Atari 5200: How do you get your fix without the console?

[donjn]

I used to full around with the Atari 8-bit computers (800XL, etc) and then I realized every single favorite game I play is also on the Atari 5200. Basically the only games Id be missing out on is DANDY and Captain Beeble and that's it! Even the little things like having an extra fire button for the dynamite on the 5200 H.E.R.O. is much more enjoyable.

 

So, I finally gave up using CRTs anymore so I am stuck with my nice low input lag gaming LCD via HDMI for now. I have tried a couple retroscalers and don't like how they work. I also currently do not own a 5200.

 

So that leaves me with:

 

• Atari Flashback Classics
• Atari VCS Store?
• Atari 50th Anniversary
• Emulation

 

Now Flashback classics on my switch is great but it is very limited. No HERO, and a lot else is gone.
The 50th Anniversary or pretty much any Atari release does not include Activision games.

As far as emulation goes, the 5200 has several emulators that are really hard to get working. Even Kat5200 I just cant get joysticks working.

With Altirra I am not 100% happy with the input lag.

 

I am just curious, what do you guys do for your 5200 fix?

Is there a solid way to get a 5200 to work with HDMI?

What 5200 games are available if I purchase the VCS? I assume no more than are available for the collections I already have?
Are there rumors of the Atari 50th Anniversary for 5200 DLC?

 

Heck even the new 2600 gamestation and 2600+ completely skip over Atari 5200.

 

Is the 5200 the red-headed stepchild of Atari?

Should I just suck it up and get Altirra working great and get myself a 5200 controller adapter for PC?

 

Thanks!

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by donjn

[RickR]

This is a great question!  Does your TV have an RF (antenna) input?  Because that is going to be your best bet.  2 port 5200 on a modern LCD TV using RF works well for me!

As far as emulation, I've had great luck with the MESS emulator. 

[donjn]

2 minutes ago, RickR said:

This is a great question!  Does your TV have an RF (antenna) input?  Because that is going to be your best bet.  2 port 5200 on a modern LCD TV using RF works well for me!

As far as emulation, I've had great luck with the MESS emulator. 

No it does not. I have a small CRT so I could get a 5200 someday but not sure.

 

Would this front end work well with MESS?

https://messui.1emulation.com/

 

[+x=usr(1536)]

The Atari800 emulator supports the 5200 as well as the A8 range.

 

If you're a Mac user, check out Atari800MacX.

[+x=usr(1536)]

4 minutes ago, RickR said:

As far as emulation, I've had great luck with the MESS emulator. 

MESS was merged back into MAME a long, long time ago   They're now the same project.

[donjn]

Just now, x=usr(1536) said:

The Atari800 emulator supports the 5200 as well as the A8 range.

 

If you're a Mac user, check out Atari800MacX.

Ive had issues getting that to work. I need to keep trying.

It works great when I download it to RetroArch via my Steam Deck setup but have yet to get it working right for PC.

[RickR]

1 minute ago, donjn said:

No it does not. I have a small CRT so I could get a 5200 someday but not sure.

 

Would this front end work well with MESS?

https://messui.1emulation.com/

 

YES!  That is the front end for MESS that I use.  It's nice because it includes everything (ie - you don't have to install MAME separately), and it is updated constantly.

 

[+x=usr(1536)]

1 minute ago, donjn said:

Ive had issues getting that to work.

Which version, Atari800 or Atari800MacX?

[donjn]

1 minute ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Which version, Atari800 or Atari800MacX?

Atari800.

I think I had issues with that blue F1 menu and maybe getting settings to save. Not sure.
Possibly joystick setups too. That menu intimidates me..lol

Ill take a crack at it tonight.

Edited August 29, 2023 by donjn

[donjn]

And, I am one of the few who likes the Atari 5200 joysticks.

Is this a good purchase for emulation?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284167976872

 

 

[ymike673]

16 hours ago, RickR said:

This is a great question!  Does your TV have an RF (antenna) input?  Because that is going to be your best bet.  2 port 5200 on a modern LCD TV using RF works well for me!

As far as emulation, I've had great luck with the MESS emulator. 

Would that also work with a 4 port with the switch box?  I have an older LCD TV with an RF import.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

3 minutes ago, ymike673 said:

Would that also work with a 4 port with the switch box?  I have an older LCD TV with an RF import.

Provided your LCD has the ability to find and use analog RF it should be usable yes. But some TVs just won't work on these older consoles. An example is a 2600 I just added an AV upgrade into for another person because their LCD refuses to see the 2600 at all. They thought the 2600 wasn't working until they brought it to me and it worked fine on my setup. So it just depends on the LCD. Just because you have a coax input on the back, doesn't always mean it can use the older signals.

 

That said, if your TV features a channel scan option that allows for both analog ANT and digital, then you are likely good to go and it can be made to work. Just have to power on the system with a game in it and then have the TV do a channel scan so it can see the 5200 and lock in on that channel to select it.

 

[ymike673]

31 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Provided your LCD has the ability to find and use analog RF it should be usable yes. But some TVs just won't work on these older consoles. An example is a 2600 I just added an AV upgrade into for another person because their LCD refuses to see the 2600 at all. They thought the 2600 wasn't working until they brought it to me and it worked fine on my setup. So it just depends on the LCD. Just because you have a coax input on the back, doesn't always mean it can use the older signals.

 

That said, if your TV features a channel scan option that allows for both analog ANT and digital, then you are likely good to go and it can be made to work. Just have to power on the system with a game in it and then have the TV do a channel scan so it can see the 5200 and lock in on that channel to select it.

 

Okay. Thanks for the info.

[RickR]

1 hour ago, ymike673 said:

Would that also work with a 4 port with the switch box?  I have an older LCD TV with an RF import.

Yes it would!  The only issue would be that it gets painful to use that RF input with other systems.  If the 5200 is the only thing you want to hook up, then it's fine. 

 

[ymike673]

23 minutes ago, RickR said:

Yes it would!  The only issue would be that it gets painful to use that RF input with other systems.  If the 5200 is the only thing you want to hook up, then it's fine. 

 

I only plan to hook up my 5200. One more question.  The output from the 5200 won't damage the set in any way. I assume it won't but just wondering. 

[RickR]

20 minutes ago, ymike673 said:

I only plan to hook up my 5200. One more question.  The output from the 5200 won't damage the set in any way. I assume it won't but just wondering. 

No, it won't damage a set in any way.  You may hear a small sparky crack when turning the 5200 on or off, but that's just the 4 port switchbox switching modes. 

 

Once you get it hooked up, you'll want to set your LCD TV to "Antenna" or "OTA" mode instead of "Cable" and then scan channels while the 5200 is powered on. 

[+Cafeman]

2 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Provided your LCD has the ability to find and use analog RF it should be usable yes. But some TVs just won't work on these older consoles.

 

That has been my experience for 20 years, neither of my flatscreens seems to pick up the weak Atari RF signal.  So, my solution was 5200 => RF Switchbox into my old VCR => which hooks up via Composite/RCA cables to my LCD or Plasma TV. Great static-free picture.   

[ymike673]

39 minutes ago, RickR said:

No, it won't damage a set in any way.  You may hear a small sparky crack when turning the 5200 on or off, but that's just the 4 port switchbox switching modes. 

 

Once you get it hooked up, you'll want to set your LCD TV to "Antenna" or "OTA" mode instead of "Cable" and then scan channels while the 5200 is powered on. 

Thanks. I know about the switchbox noise. 

[akator]

While I love the 5200, I no longer own one.  These are my solutions:

• Atari 800XL with classic controllers, modern peripherals, and flash carts.
• Emulation.  Batocera is now my default system for an emulation rig.  On computers I use Altirra or Atari800.
• MiSTer.  With the above I rarely use MiSTer for 5200/8-bit, but I have in the past and it's great for 5200.

[CommodoreDecker]

Emulation wasn't for me; the last time I tried it, the colors were sometimes incorrectly mapped. Green cherries in Ms Pac-Man being one example.  The issues since then may have been fixed.

 

I purchased a composite/S-Video modification kit off of eBay some time ago.  The results are stunning, especially via S-Video.  I then purchased an S-Video-to-HDMI adapter and that looks better than direct composite into the TV (or via composite-to-HDMI, of course).  

 

RF works on LCD, true, but all the other benefits of it remain. Benefits including, but not limited to:

• Fuzzy video
• Random flicker in video
• static/hiss sound
• that nasty spark if you don't unplug the power brick first (or if you don't plug it in last, and the engineers didn't make the fuse easily replaceable, despite having one in the power brick)
• the inability to use the RF cable as a jump rope while playing
• etc

 

Edited October 1, 2023 by CommodoreDecker

[zzip]

On 8/29/2023 at 5:43 PM, donjn said:

So that leaves me with:

 

• Atari Flashback Classics
• Atari VCS Store?

 

There are no loose 5200 games in the Atari VCS store,  other than what's included in Atari Vault 1 + 2 and Atari 50.

 

On 8/29/2023 at 5:54 PM, donjn said:

Ive had issues getting that to work. I need to keep trying.

It works great when I download it to RetroArch via my Steam Deck setup but have yet to get it working right for PC.

I agree the 5200 emulator situation isn't what it should be    Have you tried Atari++?   It's based on Atari800 but I've had better luck getting controllers working in Atari++

[Flyindrew]

70 percent of the time-Break out original 5200 with original controllers and play original carts

20 percent of time-Power up Xbox Series S and play Atari 50

10 percent of time-Play Atarimax cart on 130XE with original joystick.

[+Living Room Arcade]

Hello, @donjn.  I just installed Altirra and tried Atari 5200 for the first time in my life the other day.

So I'm getting my 5200 fix on my PC with Altirra and using my keyboard.

But if I were you and I wanted to avoid lag and sort of max out the gaming experience, 

I think I'd try to get an OEM Atari 5200 and some brand new, third party controllers,

if they exist.  The OEM console always has zero lag, isn't that right?  

And putting a brand new pair of third party controllers on your OEM box makes it feel

brand new, doesn't it?  

Hope you find an arrangement that works for you.  

Edited October 2, 2023 by Living Room Arcade