can the Atari XE game system play 2600 carts?

[jd_1138]

I'd like to buy one off ebay, and I was wondering if it will play regular 2600 VCS carts? I really like the look of the XE and may start collecting XE stuff if it'll play 2600 carts. Also, can it play any of the floppy disc type games?

[GroovyBee]

I'd like to buy one off ebay, and I was wondering if it will play regular 2600 VCS carts? I really like the look of the XE and may start collecting XE stuff if it'll play 2600 carts. Also, can it play any of the floppy disc type games?

 

Nope! Its not possible to play 2600 games on a XE system. They are completely different internally although they share the same CPU family.

[joyfulcoder]

I'd like to buy one off ebay, and I was wondering if it will play regular 2600 VCS carts? I really like the look of the XE and may start collecting XE stuff if it'll play 2600 carts. Also, can it play any of the floppy disc type games?

 

No, it can not play 2600 games. It can play 400/800/XL/XE computer games. With a disk drive connected you can play floppy disk games.

[OldAtarian]

Nope, no 2600 games, but at the time for some owners of machines that couldn't boot from floppies (machines with 16k or less of RAM installed) it was a boon because a lot of popular games that heretofore had been floppy only were converted to cartridge format. Many games that were popular on the 2600 were converted to run on the 400/800 anyway and look better. The only game machine that ran 2600 games natively in addition to it's own games was the 7800. The 5200 could do it with an expansion module.

Edited September 24, 2010 by OldAtarian

[Fox-1 / mnx]

The only game machine that ran 2600 games natively in addition to it's own games was the 7800. The 5200 could do it with an expansion module.

 

Besides the original 2600 there are several non-Atari clones that'll play the 2600 games. With an expansion module the ColecoVision is also 2600 compatible.

 

There is also the Tele-Games system from Sears but that doesn't really count as it's just a re-branded 2600.

[OldAtarian]

The only game machine that ran 2600 games natively in addition to it's own games was the 7800. The 5200 could do it with an expansion module.

 

Besides the original 2600 there are several non-Atari clones that'll play the 2600 games. With an expansion module the ColecoVision is also 2600 compatible.

 

There is also the Tele-Games system from Sears but that doesn't really count as it's just a re-branded 2600.

 

The Intellivision also had a 2600 module but I was just talking about Atari made machines.

[MEtalGuy66]

I'd like to buy one off ebay, and I was wondering if it will play regular 2600 VCS carts?

 

Yes, but you need a really BIG HAMMER and it only works once..

[jd_1138]

Thanks for the info.. I will still buy an XE even though it doesn't support 2600 games. I've never played or tried any of the 400/800/XL/XE cartridges, so this will be a great excuse to start collecting those cartridges.

 

We were a ColecoVision/Mattel Aquarius/NES family.

[Major Havoc 2049]

You'll find the Atari computer ports of classics like Asteroids, Missile Command, Defender, Centipede, Millipede, Space Invaders, Pole Position, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Star Raiders, Jungle Hunt, Donkey Kong etc., etc. are far superior to the 2600 versions. I know the Atari 2600 is the sentimental favorite, but I would rather game on the Atari 800/XL/XE any day of the week.

[mimo]

If you can play games on an 8bit Atari computer, you wont want to play on a 2600