Atari 2600+ (Plus) Official Full Console for November 2023

[Nz17]

Atari 2600+

Regular price: $129.99.

https://atari.com/products/atari-2600-plus


No Cartridge Left Behind

Enjoy your favorite Atari 2600 and 7800 games on one system! Not only does the Atari 2600+ pull double cartridge duty, it also features HDMI and widescreen mode for easy connectivity to modern TVs.

Jump right in with the included CX40+ Joystick and a 10-in-1 game cartridge that features some of Atari’s most famous games like Adventure®, Missile Command®, and Yars' Revenge®.


Features

The Atari 2600+ is an updated version of the iconic Atari 2600 and has been enhanced in the following ways:

- Plays both Atari 2600 and 7800 game cartridges
- HDMI output makes it easy to connect
- Widescreen mode
- Enlarged cartridge socket reduces sticking
- Atari logo lights up when being played

The system comes with a CX40+ Joystick which has been lovingly recreated to the same specifications as the original, and a 10-in-1 game cartridge featuring some of Atari’s most famous games: Adventure®, Combat®, Dodge 'Em™, Haunted House®, Maze Craze™, Missile Command®, RealSports® Volleyball, Surround™, Video Pinball™, Yars' Revenge®.


Pre-Order Availability

This item is currently available for pre-order and will ship in November 2023. Pre-orders are considered final 30 days after the order date.
International Availability

United Kingdom - Amazon

Australia - EB Games

New Zealand - EB Games

Austria - Games Only

Germany - Amazon

Switzerland - Game Legends

Spain - GAME

Poland - Euro

Benelux - Bol

Slovenia - Igabiba

Italy - Amazon


Hardware

Featuring a Rockchip 3128 SOC microprocessor with 256MB DDR3 RAM and 256MB eMMC fixed internal storage. Wired CX40+ Joystick with DB9 connector.

Compatible with most 2600 and 7800 cartridges. View Compatibility List.

Package Contents

Atari 2600+ Video Game System includes:
- Atari 2600+ Game System
- Atari CX40+ Joystick
- Atari 10-in-1 Game Cartridge
- HDMI Cable
- USB-C Power Cable
- FUN!


Instantly compatible with Hundreds of Atari's Original Cartridges

DOWNLOAD FULL GAME COMPATIBILITY LIST

Download Compatibility PDF

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0609/3658/5381/files/Atari-2600Plus-Compatibility.pdf?v=1692667681


10 chances for endless fun

System includes a 10-in-1 2600 game cartridge featuring some of Atari’s most famous games: Adventure®, Combat®, Dodge 'Em™, Haunted House®, Maze Craze™, Missile Command®, RealSports® Volleyball, Surround™, Video Pinball™, Yars' Revenge®.


COMPATIBLE WITH ORIGINAL 2600 & 7800 CARTRIDGES

Now you can enjoy both Atari 2600 and 7800 game cartridges on one system. Click. Thud. Smile.
CX40+ Joystick & 
10-in-1 GAME cartridge included


PRODUCT FEATURES

Ready to Play
Has a 10-in-1 cartridge so you can dive into your favorite titles right away.

2 Systems in 1
Plays both Atari 2600 and 7800 game cartridges.

HDMI-Ready
Easily connects via HDMI so you can enjoy every last pixel.

SPECIFICATIONS

Materials
Plastic; Metal

Microprocessor
Rockchip 3128 SOC

Wired Connections
HDMI; USB-C; DB9 Connector

PRODUCT DIMENSIONS

Size
10.63” x 7.09” x 2.76”

Weight
1 lb 9 oz


Index

FAQ

Will this play Atari game cartridges?

Absolutely! The 2600+ can play both Atari original 2600 and Atari 7800 cartridges, and cartridges from the Atari XP program.


CX40+ Joystick
Regular price $24.99

CX30+ Paddle Controller Bundle
Regular price $39.99

Berzerk - Enhanced Edition
Regular price $29.99

Mr. Run and Jump 2600
Regular price $29.99

ATARI CLUB

2600 Schematic Tee
Regular price $32

Cartridge Schematic Tee
Regular price $32

Joystick Schematic Tee
Regular price $32

Have You Played Atari Today?

Atari Distressed Logo Tee

Atari Katakana Logo Hoodie

FUTURISTIC SINCE FOREVER

[Greg2600]

It's not really for me, but I'm going to keep an eye out for reviews and disassembles of their CX-30+ and CX-40+ paddles and stick. Maybe they're worthwhile to have to use on the old hardware?

[Az]

I'm glad to see this being put on the market, but unless you just really love 7800 games I don't see any advantage of this over the Retron 77 (at half the price).

IMO if you're gonna emulate, just emulate. There's zero advantage to using carts in this situation. Buy an adapter to use your favorite controller on any of the million devices that are cheaper and will perform better than this.

[YoshiM]

I'm glad to see this being put on the market, but unless you just really love 7800 games I don't see any advantage of this over the Retron 77 (at half the price).

IMO if you're gonna emulate, just emulate. There's zero advantage to using carts in this situation. Buy an adapter to use your favorite controller on any of the million devices that are cheaper and will perform better than this.

This is for folks that want the nostalgia of putting a cartridge into a machine and playing some fave games on a modern television. Some folks don't want to doink around with emulators or hunting down ROMs. If Atari is going to start selling actual cartridges en masse, the 2600+ is a good avenue for nostalgic gamers to take. It's a pretty slick looking machine that has more "sex appeal" than the Retron 77.

Personally, I use a Harmony cart so I don't have to yank out my cartridges, so this device wouldn't work for me (unless it's hackable). The controllers, however, are on my radar. I'm not a fan of the Ranger stick from Hyperkin and paddles are becoming harder to find in good shape. I tried playing some H.E.R.O. this past weekend and pushing up didn't seem to register all that well on a Ranger that was hardly used. I'm tempted to roll the dice and get a joystick and set of paddles this payday, hoping they are like the originals in play.

[Tron 2.0]

While i did buy a atari 2600 again a few years ago i don't know if i'll bother with the 2600+.It's still a emulation based console similar to the likes of the retron77.Though,i'm interested in the paddle bundle since finding ones that work secondhand are a hassle.

[Steve W]

What I'm hoping is that they come up with some kind of multicarts for home-brew games, maybe home-brews that are fairly old and no longer available. There are probably hundreds of games that were made well after the Atari 2600's demise, it'd be great to be able to get some of them (or at least the ones that don't break copyright laws).

I hope they come out with an Atari 7800 controller. I actually do love the hell out of the 7800, so having a European style 7800 gamepad would be nice. Maybe some 7800 multicarts too. Maybe even hire a bunch of programmers to make sequels to some of those old games. Ninja Golf 2, anyone?

[Az]

This is for folks that want the nostalgia of putting a cartridge into a machine and playing some fave games on a modern television.

I totally understand that, which is why I'm glad a device like this exists. A device with a high compatibility rate that works as intended, with no dicking about with settings, is a good thing.

My comment about emulation and what leaves me scratching my head is often the first discussion point about something like this are people asking about flash cart compatibility or custom firmware to load ROMs from an SD card. At the end of the day a Harmony cart shoved in a 2600+ is a very, very expensive way to run the same exact emulator and ROM you would on any other emulator setup.

[Greg2600]

What I'm hoping is that they come up with some kind of multicarts for home-brew games, maybe home-brews that are fairly old and no longer available. There are probably hundreds of games that were made well after the Atari 2600's demise, it'd be great to be able to get some of them (or at least the ones that don't break copyright laws).

I hope they come out with an Atari 7800 controller. I actually do love the hell out of the 7800, so having a European style 7800 gamepad would be nice. Maybe some 7800 multicarts too. Maybe even hire a bunch of programmers to make sequels to some of those old games. Ninja Golf 2, anyone?

Highly doubt they'll bother with a 7800 stick. Quite a few used two buttons though.

2 Buttons Required:
Ace of Aces
Alien Brigade
Asteroids
Basketbrawl
Choplifter!
Commando
Crack'ed
Dark Chambers
Desert Falcon
Double Dragon
F-18 Hornet
Fatal Run
Ikari Warriors
Jinks
Karateka
Mat Mania Challenge
Midnight Mutants
Motor Psycho
Ninja Golf
One-on-One Basketball
Planet Smashers
Pole Position II
Rampage
RealSports Baseball
Scrapyard Dog
Super Huey UH-IX
Tank Command
Tomcat F-14 Flight Simulator
Water Ski
Xenophobe

2 Buttons Optional:
Xevious

As for the homebrew, I mean it's basically going to come down to what version of Stella they've got in there.

[Steve W]

It seems that Atari has bought out the Atari Age website/forum, which includes all the home-brews. I'm really curious how they're going to proceed from here. Apparently they've been getting rid of all their home-brew cartridges that are based on already existing games, so as not to step on other company's copyrights. Their Hacks game section only has 8 titles in it, all of which are based on games Atari currently owns.

[YoshiM]

It seems that Atari has bought out the Atari Age website/forum, which includes all the home-brews. I'm really curious how they're going to proceed from here. Apparently they've been getting rid of all their home-brew cartridges that are based on already existing games, so as not to step on other company's copyrights. Their Hacks game section only has 8 titles in it, all of which are based on games Atari currently owns.

The original authors still own the rights to their original homebrews, so there's no shenanigans there. AA is still going to sell cartridges but looks like they'll be using cartridges that can just be flashed as opposed to having to solder everything (at least that's the impression I got when Al there was talking about how homebrews will be sold in the near future). The whole conversation about it, with community Q & A can be found by clicking here (https://forums.atariage.com/topic/354589-atariage-atari-qa/).

Based on that thread and Al's mention of how the controllers feel, I bought both a stick and the paddle set. I'm watching the 2600+ to see if a USB drive can be accessible from the USB port. I still have some cartridges but I find I prefer to play from my Harmony cart. I just don't have the room for all this stuff anymore.

[Tron 2.0]

It seems that Atari has bought out the Atari Age website/forum, which includes all the home-brews. I'm really curious how they're going to proceed from here. Apparently they've been getting rid of all their home-brew cartridges that are based on already existing games, so as not to step on other company's copyrights. Their Hacks game section only has 8 titles in it, all of which are based on games Atari currently owns.
Yeah there recent clearance sale got rid of most of the champ games homebrew.Though you can still download there roms at there site and play them in emulation or using a flash cart.

[Gameguy]

This does seem like a decent enough console to fill a need, hopefully it'll be good when it comes out. I still prefer original hardware and displays when possible.


I totally understand that, which is why I'm glad a device like this exists. A device with a high compatibility rate that works as intended, with no dicking about with settings, is a good thing.

My comment about emulation and what leaves me scratching my head is often the first discussion point about something like this are people asking about flash cart compatibility or custom firmware to load ROMs from an SD card. At the end of the day a Harmony cart shoved in a 2600+ is a very, very expensive way to run the same exact emulator and ROM you would on any other emulator setup.
I suppose the reason people ask about flash cart or SD card compatibility in general is more for the ability to play homebrew or fan translations, or rare games that are too expensive for most people to own legitimately. Or for convenience without needing to change cartridges, just being overall more flexible with usage. Owning any type of console hardware often leads to questions of compatibility, even if I'll rarely if ever use those options myself. It's like caring about region locking when I rarely bother with foreign imports.

I did wonder about that with the Retron 5, mainly why require dumping the carts each time when it's just emulation, even having built in storage would be beneficial while avoiding SD cards for piracy prevention. Just dump a game once. I don't exactly trust the cart connectors of these cheap modern consoles so I keep thinking they'll cause excessive wear to cartridge contacts with long term use, or possibly damage to carts/chips due to voltage issues as modern electronics use lower internal voltage than older chips require, there's no guarantee these companies compensated for this correctly. I just trust OEM hardware more than most aftermarket ones, especially when produced decades apart.

[Greg2600]

Yeah there recent clearance sale got rid of most of the champ games homebrew.Though you can still download there roms at there site and play them in emulation or using a flash cart.

Champ Games have said they are working on a plan to continue selling NIB games of theirs.


This does seem like a decent enough console to fill a need, hopefully it'll be good when it comes out. I still prefer original hardware and displays when possible.

I suppose the reason people ask about flash cart or SD card compatibility in general is more for the ability to play homebrew or fan translations, or rare games that are too expensive for most people to own legitimately. Or for convenience without needing to change cartridges, just being overall more flexible with usage. Owning any type of console hardware often leads to questions of compatibility, even if I'll rarely if ever use those options myself. It's like caring about region locking when I rarely bother with foreign imports.

I did wonder about that with the Retron 5, mainly why require dumping the carts each time when it's just emulation, even having built in storage would be beneficial while avoiding SD cards for piracy prevention. Just dump a game once. I don't exactly trust the cart connectors of these cheap modern consoles so I keep thinking they'll cause excessive wear to cartridge contacts with long term use, or possibly damage to carts/chips due to voltage issues as modern electronics use lower internal voltage than older chips require, there's no guarantee these companies compensated for this correctly. I just trust OEM hardware more than most aftermarket ones, especially when produced decades apart.

There's definitely a market, because there are no great RGB or HDMI options for the 2600. Yes, people want it to play everything, which isn't likely.


The original authors still own the rights to their original homebrews, so there's no shenanigans there. AA is still going to sell cartridges but looks like they'll be using cartridges that can just be flashed as opposed to having to solder everything (at least that's the impression I got when Al there was talking about how homebrews will be sold in the near future). The whole conversation about it, with community Q & A can be found by clicking here (https://forums.atariage.com/topic/354589-atariage-atari-qa/).

Based on that thread and Al's mention of how the controllers feel, I bought both a stick and the paddle set. I'm watching the 2600+ to see if a USB drive can be accessible from the USB port. I still have some cartridges but I find I prefer to play from my Harmony cart. I just don't have the room for all this stuff anymore.

Not sure if AtariAge will offer much more than original homebrew in the near term. Atari itself are the ones doing the retail releases. Al explained in a long FB post why he did this. Basically he was short on time to finish many of the upgrades and projects he was planning.

Atari bought out MobyGames a while ago and it's still operating the same as before.

[Nz17]

The 10 game multi-cart utilizes DIP toggle switches to select which game you wish to play. That's cool!

[YoshiM]

It looks like the 2600+ and accessories are delayed. My stick and paddles aren't coming until December and after a quick check on the Atari site, the system has the same fate.

I did have to drop a line to Atari as I received emails that the stick and paddles shipped (!) but my T-shirt didn't. I found that rather odd. I received the shirt but it still shows it as waiting to be shipped and my hardware having been delivered.

[celerystalker]

I'm glad some folks will enjoy this. I'm fine playing my old consoles on CRT, though if those paddle are good and compatible with original hardware, I might upgrade for Warlords, as I feel like I have to tinker with my old paddles way too much.

I do think Atari might be a little overly optimistic on their brand. The younger potential buyers here are in their 40's that actually have nostalgia for the games. I've tried showing younger kids Atari 2600 games, and it's a hard sell. If they actually try Warlords, I can usually show them a good time, but by and large, the library doesn't seem to resonate with a younger crowd, and I don't think that this will create a new generation of fans. I wouldn't mind being wrong about that, mind you.

Maybe they have reasonable, tempered expectations and are planning to maximize a niche market, but I feel like they need to try and find a way to leverage their IPs in a new direction if they truly want to bring the brand back in a big way. Maybe help build a period-based Netflix show in the vein of a Stranger Things that features Atari consoles and arcade games in some way to get the branding in front of more eyes, and use the momentum for some updated releases. I dunno.

[Tron 2.0]

Champ Games have said they are working on a plan to continue selling NIB games of theirs.

If they can find another publisher i'll buy it the most i wanted to have a physical copy of is wizard of wor and zoo keeper.

[Nz17]

People have been receiving their consoles and controllers from Atari of the 2600+. How are the reviews?

[Steve W]

I'm considering buying the Atari Gamestation from My Arcade instead of the 2600+. It looks like you can add ROMs through the Micro SD slot on the back, and a variety of console ROMs too. If the 2600+ had a multi-game cartridge that had, for example, a bunch of Atari ST games on it or Atari 800 games, then I'd go for that one. I don't feel the need to play 2600 games too often, so I can't justify $100 or more just to be able to easily play Atari stuff on a modern TV.

[YoshiM]

People have been receiving their consoles and controllers from Atari of the 2600+. How are the reviews?

I watched a couple and so far, in the rank of 1-10, around 7-8. The fact it's not 100% compatible is mentioned, especially with homebrews (and I think more so on the 7800 front). Controllers get the thumbs up and other controllers, like trackballs, seem to work fine.

I should be getting my joystick and paddles on Monday. I'll give them a try later in the week and I'll let ya know!

[Az]

I might be wrong about this, but apparently the 7800 emulator is an older version (2008?!) and has pretty spotty compatibility compared to the 2600 side of things.

Way off topic, but are there any good paddle options for emulation on a PC, Pi, or console? I'd like to check out a few arcade and SMS paddle games but have never really looked into it. I seriously debated on buying the Gamestation just for its built-in paddle dial, then saw it won't work with added games, won't work on a PC, and doesn't even work too hot with the included games. I've heard good things about the VCS classic controller but didn't know about its compatibility with other systems or emulators.

[celerystalker]

I watched a couple and so far, in the rank of 1-10, around 7-8. The fact it's not 100% compatible is mentioned, especially with homebrews (and I think more so on the 7800 front). Controllers get the thumbs up and other controllers, like trackballs, seem to work fine.

I should be getting my joystick and paddles on Monday. I'll give them a try later in the week and I'll let ya know!

I'm very interested to hear how thise paddles turn out! My old ones are so finnicky.

[YoshiM]

I'm very interested to hear how thise paddles turn out! My old ones are so finnicky.

I'm happy to report that they feel and play like the originals, at least in my opinion! I was able to try them that Monday when I got them. I hauled the ol' 4 switcher out of the basement and hooked it up to the VCR and played through the LCD main TV. Some of my kids played different modes in "Video Olympics"-two using my old school paddles (which were supposedly rebuilt when I bought them at Midwest Gaming Classic many moon ago) and the new. There were no hitches in the new paddles. I tried some "Breakout" and "Night Driver" and both played as I remember.

Same with the joystick-it feels like the original. It blows the Hyperkin Ranger out of the water with its heft and solid feel. I went to some of my "go to" games like "Spider Fighter" and "H.E.R.O." and everything worked well (though I had a sucky day playing "Spider Fighter" but that was me, not the controller).

[retroman]

I have the 2600+ and think it is a overall OK product for its target. If people are informed and just want a HD 2600 I would say get a Retron77. The Retron77 is actually the better product if your just looking for just a HDMI 2600(SD card anyone). From a price point, and the sd card the Retron77 wins hands down. End of the day stella is stella. Does not matter what its running on. Just how it controls. If you do not care about cartridges, I would say get a Atari Gamestation Pro. Again a SD card slot. Sky is the limits for the amount of stuff you can run on this thing. Pound for Pound the best value of the 3 in my opinion.

[Steve W]

Atari just announced the upcoming launch of the Atari 7800+, with wireless European-style controllers. I passed on the 2600+, I don't think I'll have the strength to pass on the 7800+. It's essentially the 2600+ in a different case, same hardware, but those wireless controllers are pack-ins instead of being $30 extra.

[YoshiM]

Atari just announced the upcoming launch of the Atari 7800+, with wireless European-style controllers. I passed on the 2600+, I don't think I'll have the strength to pass on the 7800+. It's essentially the 2600+ in a different case, same hardware, but those wireless controllers are pack-ins instead of being $30 extra.

According to the conversations on AtariAge, it sounds like the hardware has some improvements. The cartridge slot and the tech behind the cart dumping is improved (which I guess will also be put into new production 2600+ machines).

There's a nice 7800+ bundle set for $169 that has the wireless controller, a 2600 joystick, paddles, the Bentley Bear game and two controller extension cables.

[Tron 2.0]

I never got around to buying a atari 2600+ so i may check out the 7800+ instead.Plus atari is doing more re-releases as well with that wireless controller.

[Az]

I have zero use for this, but I'm certainly glad it exists for those with a cart collection. I'm really glad to see these homebrew carts like Bentley Bear get an official release, along with a reissue of older titles.

Good stuff and I wish more companies did this.

[Niku-Sama]

i'm getting a little confused with the atari console releases...

what ever happened to that 2600 that was supposed to be cartridge and online game compatible, almost like a steambox with a cart connector?

[Greg2600]

I have zero use for this, but I'm certainly glad it exists for those with a cart collection. I'm really glad to see these homebrew carts like Bentley Bear get an official release, along with a reissue of older titles.

Good stuff and I wish more companies did this.

Same here. Glad that Atari, and vets from Atari Age like Al and Bob D (PacManPlus) are getting some business out of this.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVm6wrGXgAANbTS?format=jpg&name=small

However at the end of the day, all of this is really to help Atari advertise what it's doing for current technology....

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWA1QL9XUAA-AIi?format=jpg&name=small (https://twitter.com/atari/status/1828520008080572805)


i'm getting a little confused with the atari console releases...

what ever happened to that 2600 that was supposed to be cartridge and online game compatible, almost like a steambox with a cart connector?

Not sure I know what that was? Yes, the ability to play on-line would be kinda cool, although that would be a significant undertaking by Atari. The only "way" to do that now is with the FujiNet but that's just for old 8-bit computers.

[Steve W]

I just looked up a trailer for Fatal Run 2089... oh yeah, I'm onboard all the way with that one. I loved the original game back in the day - it doesn't look like they're remaking it, the story seems to have nothing to do with the 7800's version. But I love vehicular combat games, so I'm in. I don't have any of the hardware its going to be released for, I guess I'll finally have to break down and buy a Switch.