The Atari 7800+ brings the iconic retro console into the 21st century

Get your old school gaming fix when the Atari 7800+ launches later this year

• 💥 The Atari 7800+ is a blast from the past

• 🕹️ It brings the classic retro console into the 21st century

• 🆕 New games will be released alongside the console

• 🙌 It can also play Atari 2600 and 7800 cartridges

After the success of the Atari 2600+, Atari and Plaion are releasing the Atari 7800+ – a faithful recreation of the Atari home console originally released in 1986, modernized for the 21st century.

The Atari 7800+ can be hooked up to the latest and greatest TVs and monitors thanks to a HDMI input, and is a scaled-down, compact version of the console that will represent the childhood of many gamers.

The console comes with the CX78+ Wireless Gamepad, the two-button controller Atari released with the original 7800 in Europe, and a brand new title, Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest. The game is a sequel to Crystal Castles and is presented on a specially designed 7800 cartridge.

You can purchase another CX78+ for $34.99 and the CX40+ wireless joystick, which works on the Atari 2600+ and new 7800+, for $34.99 if you’d like to participate in some local multiplayer.

Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest isn’t the only new game Atari and Plaion are releasing. It’ll be joined by 10 new Atari 7800+ and 2600+ games, including official releases of popular homebrew games. Each game includes a color-printed user manual and will be available for $29.99.

New Atari 7800+ and 2600+ games

The Atari 7800+ games include:

• Asteroids Deluxe

• Bounty Bob Strikes Back

• Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest (included with the console)

• Berzerk

• Frenzy

• Space Duel

(Credit: Atari)

And the Atari 2600+ games include:

• Caverns of Mars

• Epyx Game Collection

• M Network Collection

• RealSports Collection

Speaking of cartridges, the Atari 7800+ plays both Atari 2600 and 7800 game cartridges, with “near-perfect compatibility” with original and third-party Atari games. It sounds like there may be an odd hiccup in certain titles, but nothing that should take you out of the experience.

The Atari 7800+ is scheduled to be released in winter 2024 and is available to pre-order now for $129.99. If you’d rather play retro games and enjoy simpler times, the Atari 7800+ will be a more tempting proposition than Sony’s upcoming PS5 Pro – and a lot cheaper, too.

• Up next: The ultimate Game Boy is here, and it isn't made by Nintendo

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.