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The Atari VCS Controversies Thread


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34 minutes ago, zzip said:

The VCS could play all those games,  plus emulate consoles that will never get a Flashback, like Jaguar.

Where's this awesome new Jaguar emulator everyone keeps mentioning?  I've owned a jaguar since late 1994 and to this day have not ran across a Jag emulator I would consider more than 50 or 60% "complete" or usable.

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There's definitely a middle ground with gaming PCs. Whatever your budget, you've always had tons of options either off-the-shelf or for self builds.


However, Mini PCs of comparable performance to the VCS are available at much lower prices. For about $200 you ought to be able to get something with a 4th generation i5, 8GB RAM and Windows pre-installed on an SSD, so would give you a head start on a VCS for setting up as a Steam box. If you're only wanting Linux you can get something even cheaper than that.

 

The reason most people go with towers is simply because that's how you get the most upgrade potential. I'm currently running one that I bought in 2006. It's on its third motherboard now and god knows how many times I've swapped out other components. Mini PCs are pretty much destined for the bin once you've outgrown them now; a lot of the aforementioned $200 ones are basically end-of-line stock for models that would have cost you a thousand bucks five years ago.

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13 minutes ago, godslabrat said:

So, are you telling me that the VCS allows you to use a gamepad to do all the "sandbox mode" stuff, like run emulators, Steam, etc.?  Because that runs counter to what I've heard.

You're in control in sandbox mode.  If you make it boot to something like Retroarch or Steam Big Picture mode then you will be able to control it with joystick.

 

9 minutes ago, Bill Loguidice said:

Another factor no doubt is that I personally already have my fill of SBC's, mini-PCs, emulation boxes, FPGAs, set top boxes, consoles, etc., so don't see the need for one that's relatively overpriced that I'd have to put additional work into.

And I don't.   If I had all that laying around, I'd probably not be interesting in the VCS either.   All I have is a couple of PIs that fall short of what I wanted to use them for.

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46 minutes ago, zzip said:

One thing I've observed about human nature is that when a company creates a truly pointless product, it is met with a collective yawn.  Not much discussion happens because most people feel it's not worth their time talking about.

 

The fact that every thread about this thing has generated dozens of posts every day consistently over the past several years, shows it struck a nerve.  There's a bunch of people annoyed or even angry that it exists at all, and they spent a lot of energy trying to convince people not to buy it and buy something else instead.  This is an interesting phenomenon, and it wouldn't happen if there was truly no interest in such a product. 

 

It only has interest on these forums because of the Atari name. That's worthy of discussion. If it had any other name, you'd be looking at 1/100th of the discussion around it. If the product had a value that more people could see much of that discussion would be positive.
 

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A typical PC doesn't usually work well in a living room set up.   A lot of us are hitting the point in our lives where our eyes aren't as good as they used to be and the tiny screens on iOS/Android devices don't help that.   I can't game on those devices.   I need a larger screen and real controls, not touch screen controls.

When you install your own OS onto the VCS, it's no different than any other micro-PC, just more expensive. You have the same resolution and visibility settings and the same access to Steam's big picture mode. And not for nothing, but there are many inexpensive devices, set top boxes, and TVs that allow easy wireless connectivity to smartphones and tablets, which can of course use standard game controllers. That's not their primary function, of course, and not everything is available, but it's important to note that those are also readily available options. Gaming on a TV is not some impenetrable barrier regardless of the device.

 

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Also for many years, the conventional wisdom was that smart phones/tablets killed mobile gaming platforms, and there was no point in creating new mobile consoles.   Then Nintendo came along with the Switch and proved that to not be the case.   People get bored of old tech and want new things.   Christmas/Birthdays happen every year and people get new tech devices they don't necessarily really need but get anyway.

The gaming portable debate has been a favorite subject of mine since the release of the DS. The reality is traditional handheld gaming is dead in the mainstream and was on that path for a number of years. It does have a lot to do with the rise of smartphones and tablets, which do a great job of filling the gaming needs of the average person. The Switch succeeds because it provides console quality gaming on the go and can also double as a traditional console. There's very little about it that's like a traditional handheld a la the now discontinued 3DS (which sold about 50% less than its predecessor despite being on the market for roughly the same amount of time). I don't see another pure handheld every gaining traction in the marketplace again. The Vita is a perfect example of that. It was a tremendous device with the backing of a powerful company that simply didn't catch on. The timing was just too late. 

 

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If it's not for an Atari fan, then who is it for?  I personally can't see the appeal of the Intellivision Amico or the KFC console, but they have fans who are interested, so appeal of these things is subjective.    I have several uses in mind.  I have an extensive emulation setup on PC, I could simply copy it over to something like this with minimal modification.  My kid plays games on a PC that's weaker than the VCS,  he could play Minecraft Java edition on this (which is different than the Bedrock edition on other consoles), and have his mods and what not.  (mod support in games is limited or non-existant on typical consoles).   Now obviously it's not the only device that can do these things.   But for the subjective part--  if I can play all my old Atari games on an actual Atari console, what's not to like there?

 

It's a niche product- absolutely.  But the openness is key.  If it wasn't open, I'd have no use for it.  

Ignoring the KFC promotion - which is just that - the Amico may not be for you or anyone else in the end, but they get all the credit versus the VCS in my opinion for creating a unique product. Yeah, it's just a console, but has unique controllers and mostly original games. While Atari was never in a position to offer what the Amico offers, it would have been nice to have SOME of that with the VCS. Again, it was always a system created "just because," not for any particular reason like something like the Amico (family-centric multiplayer gaming console with original games) or KFC (a continuation of their edgy marketing campaigns; though again, I don't know why you used that as an example of anything).

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6 minutes ago, zzip said:

You're in control in sandbox mode.  If you make it boot to something like Retroarch or Steam Big Picture mode then you will be able to control it with joystick.

so, back to square one, it's a pc, and you can do that with any pc. Except you're forced to run your OS from USB, and it is at the same time too expensive/powerful to run retro games and too cheap to run modern games. 

I don't think you can find the same specs for that price with boot drive and OS already installed, however I think they're in a dead zone. Modern 2D games that can run on that can probably run on a 300 machine with OS and drive. Fore slightly more demanding games, you'll have to jump to 500 ...

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16 minutes ago, zzip said:

So what you are saying is there's no middle ground between $50 flashback device and $4000 PC?

 

I disagree. 

That's not what I've said at all.  In fact, I've said the opposite: there is a huge middle ground, and that middle ground is currently occupied by devices made by Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.  In addition, there are a considerable number of PCs at similar price points.  

 

The middle ground is flooded, and the VCS doesn't even have what it takes to be an edge case.

 

That's been my point since the beginning.

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8 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Where's this awesome new Jaguar emulator everyone keeps mentioning?  I've owned a jaguar since late 1994 and to this day have not ran across a Jag emulator I would consider more than 50 or 60% "complete" or usable.

I never said it could play all Jaguar games, although Project Phoenix is pretty good.   On the other hand I've never seen a Jaguar flashback console.

 

8 minutes ago, Matt_B said:

However, Mini PCs of comparable performance to the VCS are available at much lower prices. For about $200 you ought to be able to get something with a 4th generation i5, 8GB RAM and Windows pre-installed on an SSD, so would give you a head start on a VCS for setting up as a Steam box. If you're only wanting Linux you can get something even cheaper than that.

On Newegg, Mini PCs using the same HW as VCS go for about $425-450.   Yes that includes Windows and some extra storage, so you could maybe knock some money off.  But still it's not that far out of the range.

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Just now, zzip said:

On Newegg, Mini PCs using the same HW as VCS go for about $425-450.   Yes that includes Windows and some extra storage, so you could maybe knock some money off.  But still it's not that far out of the range.


You're only paying that price for ones with the Ryzen V1605B which is a much better SoC than the one in the VCS in that it's got four cores and Vega 8 graphics. That's still not quite good enough to give you much of a sniff at modern gaming, but it's still a significant step up. If I were in the market for such a machine, this is probably the one I'd go for:

 

https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-gb-bsre-1605-brix/p/N82E16856164154

 

That's $299 for a better mini PC than the VCS that's based on the same tech. It's a barebones system, I suppose, but seeing as you're likely to be upgrading the RAM and adding an SSD to the VCS anyway, that's not much of a disadvantage.

 

If you're OK with a dual core and Vega 3 graphics there are options as low as $249, but I'd still think there's better value to be had with Intel-based mini PCs.

 

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8 minutes ago, Bill Loguidice said:

It only has interest on these forums because of the Atari name. That's worthy of discussion. If it had any other name, you'd be looking at 1/100th of the discussion around it. If the product had a value that more people could see much of that discussion would be positive.

No if people didn't see the value, they would have gotten bored of the "it's not worth the money" argument a month after it was announced.   But like the Energizer Bunny it just keeps going and going.   Why does it bother people that other people are willing to spend money on it?   It shouldn't but yet it does.  I can't even finish a post in this thread without having 8 responses trying to convince me its a waste of money, as if I'm not capable of deciding that for myself.   I never get responses like that in any other thread.   It's like a console war thing, except in reverse.   Even the "premium tech device" thread, where you go and brag about something that you spent way too much money on isn't full of people questioning others purchase decisions.

 

21 minutes ago, Bill Loguidice said:

When you install your own OS onto the VCS, it's no different than any other micro-PC, just more expensive. You have the same resolution and visibility settings and the same access to Steam's big picture mode. And not for nothing, but there are many

But so what?  As I pointed out in my last thread if you look for a micro-PC with the same chipset as VCS, the price difference isn't so great.   It just comes down to a choice between having an Atari-branded one with the nostalgia that goes with it, or a generic one from a Chinese manufacturer that I'm not familar with.

 

24 minutes ago, Bill Loguidice said:

The gaming portable debate has been a favorite subject of mine since the release of the DS. The reality is traditional handheld gaming is dead in the mainstream and was on that path for a number of years. It does have a lot to do with the rise of smartphones and tablets, which do a great job of filling the gaming needs of the average person. The Switch succeeds because it provides console quality gaming on the go and can also double as a traditional console. There's very little about it that's like a traditional handheld a la the now discontinued 3DS (which sold about 50% less than its predecessor despite being on the market for roughly the same amount of time). I don't see another pure handheld every gaining traction in the marketplace again. The Vita is a perfect example of that. It was a tremendous device with the backing of a powerful company that simply didn't catch on. The timing was just too late. 

I still don't understand how ad-filled mobile phone games with terrible controls (compared to a thumbstick) that thrive on getting you to spend money on microtransactions and incentivize you to play every day are preferable to console-style portable games,  but maybe that's just me.  Or maybe the Switch's popularity is part of people rediscovering something they lost during the mobile craze.   About 10 years ago it was hard to make the case for a portable gaming system like Vita or new DS.   But now Switches fly off the shelf.    Yes the base model is a little bulky for a mobile device, but the Switch-lite is like a classic hand-held in every way.

 

33 minutes ago, Bill Loguidice said:

Amico may not be for you or anyone else in the end, but they get all the credit versus the VCS in my opinion for creating a unique product. Yeah, it's just a console, but has unique controllers and mostly original games.

Where it loses me is "original games" doesn't necessarily mean "games worth playing".   Most of the modern version of classic games I've played leave something to be desired. So I'm not going to give them credit unless they actually deliver a quality library.  Otherwise to me it sounds like a closed system with games I probably won't want to play.

 

35 minutes ago, godslabrat said:

there is a huge middle ground, and that middle ground is currently occupied by devices made by Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.

No-  these are closed systems with walled gardens.

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6 minutes ago, Matt_B said:


You're only paying that price for ones with the Ryzen V1605B which is a much better SoC than the one in the VCS in that it's got four cores and Vega 8 graphics. That's still not quite good enough to give you much of a sniff at modern gaming, but it's still a significant step up. If I were in the market for such a machine, this is probably the one I'd go for:

 

 

Ryzen 3 2200U  w/  Vega 3 graphics and 8Gb RAM, which matches the specs of the VCS:   $423 at Newegg.    Now it has Windows and more storage, so maybe shave $100 off

https://www.newegg.com/p/2DS-0081-00005?Description=ryzen 3 2200u&cm_re=ryzen_3 2200u-_-9SIAMJKC2P1036-_-Product&quicklink=true

 

 

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Just now, zzip said:

 

Ryzen 3 2200U  w/  Vega 3 graphics and 8Gb RAM, which matches the specs of the VCS:   $423 at Newegg.    Now it has Windows and more storage, so maybe shave $100 off

https://www.newegg.com/p/2DS-0081-00005?Description=ryzen 3 2200u&cm_re=ryzen_3 2200u-_-9SIAMJKC2P1036-_-Product&quicklink=true

The Ryzen 3 2200U is a quad core, which allows it to command a premium price for those who require the extra performance. Also, as a 2nd generation Zen CPU it has considerable performance advantages over their embedded SoCs which are still running on first generation cores. You're not exactly comparing like with like when pitting it against the VCS.

 

Again, I refer you to the machines in the $249-299 range, and note that there are many sub-$200 offerings with broadly comparable Intel CPUs.

 

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11 minutes ago, godslabrat said:

Is there a particular reason you snipped out my comment about PCs when you wrote that reply?

Just my mistake due quick cut and paste work, but every second post talks about how AtariVCS is no different than a Micro-PC, including my own, so I'm not glossing over anything. 

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4 hours ago, zzip said:

When you look at the fact that the old Atari demographic is primarily gen-Xers that are now in their peak earning years with disposable income, it makes more sense.   What do you get the Gen-X tech-head dad who already has a PC, Switch, PS5,  big screen TV, etc?   VCS would be great if they were an old Atari fan.

 

I am that that Gen-X dad, and am a fan down to an Atari tattoo and a basement arcade full of Atari consoles and Atari arcade/pinball machines, and no...it doesn't make sense.

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4 minutes ago, Matt_B said:

The Ryzen 3 2200U is a quad core, which allows it to command a premium price for those who require the extra performance. Also, as a 2nd generation Zen CPU it has considerable performance advantages over their embedded SoCs which are still running on first generation cores. You're not exactly comparing like with like when pitting it against the VCS.

 

Again, I refer you to the machines in the $249-299 range, and note that there are many sub-$200 offerings with broadly comparable Intel CPUs.

 

The Ryzen 3 2200U is what the VCS is running according to Wikipedia.  Is that information incorrect?

 

It's also dual-core / 4 threads according to AMD. 

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2 minutes ago, zzip said:

The Ryzen 3 2200U is what the VCS is running according to Wikipedia.  Is that information incorrect?

 

It's also dual-core / 4 threads according to AMD. 

No, the VCS is running on the Ryzen R1606G.

 

Source:

https://shop.atarivcs.com/pc-mode

 

Yes, the 2200U is a dual core. My mistake. The Ryzen 3 2200G is the quad core I was thinking of. I guess that PC you linked to is just particularly poor value then.

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14 minutes ago, zzip said:

Just my mistake due quick cut and paste work, but every second post talks about how AtariVCS is no different than a Micro-PC, including my own, so I'm not glossing over anything. 

You complained about walled gardens, then eliminated the option that was not a walled garden.

 

I just suspected the two might be connected, that's all.

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10 hours ago, zzip said:

Again, the mistake you consistently make is comparing it to mainstream consoles.   It was never in competition with the big three, it was always going to be a niche product.  We knew that since the day it was announced!   It's not being produced in large quantities.   That aids in it's collectiblity. 

 

Atari today simply isn't capable of competing with the big three.   They don't have the resources.   That battle was lost in the 80s and 90s.     This is in a fairly new market for niche consoles, along with Amico, that KFC thingy and a few others.

 

So if your measure of success for the VCS is "why can't Atari make something to compete with the Switch"  keep dreaming!   What they've produced is the ultimate retro box, capable of playing virtually every game from every Atari system via emulation, and many other consoles, as well as many modern games that don't tax the GPU hard,  all in living room console form factor with cool Atari retro-stylings.

 

Obviously that won't appeal to everybody.   But that's fine,  don't buy one.   But it is appealing to some, and as long as Atari doesn't flood the market with them, it will remain a collector's item.

 

Now whether or not it is a financial success for Atari is another matter.  I don't know what their break-even point is on hardware.   Still even if it flops financially, it's an open system that you can do what you want with.   It has mainstream hardware, so it doesn't require custom software drivers, learning a new API or anything like that.  

Lol, well Atari themselves already took the wind out of that sail of yours as godslabrat pointed out. I've never heard them call it the ultimate retro box that you keep saying it is - and use of that word "ultimate" implies the best and last thing in that class that you'd ever need. All everyone here is telling you is that no it's not. I'm sorry that you can't find a way to instill value into the VCS beyond the Atari logo, but that's Atari's own fault. The tagline for the system is: "Game, Stream and Connect like never before," not "Learn to code your way to emulated fun!" There's also this from the IGG campaign. Doesn't sound like they're hoping that it'll be a niche product to me:

 

image.thumb.png.052e7a13464ad83b1e3478e73a8ea276.png

 

"A whole new generation" is probably going to be bigger than 10,000 people. 

 

It's primary function is to play games on a TV like a console, it's priced just like other consoles, it comes with game console controllers (one of which ripped off from the Xbox), ergo, it's completely fair game to compare it to similar products.

 

You also ignored that I didn't include just "mainstream consoles" but the Ouya - I even said as much that the VCS best compares to the Ouya in this situation. The Ouya was hailed as a historical success at first, breaking crowdfunding records. It ended up a gigantic failure, even after Alibaba infused $10m into the company. But either way, the VCS, the Amico, the KFC console, the new Neo Geo 2, are all competing in the console marketplace, whether you like it or not.  Every device designed to play games out-of-the-box and on your TV are competing for similar entertainment dollars - yeah they often overlap as a lot of people are fine in owning multiple consoles at once. But with that much competition, and nothing other than the hook of it being an open platform, the VCS is not going anywhere far beyond the backers.  That's been my main point.

 

Also in things you ignored, is that every mainstream console is already capable, and packed with, tons of retro games that work out of the box. You can't hand wave that fact away just because it's uncomfortable - it's very realistic to compare the VCS to competing game products, even the mainstream consoles.  Atari Flashback Classics is available on the Switch right now for $16 and comes with 150 games, so you can already get most of your Atari fix there if connecting your TV to a PC is too difficult. But the Switch also comes with free NES & SNES games, and has great ports through the likes of Arcade Archives, Sega Ages, Taito's Darius collection and more, ready to buy and they're officially licensed. If you need more, you can turn a Switch into the "ultimate retro box," which is going to take as much effort to do as installing your own OS/downloading your emulator & applicable images & ROMs/ configuring it to work right. Just because you can't bring yourself to admit that much better options are out there doesn't change the fact that you are grasping at straws to instill value into the VCS that Atari themselves haven't done anything with. 

 

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You don't have to wait for someone to decide to port games to it like Jaguar, you can copy them on a USB stick.    It's probably not ever going to have an exclusive library worth talking about, but that's not what the people who like it are looking for.  

 

This is what Stephen was asking about - Where's the Jaguar emulator that's so great that would be worth doing this with? Jag emulators have always been notorious for lacking in their ability to perfectly emulate the system. Atari implied they were working on one once, which is laughable. Anyone who cares about Jaguar games owns a Jag and probably a JagGD now. I am also still perplexed that you treat the Jag like it's the most popular retro game console ever. I like it and I have a complete collection for it, but why would I spend almost $400 on a device to emulate it with, when my gaming PC can already do that better, or I could just connect my Jag to my HDTV using a composite to HDMI convertor. Or just play it on the CRT I still have. 

 

If they were actually working on a Jaguar or Lynx or ST compilation, that'd possibly pique some interest, but the main reason that's never happening is because Atari doesn't own the rights to a vast, vast majority of the games from those systems. They were just a publisher, the rights belong to the studios that created the games. The only things they still own from the Jaguar days are Tempest 2000, MC3D and Breakout 2000. They probably don't have any source code to them. So if you're holding out hope that the VCS will one day be the ultimate Atari system with official "plug-n-play" style support for games from every Atari console, well...who am I to tell you what to do with your time, it's yours to waste. 

 

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One thing I've observed about human nature is that when a company creates a truly pointless product, it is met with a collective yawn. ...

The fact that every thread about this thing has generated dozens of posts every day consistently over the past several years, shows it struck a nerve.

 

How many people are active on this thread? A dozen maybe? Pro-VCS posts have come from 3-4 people maybe, with the rest being against. Not a metric even worth using to judge how "excited" people are about it. I am on a lot of different social media gaming groups and no one is talking about the VCS. Just here, a tiny bit on Reddit, and the diehards in the closed VCS fan groups who think that it's the greatest console in human history.  

 

How many people follow the Atari VCS on YouTube?  A little over 13k, which isn't too bad, and is more than the official Atari channel. The Official Atari VCS Facebook group though has a whopping 584 members. What's Atari's stock price? Right now, an incredible 45¢. Twitter is their best place with over 77k followers, but I noticed something interesting about their highly anticipated VCS IS SHIPPING announcement...at 137 likes on a tweet that's almost a month old, I bet Atari is just beside themselves with joy!

 

image.png.6dde8e3797e642b4b7f0ce5aaaa80ba0.png

 

These constitute the "collective yawn" you're been looking for. For it not to be a yawn, it'll need to start selling like crazy. Nothing indicates that it will, because again, you think that the Atari brand and an emulation box are extremely valuable. Yet they can't even convince a bunch of people who should be their most loyal customers - myself and the other "haters" in this thread or on YouTube -  to spend money on it. 

 

I have got a great laugh out of it though!

 

 

Edited by Shaggy the Atarian
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6 hours ago, Shaggy the Atarian said:

and use of that word "ultimate" implies the best and last thing in that class that you'd ever need

Don't forget that Atari is French now and that "ultimate" is also used a lot with the meaning of "last" here. And I'm confident they won't make another (un)console anytime soon! ;)

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15 hours ago, zzip said:

 

Ryzen 3 2200U  w/  Vega 3 graphics and 8Gb RAM, which matches the specs of the VCS:   $423 at Newegg.    Now it has Windows and more storage, so maybe shave $100 off

https://www.newegg.com/p/2DS-0081-00005?Description=ryzen 3 2200u&cm_re=ryzen_3 2200u-_-9SIAMJKC2P1036-_-Product&quicklink=true

 

 

actually VCS R1606G is much faster than Ryzen 3 2200U and a bit than Ryzen 3 3250U

 

 

AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G
    Average CPU Mark    4544
    https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+Embedded+R1606G&id=3659

 

AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
    Average CPU Mark    3674
    https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+3+2200U&id=3152
 

AMD Ryzen 3 2300U
    Average CPU Mark    5335
    https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+3+2300U&id=3290

 

AMD Ryzen 3 3250U
    Average CPU Mark    4232
    https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Ryzen+3+3250U&id=3722

 

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, Shaggy the Atarian said:

Lol, well Atari themselves already took the wind out of that sail of yours as godslabrat pointed out. I've never heard them call it the ultimate retro box that you keep saying it is - and use of that word "ultimate" implies the best and last thing in that class that you'd ever need.

 

It's primary function is to play games on a TV like a console, it's priced just like other consoles, it comes with game console controllers (one of which ripped off from the Xbox), ergo, it's completely fair game to compare it to similar products.

 

You also ignored that I didn't include just "mainstream consoles" but the Ouya - I even said as much that the VCS best compares to the Ouya in this situation. The Ouya was hailed as a historical success at first, breaking crowdfunding records. It ended up a gigantic failure, even after Alibaba infused $10m into the company. But either way, the VCS, the Amico, the KFC console, the new Neo Geo 2, are all competing in the console marketplace, whether you like it or not.  Every device designed to play games out-of-the-box and on your TV are competing for similar entertainment dollars - yeah they often overlap as a lot of people are fine in owning multiple consoles at once. But with that much competition, and nothing other than the hook of it being an open platform, the VCS is not going anywhere far beyond the backers.  That's been my main point.

 

 

So if you're holding out hope that the VCS will one day be the ultimate Atari system with official "plug-n-play" style support for games from every Atari console, well...who am I to tell you what to do with your time, it's yours to waste. 

 

 

How many people are active on this thread? A dozen maybe? Pro-VCS posts have come from 3-4 people maybe, with the rest being against. Not a metric even worth using to judge how "excited" people are about it. I am on a lot of different social media gaming groups and no one is talking about the VCS. Just here, a tiny bit on Reddit, and the diehards in the closed VCS fan groups who think that it's the greatest console in human history.  

 

How many people follow the Atari VCS on YouTube?  A little over 13k, which isn't too bad, and is more than the official Atari channel. The Official Atari VCS Facebook group though has a whopping 584 members. What's Atari's stock price? Right now, an incredible 45¢. Twitter is their best place with over 77k followers, but I noticed something interesting about their highly anticipated VCS IS SHIPPING announcement...at 137 likes on a tweet that's almost a month old, I bet Atari is just beside themselves with joy!

 

image.png.6dde8e3797e642b4b7f0ce5aaaa80ba0.png

 

 

There is a ton to unpack across these extensive comments, but I'll simply say this. Given your tone and expectations, it sounds like there was never anything Atari could have done in the modern era, under Chesnais or another person, to earn your business. The people who bought and or like the VCS are a minority on this forum, that's obvious. But let's stop giving the Switch a pass or calling it some great product. I find the Switch to be overpriced junk. Comparing the VCS as inferior to the XBox or PS5 or a superior gaming PC, fine. But the Switch? Woof.

 

Also, how is this less plug and play than a RPi? What are you comparing it to when saying "this isn't the plug and play console you're looking for"? There are now countless videos of people installing updates, a normal expectation for any PC or console, and doing just that. 

 

The problem I have is that in one thread we unanimously concede that Atari is no longer (and probably can never again be) big 3, then in another judge them as if they are. I am not confused about what Atari SA, all 30 of them, are. They are trying to raise brand profile and capital to sell and further diversify their footprint in the cryptocurrency and digital blockchain markets. The VCS tied into that, but whatever. It wasn't shoved down our throats. They had an idea that morphed into a prototype and they limped to deliver it. The people who backed it backed it, and Atari did as many of us expected. I'm genuinely lost half the time on what is actually being argued in this thread. 

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8 minutes ago, Atarick said:

There is a ton to unpack across these extensive comments, but I'll simply say this. Given your tone and expectations, it sounds like there was never anything Atari could have done in the modern era, under Chesnais or another person, to earn your business. The people who bought and or like the VCS are a minority on this forum, that's obvious. But let's stop giving the Switch a pass or calling it some great product. I find the Switch to be overpriced junk. Comparing the VCS as inferior to the XBox or PS5 or a superior gaming PC, fine. But the Switch? Woof.

 

Also, how is this less plug and play than a RPi? What are you comparing it to when saying "this isn't the plug and play console you're looking for"? There are now countless videos of people installing updates, a normal expectation for any PC or console, and doing just that. 

 

The problem I have is that in one thread we unanimously concede that Atari is no longer (and probably can never again be) big 3, then in another judge them as if they are. I am not confused about what Atari SA, all 30 of them, are. They are trying to raise brand profile and capital to sell and further diversify their footprint in the cryptocurrency and digital blockchain markets. The VCS tied into that, but whatever. It wasn't shoved down our throats. They had an idea that morphed into a prototype and they limped to deliver it. The people who backed it backed it, and Atari did as many of us expected. I'm genuinely lost half the time on what is actually being argued in this thread. 

Just from a classic gaming perspective, the switch has a library that includes NES, SNES, Atari, Capcom, Sega, and a bunch of Arcade.  
 

It's way more of an "Ultimate Retrobox" than the VCS will ever be.

 

You're also getting not-quite-totally retro titles from the PS2 era, and actual new games as well.

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32 minutes ago, Atarick said:

There is a ton to unpack across these extensive comments, but I'll simply say this. Given your tone and expectations, it sounds like there was never anything Atari could have done in the modern era, under Chesnais or another person, to earn your business. The people who bought and or like the VCS are a minority on this forum, that's obvious. But let's stop giving the Switch a pass or calling it some great product. I find the Switch to be overpriced junk. Comparing the VCS as inferior to the XBox or PS5 or a superior gaming PC, fine. But the Switch? Woof.

 

Also, how is this less plug and play than a RPi? What are you comparing it to when saying "this isn't the plug and play console you're looking for"? There are now countless videos of people installing updates, a normal expectation for any PC or console, and doing just that. 

 

The problem I have is that in one thread we unanimously concede that Atari is no longer (and probably can never again be) big 3, then in another judge them as if they are. I am not confused about what Atari SA, all 30 of them, are. They are trying to raise brand profile and capital to sell and further diversify their footprint in the cryptocurrency and digital blockchain markets. The VCS tied into that, but whatever. It wasn't shoved down our throats. They had an idea that morphed into a prototype and they limped to deliver it. The people who backed it backed it, and Atari did as many of us expected. I'm genuinely lost half the time on what is actually being argued in this thread. 

Atari finally found its market: the 10,000 people that aren't happy with the Switch or Do-it-all-yourself machines. They found that ignored middle ground. I'd also love to hear from a Netflix mom.

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3 minutes ago, JasperAK said:

Atari finally found its market: the 10,000 people that aren't happy with the Switch or Do-it-all-yourself machines. They found that ignored middle ground. I'd also love to hear from a Netflix mom.

Something something taco.

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