The Atari 2600+ is live for preorders!

[Ben from Plaion]

1 hour ago, Flyindrew said:

I strongly disagree. Both units aesthetics represent the time periods they were released in. This was the one area Atari beat Nintendo in.

 

2600-Fits in perfectly with home decor circa 1978

7800-Fits in perfectly with home decor circa 1986

Sales potential of a 2600 vs 7800 retro console in 2023 is clearly favouring the former.

 

It's just an iconic, well known shape.

[+Defender_2600]

5 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said:

 

Its a different league. I was obviously trolling somewhat in my last post, and of course CRT has a certain charm, but the sharpness, size and colour definition of modern TVs makes 2600 games really pop.

 

Hi Ben, I quite agree that 2600 games, thanks to the minimal graphics, can also be enjoyed in high definition, however you will not get the same pleasant result with 7800 games that use 160 mode (low resolution to get more colors on screen). These 7800 games look great on CRT but lose some of the graphical beauty when viewed under emulation without any CRT filters.

 

With this in mind for a future firmware update, it would be really helpful and appreciated if an option to select a CRT filter is added. I know the 2600+ doesn't have an options menu so I was wondering if it's possible to use the reset switch, pressing it for 4 or 5 seconds, to enable the CRT filter. Here is a comparative image with the CRT filter but many other and better examples could be shown.

 

 

click on the image:

[Tickled_Pink]

4 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said:

It was always going to be 2600 something because of it's shape. I remember a brief conversation about the name and 10400 was floated! But in the end 2600+ was chosen for obvious reasons - it's a 2600 with the + signifying the added 7800 compatibility.

Yeah, but it occurred to me that it's basically emulating the 7800, which was backward-compatible with the 2600.

 

I get that people are more familiar with the 2600 name and so it makes sense to use it. Just thought it was a bit funny that it's basically a 7800 in a 2600-style shell.

 

Wife's pre-ordering it next week, I think.

[T.A.P.]

I've picked up a few PAL titles in preparation for getting this. I'm getting really pumped up for this to release.

 

Any hope Atari will re-issue Aquaventure and the other two new games they put out last year?

[DEANJIMMY]

12 hours ago, Albert said:

While I have a fondness for playing games on CRTs (and will have a ton of them setup at PRGE this weekend), I rather do like the sharp, clean graphics of the 2600 when using the 2600+ on a quality flat panel screen. 
 

  ..Al

I modded my Ataris as CRTs take to much space and the RF quality was never good.

A Pong Console is the only one, still connected this way.

I like the cleaner display of the mods and even more hdmi output like from my PS3 playing PS1 games.

BUT the graphics look different with no scanlines and all the minis have CRT filters to give the old look. I will miss this on the 2600+

As some day all analogue inputs from TVs will be gone, I bought a Retrotink5x and the Trinitron emulation looks so good, I started to play some PS1 games again on my PS2 to get the scanlines back.

I add a choplifter photo of my 7800 output from the Retrotink5x and a random pic without this effect.

I also added a scanline generator to my retropie to have a similar effect set to a minimum (Ikari Warriors Pics).

CRT filters are sometimes not well made but to have none on the 2600+ and a 16:9 Switch instead is strange.

 

[Ben from Plaion]

11 hours ago, Defender_2600 said:

 

Hi Ben, I quite agree that 2600 games, thanks to the minimal graphics, can also be enjoyed in high definition, however you will not get the same pleasant result with 7800 games that use 160 mode (low resolution to get more colors on screen). These 7800 games look great on CRT but lose some of the graphical beauty when viewed under emulation without any CRT filters.

 

With this in mind for a future firmware update, it would be really helpful and appreciated if an option to select a CRT filter is added. I know the 2600+ doesn't have an options menu so I was wondering if it's possible to use the reset switch, pressing it for 4 or 5 seconds, to enable the CRT filter. Here is a comparative image with the CRT filter but many other and better examples could be shown.

 

 

click on the image:

Does the CRT filter in your example improve the colour saturation? The pure HDMI image looks washed out.

 

I colour corrected the image and IMO when the colours match I'd go with the unfiltered image every time

 

[+Defender_2600]

8 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Does the CRT filter in your example improve the colour saturation? The pure HDMI image looks washed out.

 

I colour corrected the image and IMO when the colours match I'd go with the unfiltered image every time

 

 

Yes, that image is not completely accurate, I made it quickly at night and I didn't think it would be taken so literally (I also wrote that better examples could be made). Just to correct that, here's a more accurate example, it's still a personal preference because as you know there are a multitude of settings available.

 

 

click on the image:

 

 

 

 

 

 

In any case, a quick comparative image certainly cannot synthesize such a vast topic, well known by emulation experts and the most demanding retrogamers, and which has generated a market for scanline generators and advanced video scalers.

 

So the point is, would equipping the 2600+ with a CRT filter (as a selectable option) be useful and appreciated by a significant number of people? And do 7800 games without a CRT filter look good on a 40 or 50 inch screen for all people? To answer these questions you could simply look at the choices made by giants such as Nintendo, Sega, Konami, and others such as Retro Games Ltd., Retro-Bit, Blaze, AtGames, My Arcade... all these manufacturers have added a CRT filter 'option' in their retro game consoles.

 

 

[Zoyous]

14 minutes ago, Defender_2600 said:

 

So the point is, would equipping the 2600+ with a CRT filter (as a selectable option) be useful and appreciated by a significant number of people? And do 7800 games without a CRT filter look good on a 40 or 50 inch screen for all people? To answer these questions you could simply look at the choices made by giants such as Nintendo, Sega, Konami, and others such as Retro Games Ltd., Retro-Bit, Blaze, AtGames, My Arcade... all these manufacturers have added a CRT filter 'option' in their retro game consoles.

Personally, I love CRT filters and have been known to spend quite a bit of time adjusting all the various settings that are on offer in MAME. However, what you're showing which is particularly visible in the first image above includes screen curvature, some blurring, maybe some phosphor glow, etc. It's the result of multiple filter passes, which requires a pretty decent graphics card to pull off.

 

None of the mini consoles that you mention above have that kind of horsepower and in some cases, their "CRT" filter has been nothing more than altering brightness by horizontal line, which looks very poor. My opinion on it is, don't bother unless it can be done well... and I suspect the 2600+ will not have the processing power to do it very well.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Zoyous

[Ben from Plaion]

15 minutes ago, Defender_2600 said:

 

Yes, that image is not completely accurate, I made it quickly at night and I didn't think it would be taken so literally (I also wrote that better examples could be made). Just to correct that, here's a more accurate example, it's still a personal preference because as you know there are a multitude of settings available.

 

 

click on the image:

 

 

 

 

 

 

In any case, a quick comparative image certainly cannot synthesize such a vast topic, well known by emulation experts and the most demanding retrogamers, and which has generated a market for scanline generators and advanced video scalers.

 

So the point is, would equipping the 2600+ with a CRT filter (as a selectable option) be useful and appreciated by a significant number of people? And do 7800 games without a CRT filter look good on a 40 or 50 inch screen for all people? To answer these questions you could simply look at the choices made by giants such as Nintendo, Sega, Konami, and others such as Retro Games Ltd., Retro-Bit, Blaze, AtGames, My Arcade... all these manufacturers have added a CRT filter 'option' in their retro game consoles.

 

 

Yes, regardless of my own personal view on crt filters, it is important that we listen and act on people's wishes. I have a beta 1.1 due soon to me which has a 50/60 hz toggle and a save game feature. 

 

I don't know how these are accessed and configured but indeed if a save game feature is added then naturally a CRT filter could also. Leave it with me and I'll report back here any developments in this thread first.

[Ben from Plaion]

10 minutes ago, Zoyous said:

Personally, I love CRT filters and have been known to spend quite a bit of time adjusting all the various settings that are on offer in MAME. However, what you're showing which is particularly visible in the first image above includes screen curvature, some blurring, maybe some phosphor glow, etc. It's the result of multiple filter passes, which requires a pretty decent graphics card to pull off.

 

None of the mini consoles that you mention above have that kind of horsepower and in some cases, their "CRT" filter has been nothing more than altering brightness by horizontal line, which looks very poor. My opinion on it is, don't bother unless it can be done well... and I suspect the 2600+ will not have the processing power to do it very well.

This is a good point. Pardon my ignorance but does Stella have decent crt filters we can activate?

[+Defender_2600]

20 minutes ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Yes, regardless of my own personal view on crt filters, it is important that we listen and act on people's wishes. I have a beta 1.1 due soon to me which has a 50/60 hz toggle and a save game feature. 

 

I don't know how these are accessed and configured but indeed if a save game feature is added then naturally a CRT filter could also. Leave it with me and I'll report back here any developments in this thread first.

 

Thanks Ben, it's much appreciated. If a save game feature is not usable, you may have the option to use the reset switch, pressing it for 4 or 5 seconds, to enable the CRT filter.

 

I also take this opportunity to remind you of my previous question:

- The Atari 7800 has a pause button. With Atari 2600+, in 7800 mode, will it be possible to use the color/black-white switch as a pause button? See here and here for further information. I'll ask about this.

 

As a third-generation system, the 7800 has several games (and will have other games) that can't be completed in a quick gaming session, so having the pause button is important. You can imagine the disappointment of having to interrupt a gaming session at the best moment, because you have the urgency to go to the bathroom.

 

25 minutes ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Pardon my ignorance but does Stella have decent crt filters we can activate?

Absolutely yes! Stella does a good job with the CRT filters.

 

[tmop69]

32 minutes ago, Ben from Plaion said:

This is a good point. Pardon my ignorance but does Stella have decent crt filters we can activate?

The CRT filters implemented in MAME require a lot of horsepower, however scanlines can be easily implemented (the community build of Stella for Retron77 has this features) and are enough for adding some "retro" feeling on big LCD screens. 

[Thomas Jentzsch]

38 minutes ago, Ben from Plaion said:

This is a good point. Pardon my ignorance but does Stella have decent crt filters we can activate?

I think so.  

[Ben from Plaion]

3 minutes ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

I think so.  

Hoo boy!

[Ben from Plaion]

7 minutes ago, Thomas Jentzsch said:

I think so.  

Interface design is so damn perfect

[MantaNZ]

I can't wait for mine. I know this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I'm not too worried about compatibility as I only intend to buy brand-new releases for it, which will obviously work, haha.

[MantaNZ]

@Ben from Plaion Do you know if Atari will be releasing new 7800 carts for it?

[juansolo]

On 10/10/2023 at 4:22 PM, Dr Karnov said:

I love a good CRT, but every one I tried my unmodded PAL 7800 on gave me a fuzzy image with poor colour.

 

Never has that issue with any other "classic" console.

The PAL 7800 doesn't have a good picture as standard for many reasons... You pretty much either have to mod it, or buy a GD7800 that has RGB out if you want a good picture from it.

[Dr Karnov]

2 hours ago, juansolo said:

The PAL 7800 doesn't have a good picture as standard for many reasons... You pretty much either have to mod it, or buy a GD7800 that has RGB out if you want a good picture from it.

Hopefully the 2600+ will give a good image for PAL 7800 carts.

 

If they're implementing a 50/60hz toggle on a firmware update then we shouldn't have to worry about any cart running at the wrong speed either

[Ben from Plaion]

11 hours ago, MantaNZ said:

@Ben from Plaion Do you know if Atari will be releasing new 7800 carts for it?

Its been talked about.

[+karri]

2 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Its been talked about.

Currently there is a trend that 7800 homebrew software runs on GD7800, Dragonfly etc carts that already have a Pokey sound chip. As the 2600+ appears to emulate a Pokey chip as well it is a very similar target for homebrew developers.

 

I wonder if it could be ok to have a new cart target, perhaps called a 2600+ cart? You could develop software for it without the need to build a Pokey chip in the cart. When you play it on a stock 7800 unit there would only be TIA music available. But when you play it on a 2600+ you get Pokey + Tia sounds.

[DhaemonX]

Any word if Activision will release new copies of their 2600 games? Like Pitfall and Keystone Capers? 

[zzip]

1 hour ago, DhaemonX said:

Any word if Activision will release new copies of their 2600 games? Like Pitfall and Keystone Capers? 

I don't even think they've released an Activision compilation in over a decade,  don't seem interested.   

[Zoyous]

32 minutes ago, zzip said:

I don't even think they've released an Activision compilation in over a decade,  don't seem interested.   

Microsoft's purchase of Activision is supposed to be finalized in a few days. There could be some new initiatives to utilize the older Activision IPs.

[T.A.P.]

9 hours ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Its been talked about.

I would love to buy more 7800 games.