is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.
Following a decade long saga of delays, name changes, and Atari having to assure backers of a crowdfunding campaign that its retro console wasn’t doomed, the Atari VCS platform is being retired early next year. On February 1st, 2027, the Atari VCS software store is shutting down, according to an announcement posted to the Atari Club Discord and shared by Tom’s Hardware.
With a design loosely inspired by the original Atari 2600 — minus a cartridge slot — the VCS was a Linux-based, AMD-powered mini PC that could emulate a large collection of pre-loaded classic Atari games, but its functionality could be expanded through an online software store that included access to streaming platforms, and in recent years, game streaming platforms like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now.
Atari VCS owners will still be able to download and add software to their libraries through Atari’s official online store up until January 31st, 2027. After that the store will officially shut down, but previously downloaded apps and games will still be usable. Atari says that following the store’s closure it plans to “make an OS update available that allows you to migrate all functionality to your local machine, removing any dependencies on Atari infrastructure for authentication and software.” The company also plans to release an Atari Home Brew app allowing owners to continue to add new games to their console’s library shared to the community by third-party developers who still want to develop and support the VCS.
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