PAX West 2024: Atari 7800+
Atari is part of the old guard of the gaming world; a console OG as it were. Atari manufactured legendary at-home video game consoles, starting with their groundbreaking 1977 release of the Atari 2600. The design of the 2600 is iconic – the wood paneling, the chunky switches, the noise the cartridges made when they were slotted in or taken out, and the famous joystick – we wouldn’t have gaming in the capacity we do today if it weren’t for this particular industry marvel. As time progressed, Atari was unable to replicate the breakout success of the 2600. The market became more saturated, and the general public was unsure where video games were headed economically. This didn’t stop Atari from making some excellent consoles, however, and 9 years after the release of their flagship console, the Atari 7800 hit store shelves. Ultimately, it moved around 3.7 million units and is considered a moderate success.
For many, the Atari 7800 is a bit of a sleeper classic. Games like Ball Blazer and Food Fight were staples for many children during the 1980s, and Atari seems Atari to recognize this because they decided to follow up their release of 2022’s excellent Atari 2600+ with the Atari 7800+, a replica console in the same vein. I had a hands-on with the console here at PAX and discussed some of the specifics with the wonderfully accommodating Atari team at the booth.
The Atari 7800+ is approximately 3 times smaller than the original Atari 7800 and comes with a really cool controller that was originally only available in Europe, now known as the CX78+ Gamepad. The controller itself is a black rectangle, not unlike the original NES controller, except with beveled edges that are significantly more ergonomic and comfortable to hold. The placement of the two red face buttons takes a bit to get used to, but have an extremely satisfying click when depressed. The d-pad also has a removable joystick that helps simulate 360-degree movement, and the CX78+ has had a slight upgrade over the original iteration with the addition of a start button.
What really interested me, however, is the amazing and consumer-friendly stance Atari took with the controller itself. Not only are the controllers now completely wireless, but they come with dongles that add a ton of usage to each unit. With one of these dongles, you can connect your CX78+ to any computer in order to use it for emulation, adding a ton of immersion and authenticity to playing these retro-classics on a modern PC. Many companies either pretend that emulation doesn’t exist or act like it’s the scourge of their entire business model. Atari understands that these games aren’t always the easiest to find and that ultimately they want people to play and enjoy their games, not gatekeep them behind litigation and bureaucracy. The CX78+ also comes with a dongle that can be used on original Atari 7800 hardware, giving people who want a more traditionally authentic experience the ability to play their games wirelessly. It would have been simple for Atari to do the bare minimum here and create a cheap replica of the original 7800 gamepad, but instead, they chose to go above and beyond and give Atari lovers something they’re proud to own.
Atari understands that these games aren’t always the easiest to find and that ultimately they want people to play and enjoy their games, not gatekeep them behind litigation and bureaucracy.
That seems to be the thought process behind the whole Atari 7800+ experience. The console itself is about a third of the size of the original, but I can attest that it seems made out of good materials and has a solid build quality. They tried to keep the feeling of playing a 7800 as genuine as possible, going as far as making the games cartridge-based instead of doing what so many other conglomerates did and forcing everything on the mini console to be digital. They did this because switching out the cartridges on an older console like the 7800 is integral to the overall experience. The analogue nature of a cartridge makes you really feel like you’re making a concerted effort to play your games, making the use of these consoles much more physical and deliberate. The systems are also fully backward compatible, as was the original 7800, allowing users to play both 2600 games and 7800 games. It also allows on-the-fly cartridge swapping, making your retro gaming as seamless as possible.
Speaking of games, the 7800+ will play the vast majority of the original library of the 2600 and 7800 consoles. It also comes with a brand new game called Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest, a direct sequel to 1983’s Crystal Castle, and the first official new game for the 7800 in a very long time. The 7800+ also allows you to play most third-party 7800 cartridges, with a 4:3 mode available for every title.
The Atari 7800+ feels like a true celebration of the Atari legacy from start to finish. It feels like the Atari team has gone above and beyond to make sure that this is an extremely consumer-friendly and exciting release, made by people who really do believe in the power of this console. It’s available for pre-order now from Atari’s shop, and the amount of bang for your buck this console is offering is incredible.