allows you to stream arcade and retro games to your computer or compatible devices, which at the moment appears to be for free.

To check out the Atari VCS for yourself and decide whether it’s worth the AU $849.95, check out the official website.