When people think of Atari, they likely picture the famous 2600 home console. However, the 800 line of home computers was also extremely successful, before being sunsetted in the early 1990s. Now the 800XL is back and filled with modern bells and whistles.
The 800XL was a refresh of the 1979 original, but with a larger form factor and a nifty-looking industrial design. This new model can do everything the original could do, but with some modern quality-of-life features. For instance, it connectsies
The hybrid console also comes with 25 pre-loaded games, including classics like Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede and Missile Command. This is an 8-bit machine, so the graphical technology is, more or less, on par with the original NES.
There’s a cartridge slot that accommodates any titles originally released for the system. USB connectivity lets people load games from various Atari systems, like the 400 and 5200 consoles. It even comes with a period-accurate joystick that can be charged
Now onto the hybrid part of this console. This is also a computer, just like the original. It comes with a full-sized mechanical keyboard and grants access to the Atari Basic coding platform. This means that people can make their own games, if they have the patience. The cool thing here is that it can run homebrew content made back in the day, so people can take a look at what they were up to back in the 1980s.
The hardware was designed by Plaion Replai, the same company that remade the Commodore 64 and the upcoming Neo Geo. The Atari 800XL costs $220. Preorders are open right now, though shipments don’t go out until April 23, 2027.
