The Atari 7800 is getting the mini-console treatment this winter

By Tomas Franzese Updated August 20, 2024

atari 7800 plus announcement console 1920px 1080px — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Summer Gaming Marathon Feature Image

This story is part of our Summer Gaming Marathon series.

Atari and Plaion revealed that they are working together to create the Atari 7800+, a scaled-down throwback mini-console based on Atari’s NES and Sega Master System competitor.

The Atari 7800 was originally released in 1986, and it was Atari’s first piece of hardware after the video game crash of 1983. It didn’t reach the heights of popularity that the NES and Sega Master System were achieving at the time, but it was still notable for being one of the first backward compatible consoles and featuring solid ports of arcade classics like Food Fight, Galaga, and Dig Dug. Now, the Atari 7800+ offers a more compact version of that original design, and it’s compatible with modern TVs.

Taking cues from last year’s Atari 2600+, the Atari 7800+ lets people use their own game cartridges and play the games on an official system with HDMI connectivity and widescreen support. It’s a step above systems like the NES Classic Edition, which came pre-bundled with a select number of games. As is the case with the original console and 2600+, the Atari 7800+ will support 2600 and 7800 game cartridges. In addition, Atari is releasing 10 new game cartridges that will be compatible with the system.

Those games are Astroids Deluxe, Bounty Bob Strikes Back, Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest, Berzerk, Frenzy, Space Duel, Caverns of Mars, Epyx Game Collections, M Network Collection, and RealSports Collection. These games will retail for $30 and come with color game manuals. Atari and Plaion are also releasing the CX78+ Wireless Gamepad and CX40+ Wireless Joystick for $35 each, although a CX78+ and a copy of Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest will come bundled with each Atari 7800+.

The Atari 7800+ is available for preorder now, costs $130, and will be released sometime during winter 2024.

Topics

Tech News

Gaming Staff Writer

Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Gaming

Atari to begin shipping restyled version of classic game console in June

ataribox new name april pre orders atari vcs

Atari’s VCS console has suffered several production delays over the last two years, leaving many of its 11,597 Indiegogo backers wondering when they'll actually get to use it.

The good news is that up to 500 of these very patient folks are set to receive the restyled version of the classic console by mid-June. That's June 2020, just to be clear.

Gaming

Astro Bot tips and tricks: 8 things to know to get started

Astro Bot rides on a PS5 controller.

Astro Bot has a few tough challenges throughout its 10-to-15-hour adventure, but it's a relatively easy and straightforward platformer overall, offering a strong focus on collectibles and simple combat encounters. Though most genre fans won't struggle too much with its laid-back and accessible journey, there are still a few things we feel could make the experience even breezier for you. Here are eight tips and tricks to get you started in Astro Bot.
Spin to win

Astro has a few different ways to take out enemies. In addition to some of the cool power-ups you'll find, your main kit includes beams that come out of your feet when you jump, a simple punch, and a spinning attack. We recommend using the spinning attack as often as possible, as it can make quick work of enemies by taking off the pressure of lining up punches or jumps. It lasts a while, too, so it's great for moving around large groups of foes and teaching them who's boss.
Get some extra air with spinning, too
Spinning in combat might make quick work of foes, but that's not the only benefit it provides. Though Astro comes equipped with a hover ability for longer jumps, you can also use press the Square button at the very end of a jump to do a quick spin that will extend the length of the jump ever so slightly. This tiny bit of additional time in the air can make all the difference when you're trying to line up a landing on a small platform or reach something far away.
Prioritize collectibles

Gaming

Starfield: Shattered Space’s new planet will include 50 locations

A glowing pink sky with a person standing in the middle of a natural rock archway in Starfield: Shattered Space.

We're finally learning more about Starfield's first major expansion just weeks ahead of release, and it won't just be more story.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bethesda Game Studios revealed that the new planet for the Shattered Space expansion, known as Va'ruun'kai, will have 50 new locations to explore. We know of one location already: Dazra, a city on the planet that serves as the location for House Va'ruun. Learning more about this religious faction -- set up in the base game as something of a mystery -- and what happened to it is the main goal in Shattered Space. It'll overall take place in a new part of space that players haven't gotten to experience yet.