Atari 2600+ FULL REVIEW | Is the 2023 Console a Plus or a Minus?

[@GenXGrownUp]

🚨 UPDATE 🚨 • In 1.00 firmware, the A/B difficulty switches are inverted (A is B, B is A). Plan accordingly until fixed in the next firmware. 🤞 • Atari & PLAION have already announced a forthcoming CX78+ gamepad

[@stanleystriker7065]

How will firmware updates be done. Does it connect to wifi?

[@GenXGrownUp]

@@stanleystriker7065 It connects directly to a PC via USB for firmware updates.

[@stanleystriker7065]

@@GenXGrownUp Thank you. :)

[@josephjones7828]

So we know that some original 2600 games and 7800 games work on the 2600+ (dependent upon the emulator). But out of curiosity, does it work in the opposite direction? Can these new 2600+ exclusive carts with dip switches like the 10-in-1 and 4-in-1 work on an authentic 2600 or 7800? Also of bit of a side note, AtGames has a new edition of their Atari Flashback mini plug & plays out on the market, the Atari Flashback 12 Gold. Its very easy to miss. The packaging is aesthetically almost identical to the Atari Flashback 50th Gold aside from the name and lack of 50th branding. Even has 100% identical pack-ins (2 joysticks, 2 paddles and the same 130 games). I don't think most people even knows it exists. Seems to have been stealth dropped sometime around mid to late July 2023. Cosmetically it kept the brass switches as seen on the 50th Anniversary Flashback, but the wood veneer dropped the gold 50th Atari logo and reverted back to the default silver Atari logo as seen on the Flashback X or an authentic 2600 console. No clue on if they've resolved the paddle latency issues any further from the previous Flashbacks, but the Flashback 12 Gold has its own unique model number (MODEL NO: AR3080B) and there are firmware updates uniquely made for it available on AtGames website. Last firmware update listing was V.1.1.1 and released on October 17th 2023.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Yep, 2600+ multicarts work in original hardware with no trouble. I hadn't seen the FB12, but with that firmware versioning, sounds like just a refreshed FB10/Gold.

[@johnhancockretro]

Great review! Thanks for the shoutout and through coverage.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Ha! I'm sure you don't need *my* shoutout, but happy to do it and refer viewers to your testing done with such an admirable collection of carts! All my best, JH! 😁

[@DVDfeverGames]

​@@GenXGrownUp John Hancock, the museum scammer. You're better than that, ​ @GenXGrownUp.

[@jnbloss]

I was surprised when you said that you hoped that it will never be able to play roms on it, but I smiled when you argued that it would ruin the experience. I think you're right!

[@GenXGrownUp]

It may not be a popular viewpoint, but we have plenty of other devices where I can dump a bajillion files - I'd like to keep this one pure! Thanks for your kindness!

[@RealGidspor]

I love mine. I have been hoarding carts for the last few months in anticipation of the 2600+. It’s perfect in my arcade next to my Atari consoles and Atari computers collection. 5 out of 5 for me 🙂

[@pascalturcotte6769]

Latency test... Smart, very smart! This is what I was afraid of and you successfully demonstrated it. Congrats! Very informative, excellent review. I really love your channel thanks!

[@jackeldogo3952]

Well, mine is still sitting in my closest waiting for Christmas....just to relive that same experience I had 44 years ago when we got an Atari VCS for Christmas in 1979 and spent the whole day in front of the console TV playing Combat, Air-Sea Battle and Street Racer.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Yes!

[@therealfodder]

Really appreciate the level of effort that's gone into this review Jon. Especially that part on the paddle latency - you're like the Digital Foundry of retro stuff!

[@GenXGrownUp]

That comparison is FAR too generous, but I'm grateful for the kind words. I appreciate you watching! 😁

[@McLovin_2007]

I'd like to have this for my console variant collection. I currently own the light sixer, black Vader, and Flashback 9. The Atari content is the reason why I keep coming back to this channel.

[@ctbinary42]

Well done review! I can finally truly experience the 2600 and show my nephew the true joy of Atari. It's on my Xmas wish list for sure!

[@IAMAMMAFAN]

Thanks for an informative and non-bias review. Please add more tests of untested games and some popular homebrews in your future 2600 + vids.

[@RipVanXer]

I was born in '1979 and had the 2600 when I was around 5 or 6 and played well into that second wave of games in the late '80s. Since I was young and didn't read the manuals, I just played the games - now revisiting games that I thought were stupid, impossible, and weird are fantastic since I know what to do. The 50th Anniversary collection really whet my appetite to play these games again, but playing them with original controls is the only way - my scores and enjoyment has dramatically improved since having the proper joystick. Great review and you're right. The console should stay as is. They shouldn't put save-state support (which they discussed doing) instead stay focused on compatibility and releasing new games for the 2600+.

[@andymanaus1077]

The only update I'd care to see would be a pause button on the console. My thinking is that you never need to use it if you don't want to but it's there for people like me, who have to sometimes attend to other matters and really don't want to leave a personal-best-breaking game for some unavoidable disruption.

[@RipVanXer]

I agree with you. Also, the fact being, the 7800 had a pause button. There is talk of making the color/bw switch the pause feature.

Mannnnn, buy original 2600 vc, forget this garbage! you is a 70s person! this toy is made for kids!

[@dmclegg66]

shout out to a fellow 1979 er.

[@XV250]

I have a 2600+ along with the enhanced Berzerk. I think it's great! You asked why the 10-in-1 included Haunted House or Volleyball over say Asteroids or Centipedes. I suspect that Atari is planning to release 'enhanced' separate releases of those games next year, similar to the Berzerk cart.

[@GenXGrownUp]

You may be right. They just released the series of 10 XP cartridges, though, so I would think those were the re-releases for those games and would've made a great line-up for a 10-in-1.

[@jeremiahthomas8140]

I think Haunted House is a great inclusion, but RealSports Volleyball is questionable. It is a fun game, but I think there are better choices.

[@ressljs]

That's what I thought immediately, that they didn't want to include all their best games with the pack in. That said, I consider Haunted House to be one of their top games. The fact that Atari made a $100 special edition cartridge of Haunted House recently implies that it's not just me.

[@markracer3281]

I'm still on the fence due to the price point and some of the current limitations. However, I'm sure these things will be addressed and ironed out in the coming days. Thank you, Jon for your most awesome review and see'ya on the next one dude!!!

[@officespace7777]

I love my Atari+❤ It does what it's supposed to do. And it solved my "how to play my Atari on my 4k TV" problem. I tend to look at system less as a remake. Or can this make me feel like it's 1982? I needed to play games on HDMI. And this Atari checks the box ☑️ It is a let down that you can't use the control pad in star raiders. Or that you need another joystick to play some of the 7800 games. But my overall feeling is that they will fix that In The future. You can do firmware updates. I think they will release a patch that will let you play more unplayable games in the future. 😉 Other then that...been playing mine since yesterday. Very happy. 😆

[@GregsGameRoom]

Good catch on the A/B difficulty thing. I was surprised at how many games didn't work, Pitfall II for example. Most of these have been working great in emulation for decades. The joystick, Power On and B&W switches are a little too tight. Paddles are brilliant except for the noticeable lag. I don't understand why the Keypad controller doesn't work since (I thought) the buttons were just mapped to the joystick inputs. Excited for the 7800 controller re-release, been wanting a set of those forever!

[@CommanderMouse72]

Yeah the issue at the moment is the special chips in cartridge, though I could imagine them finding a way to identify the dumped rom and then emulate the additional hardware as needed , just need to see what happens with firmware updates

[@kefallinos]

I bought it with extra joystick and paddles. I don't have any old cartriges.I love it!

[@jacobjanzuurbier2837]

Great system! Love playing my old cartridges again. Taking me back to childhood. Kudos for Atari, they are doing a fantastic job. And compliments for your great channel, good as always👍

[@jayme69]

Well done Jon on producing The Definitive Atari 2600+ review filled with all the nostalgia and information that we've come to expect from your awesome channel. Nobody does it better! :-) Glad you got the Immortal John Hancock on regarding his mission to test every Atari 2600/7800 cart with the support of the Atari community. Having a focused, one stop shop for this huge undertaking makes perfect sense rather than loads of different KZbinrs trying to achieve the same common goal on their own individual channels. That in a nutshell, is the difference between self promotion and being community focused. Fantastic job and keep up the awesome work!

[@HMansion999]

As always your vid is top notch and well done! and i been waiting for this one! i cant believe that the driving controllers dont work! but im sure that will change in an update. glad to see the paddle lag is minimal. first game im gonna test it with is kaboom! thanks for the vid! and KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON!!!!

[@foooooob]

Thanks for the review man! I got my Atari vcs 2600 in 1984. I´m waiting for the 2600plus in 2024...in just a few days.

[@MikeLarky83]

Fantastic review. I was wondering if the new paddle+ controllers would work with the atari flashback gold? Finding great working original paddles has been a challenge!

[@NALTOHQ]

If it uses the original connector like the OG 2600, you should be all set. Atari LOVES supporting the original systems.

[@MikeLarky83]

@@NALTOHQ Thanks. I assumed this was the case but thought I'd check my logic with others

[@JetScreamer_YT]

Hardware Wars a spectacle light years ahead of its time! You'll laugh you'll cry you'll kiss three bucks goodbye!

[@wolfshanze5980]

I prefer Closet Cases of the Nerd Kind.

[@RCfromtheNYC]

You got that right! I mean, who doesn't want to get into the misadventures of 4Q2 and Artie Deco!!!

[@anthonyspecf]

I have been using my 2600+ for almost a year (received it as a Christmas present). I am still using it to play my 40 or so 2600 carts from my childhood. I have my 7800 still, but hooking it up in modern day is a bit tricky (plus I think controller port 1 has a loose solder joint). The 2600+ is nice and easy to hook up and it allows me to use my old carts for that nostalgic 'feel', even if at the end of the day it really is essentially an emulator. Overall I love the system and am very glad I have one.

[@madmax2069]

3:24 that aspect ratio switch is there more for TV compatibility than anything else. one of my older LCD TVs did not like anything that was in the 4:3 aspect ratio, it didn't matter how the device was hooked up (composite, component, or HDMI) and would off set the image to the left and to the bottom and cut off the bottom part of the game screen, it also didn't matter what aspect ratios/screen modes i chose in the TVs display options, and there was no manual adjust to reposition the image on the screen. BUT that same TV was ok if the image coming from said device was in 16:9 and you used the TVs built in option to force 4:3.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Huh, interesting. I've never run into a consumer television or monitor that couldn't cope with 4:3, but good to know they'll be covered. Incidentally, 4:3 doesn't seem to generated a 4:3 signal, but rather correct and center a 4:3 image on a 16:9 canvas.

[@madmax2069]

​​​@@GenXGrownUpyeah both my older Emerson 1080p LCD TV and the TCL 4k Roku TV I owned had issues with 4:3 signals (the TCL TV was by far the worst). The Sony x900h I bought in 2021 doesn't have that issue, and it's actually more tolerant than some CRTs to some of the odd things the 2600 could do with the video signal (Star wars, Buck Rogers, Battlezone and a few other games).

[@michaelbotting806]

I have just completed testing all of my 2600 & 7800 games. Tested 55 Atari 2600 games which all worked. Also tested 13 Atari 7800 games. I am in PAL region. The games that failed were Xevious, Food Fight, Crossbow, Ms Pac Man, Choplifter & Joust. The games that passed were Alien Brigade, Centipede, Desert Falcon, Dig Dug, Galaga, One on One Basketball & Pole Position II.

[@Monitor1CC]

Great review, always appreciate your deep dives into things like latency and compatibility. I’d seen Donkey Kong 7800 before but not Xevious 7800, wow it looks great, very close to the arcade, one of my favorite Namco classics.

[@JohnStrickland-fp6rx]

I actually still have my Atari 7800 that I got as a kid... along with several 2600 & 7800 games! However, they have been sitting & collecting dust! Well, the wife bought me this 2600+ for Christmas and I'm super excited about it! Was a little worried about how good it was going to play until I saw this review! NOW I'm more than ready to hook it up, pull out my old cartridges, dust them off and get started reliving my childhood!🕹🥳

[@anthonycassino9769]

Great review. Thanks for the information. Looking forward to receiving my order.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Glad it was helpful!

[@zacharymoore2910]

Jon, great review as always. So the real question is if you could only get one between the flashback 50th anniversary, the gamestation pro, or the 2600+ which would it be?

[@MrInjector_yay]

He's here he's there he's Everywhere. Who I'm talking about? Atari!

[@CP200S]

My favourite retro youtuber just did the best 2600+ review. No surprise? ❤

[@GenXGrownUp]

Yeah? Who is it? Send me a link? 😁

[@CP200S]

@@GenXGrownUp 127.0.0.1 😂

[@errollleggo447]

Good stuff dude, thanks for video.

[@nafaoileain2301]

Great review, thanks.

[@chuckrobinson5674]

I Bought the Mega 7800 adapter from Atari Age and used it with my Sega Genesis controller and it allows me to play the 2 button 7800 games. It's only $16 so if you already have a 9 pin Genesis controller then you'll be all set.

[@OriginalGrasshopper]

Great vid Jon! Thanks for testing the Driving Controllers, I was wondering if they worked. I bought the 2600+ and a new set of Paddles and am very happy so far. My only gripe is that they went with the 4 Switch design instead of the OG 6 Switch look. Oh well. 🤷‍♂️

[@GenXGrownUp]

Thanks for watching!

[@BURRITO44]

Awesome review

[@GenXGrownUp]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@retrofidde]

Thanks! You are the best, love your channel!

[@ObsidianContraption]

Nice review. Can't wait for mine to come in!

[@adm712]

Thanks so much for this outstanding (as usual) review. My 2600 + is expected to arrive today and I find this review so helpful in that I know what works and what doesn't.

[@GasFayce]

Mine is on the way as well, very excited, minor downsides be damned! Excellent review!

[@olafbuddenberg4787]

Thanks for this in-depth review, Jon. So far I really like this new attempt from current Atari but I will still wait for a while and see what else they'll release for it.

[@andrewosborne7544]

Atari announced a 7800 plus gamepad coming out. Plus new cartridges of new games in 2024

[@GenXGrownUp]

You're not the first to suggest the CX78+ gamepad was announced, but I've yet to see a press release or listing on the Atari store. I don't doubt it, but would like to see the source.

[@MrPoestyle]

The best review that I have seen so far , Jon . Especially the latency test on the paddles . I preordered mine day one , hour one front Atari directly, but unfortunately between Atari and FedEx it still hasn't made it from California to Western Pennsylvania yet . It originally said Black Friday delivery and now it says Tuesday . I still plan on making a review on my channel but it will be very late now with 1 billion reviews already out there lol .

[@GenXGrownUp]

I was late to the review party, too, but it's not like I'm NOT gonna review the Plus! 😀

[@syntaxerror9994]

The keypad controller relyed on the Atari's bi-directonal controller port lines which can be configured by the game to be outputs. (And can theoretically be used as a brute forced UART connection BTW). I believe this was a feature of the RIOT chip that the 8067 chip used as it's Ram, input/output bus, and CPU timer clock (RIOT...get it) This was my biggest question on compatibility. The Driving controller was a rotary encoder wheel. I don't think it used the Bi lines... But it looks like it does.

[@lurkerrekrul]

Regarding the paddles: Isn't it great that today's technology can ALMOST match the performance of a machine from almost half a century ago? Kind of makes you wonder how accurate things like diagnostic medical devices are if today's computers can't even read a potentiometer in real time.

[@FUGP72]

You're not even comparing apples to oranges with this. You are comparing apples of paintbrushes.

[@lurkerrekrul]

@@FUGP72 The point is that after 45 years of supposed progress, today's technology can't read the value of a simple potentiometer as well as tech from 1977. It seems like a pretty easy task to me, but apparently, it's just too darn complicated for today's technology to do accurately in real time. So if it can't do that, what else is today's tech incapable of doing properly?

[@elijahvincent985]

In other words: ANALOG over DIGITAL! :)

[@lurkerrekrul]

@@elijahvincent985 So in other words, digital technology is more limited than analog? Today's digital technology has more limitations than yesterday's analog technology? And that's called progress?

[@justin188541]

A tale as old as time : The Analog Kid and The Digital Man.

[@BIBO_67]

I've had my new console for over a week now and I'm completely satisfied. However, the first paddle controller caused problems, so I quickly picked up the paddles from the 50th Anniversary console - no more problems since then, I've even beaten my old high score by far in a few games. I'll be buying more old games from the 80s on eBay in the next few days. The ones I have work. And if it says "Loading failed", I just have to blow into the cartridge and everything is fine.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Blowing into the cartridge IS BACK! 😁

[@BIBO_67]

Hahahaha obviously!@@GenXGrownUp What I also noticed: depending on the joystick you play better; the one from 1986 is best suited for pinball games (the one from Atari Junior), the Arcarda joystick for racing or run & shoot games, and the ordinary Atari joystick for all other games. So I have four different ones (with the paddles) here at the moment, which I swap regularly depending on which game I'm playing.

ok, try blowing Robotank, or racing games, games with additional chip, some good new games to see what happens

[@ChrobregoPoznan]

I give mine a 5/5. I actually bought two just in case one breaks down the road. My wife claimed that I wouldn't play any of these games, but I'm proving her wrong. I actually even bought the new Berserk cartridge. Weird.... I actually bought an Atari 2600 cartridge in 2023 -- mind blown. The last Atari cartridge I bought was in 1982. Love it. BTW, the system runs great for me. Yes, some 44 year old cartridges have pooped out, but most have not. You can't blame the 'new' console for a failed cartridge approaching half a century.

[@gameselectronicsrus3909]

Great video! My only problem was the lag test was not completely accurate as the analog signal of the original Atari 2600 on a digital flatscreen tv will add lag. The original 2600 on a crt tv would have basically zero lag.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Fair point. The TV used in my test is a fixed variable, so under the identical conditions you can see the difference in performance.

[@gameselectronicsrus3909]

@@GenXGrownUpMakes sense especially for people who use the original console on a flat screen display and are thinking of upgrading.

[@SLACKPLAN9]

YES! They included ADVENTURE! That was one of my favorite games as a little boy, prior to getting a Starpath Supercharger. I DID find the hidden WARREN ROBINETT room. Once I found it, my mom happened to be watching, and not too long after that, SHE found the room. YaY.

[@GenXGrownUp]

I enjoy hearing stories like this. Thanks for sharing.

[@SLACKPLAN9]

@@GenXGrownUp My favorite Starpath Supercharger games were Dragonstomper, followed by Communist Mutants from Space, then Fireball. Some people would think I wasted hours with a character no bigger than a dot that was only a couple of pixels long and wide, and loading screens from the cassette (YES! The games were on a CASSETTE!!), but I don't consider it wasted time at all. I loved every hour!

[@andymanaus1077]

@@SLACKPLAN9 I'm ashames to admit that I never once discovered the Adventure easter egg, despite finding the hidden dot and dragging it everywhere. I only found out about it a few years ago, but well before "Ready Player One" came out, so I knew when the characters all played Adventure where the story was going to go.

[@fordxbgtfalcon]

I can’t believe Atari made it 7800 compatible but don’t make a controller for the 2600+ that’s compatible? People want a fortune for clean good working 7800 controllers. Most second hand ones are very loose. Atari please make an updated 7800 controller!

[@joezar33]

Curious too see if a *Sega Genesis* Controller 🎮 would work with the Atari 2600+ 🤔

[@ressljs]

I was thinking the 2600+ joysticks would have a B button tucked in along the bottom like the VCS Classic controller. I wouldn't call that arrangement ideal, but it works well enough with the 7800 games I have downloaded for that system. If I buy one of these, I have two good 7800 controllers, one of the originals and a new as of a few years ago arcade joystick. So I'd be fine, but for people that don't already have controllers laying about, it would be a real problem. That new arcade stick was VERY expensive but the reason I was willing to shell out that much money is because original controllers that actually work are nearly impossible to find.

[@nightly522]

man this brings back memories

[@marccaselle8108]

Great review John. I appreciate all the work and effort thst goes into your reviews. If i still had all my 2600 and 7800 games still, i would buy the 2600+, based on yoir review. Great job!

[@BretMix]

THANK YOU for the mini-rant about the aspect ratio selector. I cannot play stretched games, there's something about them that makes me grind my teeth. I suppose it's nice that they included that for those that really like stretched mode, but it's a function I would never use. To each their own, but... Ugh.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Kindred spirit! 😁

[@iamchriswest]

It is for playing on a 4:3 LCD monitor.

[@tomevil6]

Jon from GenXGrownUp and The Immortal John Hancock in one video! Awesome!!! Great review! The Plus seems like an awesome console!

[@boredsights3923]

I agree with your review. I played Star Raiders on the original the most out of any cart. It was No Man's Sky for us in the 80's. A racing game that doesn't work? The Atari racing games in the arcade and at home were very popular. These are two huge misses. But as far as reliving the 2600 experience, the 2600+ is the way to go with its HDMI and USB-C ports. Thanks for the review.

[@jeremiahthomas8140]

Indy 500 is literally the only game that uses the Driving Controllers. It's a great game and I wish the Driving Controller worked, but it is a relatively minor issue, which I hope they correct.

[@bradleydavis6463]

"I hope nobody does" - my sentiments expressed similarly elsewhere. This device is about recreating an authentic original experience, and that's where I want to see focus on improvements. We already have umpteen other devices where we can cram a gluttonous selection of roms onto flash storage.

[@andremarc1275]

good old space invaders... pac man... racing games too. 1st console of my childhood. TY

[@jackeldogo3952]

Our favorite paddle game when I was a kid was doing head-to-head with the Street Racer cart. A lot of hours playing and a lot of fights resulted from that game.

[@tornadotj2059]

Thanks for reminding me about Street Racer. When my 2600+ arrived I went out to my barn and grabbed a few handfuls of carts. Just looked, and it's one I brought in!

[@GenXGrownUp]

I remember many an hour spent with Street Racer. I talk about it more in my launch game ranking video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYqml4iIiseVqrM

[@OmicronTauKappaClassicDaddy]

Great rundown on the controller compatibility. Glad to hear that you can play 4-player Warlords but it's a bummer that Star Raiders isn't playable on it.

[@CYOnTheBeat]

Great review ❤❤

[@GenXGrownUp]

Thank you! 🤗

[@Devalis]

It would be nice if they had a way to display a bezel to fill the widescreen, maybe with that awesome box art they are known for.

[@boredsights3923]

Oh yeah! That would be really nice to have.

[@jeremiahthomas8140]

Atari has already announced the CX78+ Gamepad for 7800 games. Exact replica of the original CX-78 JoyPad, with screw in thumbstick and all.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Oh, yeah? Nice! I cruise the Atari shop pretty regularly but hadn't see the offiical announcement yet.

[@jeremiahthomas8140]

@@GenXGrownUp I responded earlier, but my comment disappeared. I linked to the Atari announcement, maybe that was it, or maybe it was when I tried to edit it and it messed up. Atari announced the CX78+ Gamepad, the paddle controllers by themselves without the 4-in-1 cartridge, an extension cable, and that they were bringing 4 more 2600 and 7800 games out next year, presumably on another dip switch cartridge.

[@edwardmclaughlin719]

You Tube doesn't like links unless it is from YT. They disappear quickly.@@jeremiahthomas8140

[@josephjones7828]

@@jeremiahthomas8140 It was likely the link to an external site. KZbin comments with links to external sites in them tend to get deleted.

[@jeremiahthomas8140]

@josephjones7828 That is what I figured, but since I had never done that before, I was unaware of that little feature.

[@ButterSpider3]

Very nice review of the 2600+! I totally agree with you on the true 2600 experience assessment. It needs to be up close to the tv, on the floor, with a pile of carts next to you! That’s the best way! I am super disappointed that they failed so badly with controller compatibility. That was a huge negative. Especially with the driving controllers. 😢 As for firmware updates, how would you do this? Will the USB-C port double as a data port? If so, could potentially access roms as the flashback X does with the splitter? Interesting…. Really enjoyed this video. Thanks, Jon!

[@landmind666]

I only want in a update is more controller support, and work with more game carts, like homwbrew.

[@luc7976]

Not supporting several bank switching formats limits what you can play and few newer games work. E.g. Circus Convoy which works fine on the original Atari but not here. It doesn't play Pitfall 2 either and majority of homebrews. They had an opportunity here to advance and support the homebrew scene and commerical new releases from Audacity.

[@errollleggo447]

I bought a pot to make my own paddle controller back in the day, thanks Radio Shack.

[@majestikmoose5]

With the news of the 7800+ today, I might wait until its release. I have a 2600... I've never owned a 7800. And since it's backwards compatible, it makes more sense for me to get that one.

[@chemicalburrito782]

Re: Dark Chambers Dark Chambers actually works fine with a single button controller on a real Atari 7800. You experienced the same problem that other people are experiencing with Asteroids, Pole Position II, and possibly other games as well - the 7800 emulation doesn't handle single button controllers correctly. it assumes all controllers hooked up are two button controllers and maps the single button the controller has to the RIGHT button , rendering some 7800 games unplayable without a two-button controller only on the 2600+. It's been reported to Atari, so hopefully they will fix it. By the way, ALL 7800 games have reversed button mapping. Try it by playing, say, Xevious on the 2600+ and then a real 7800 both with the difficulty switches set for two-button control. You'll notice immediately - fire and bomb are backwards.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Thanks for the info and filling in the blanks on my 7800 knowledge. Sounds like a pretty straightforward thing to correct in firmware along with the reversed difficulty switches.

[@andymanaus1077]

Thanks once again Jon, for a great episode. I wonder if you might like to do an instruction video on cleaning the Atari old cartridges. Any tips you have to service old Atari paddle, racing and joystick controllers that are malfunctioning would be really appreciated as well. Believe it or not, I have a pair of paddle controllers from 1981 and a pair of race controllers from 1982, all of which stopped working properly about 30 years ago.

[@tornadotj2059]

Best Electronics is still around. The ugliest website ever (always been that way) but they have all sorts of upgrades and parts for the old controllers.

[@AutismRocksOfficial]

Love our new + and REALLY love Mr. Run and Jump on it. Really bummed it won’t play Pitfall 2. Overall, I’m glad I bought it, but in this day and age, not figuring out how to make something so old to work on a new system just seems a bit lazy. (Like the starpad and driving controller)

[@A_Nerds_Paradise]

I personally like the 'grain' or RF noise. It adds texture to the image. Back in the day, the 2600 was not a crystal clear experience.

[@AndyCat90]

Last year, I've got myself the Atari 2600+ and at first Breakout worked completely fine, but as months past, the controls went bad for some reason. The paddle twitches each time I steer the paddle controller left or right. It might be either the game's fault or the console's fault. One thing's for sure, there's nothing wrong with the paddle controllers as I tested them on my Atari Flashback 8 Gold. The other games seem to be working fine so far. So, if you want to experience some Atari classic games, I would check the Atari 50 game for Nintendo Switch and multiple other consoles.

[@urbanknish]

I have had some games that were scrubbed clean but still wouldn't play. No 'failed' error code, just a black screen. Since I have multiples of many of the, the 'other' cartridge would work. Not sure why? Also, some games take much longer to load. Mr. Do and Super Cobra are examples of games that take a very long time even though they are only 8k cartridge. I also could not get a 3-button Genesis controller to work.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Check to make sure those non-working games haven't had the PCB collapse into the cartridge shell. I've found a handful of games where the plastic holding it in place has just degraded over the years and not enough of the board is still protruding to seat well into the cartridge slot.

[@RandyWaage]

Great review! I'm still just gonna wait on this one. I think it's because I already own 3 of the original 2600's. Luckily, I have a few old CRT TV's so it gives me an authenticate feel of how I remember the games too. Plus, I own an UNO cart & while I love all the cartridges...these days I don't want to store all of them when there's an easier, more modern way to get them up & running. I agree with you that with these graphics sometimes some blur or not quite so high def output is a good thing. I can't deny if there's a good sale I still might be tempted to pick one up.

[@atarileaf]

I like the system but the emulation on the 7800 side needs a lot of work

[@Rybagz]

Strange that driving controllers don't work - they just use Grey code on the up/down joystick pins and at the least you should expect the cars to move a little. The keypads require output over the direction lines to do row selection then the paddle and fire button inputs provide column states. The input lag - I suspect the entire system might have lag regardless of input device which is more related to the delay you get with lots of modern devices over HDMI. The question I have overall though is "does this thing run homebrew" - it seems that it does but many original and homebrews are currently not compatible and the main reason seems to be Rom banking support.

[@WillWatchAnything]

I’m hoping to get one of these. I have a pretty big catalog of 2600 games and although I can play them on original hardware it would be nice to have something more compatible with modern TVs. I’m also glad to see the latency issue is nearly nonexistent and most of what I have will play just fine.

make a original 2660 HMDI, is very better!

[@TheDilligan]

People have modded the original Atari system to output RGB. All they needed to do was use the internal of the 7800 and built in that mod so that it outputs in RGB by HDMI, rather than putting in an emulator. Then it would be completely compatible with everything, have no latency, work with the harmony cart, and really be perfect.

[@kevinschaefer9060]

I just confirmed that the difference between naming the folder games or Games depends on how you format the SD card. If you format it as FAT32, you need to use the capital G. If you format it as exFAT, then use a lowercase g. I didn't try NTFS, since I'm only using an 8GB SD card.

[@GenXGrownUp]

That makes a lot of sense. I suspect, though, you're not actually talking about the 2600+ as featured in this video, but the My Arcade Atari Gamestation Pro.

[@thereallantesh]

I'd love to see you test Kaboom in a future video. I've found that the paddles are not as smooth in Kaboom on the 2600+ vs. real hardware. I've tested this with both the new CX30+ paddles and original paddles, and I've done it on two different 2600+ consoles with consistent results. Both new consoles have a slight stutter and slight delay with both versions of paddles as compared to my standard 4-switch console. Don't get me wrong. It's lights years better than the Retron 77, but it still isn't perfect. That's just in Kaboom though. I've also tested Night Driver, and they seemed to perform perfectly in that game.

[@jaredgraywest]

Regarding the idea of Disney remaking Star Wars: A New Hope... I think they already did. It was called "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".

[@GenXGrownUp]

Lots of commenters have made that parallel, but you know what I mean: rebooting canon - a Ghostbusters 2016 situation.

[@KeithPhillips]

Jon! How are these new controllers as replacements for the originals on old hardware? Was definitely thinking of picking two up!

[@GenXGrownUp]

They work great on an OG system!

[@KeithPhillips]

@@GenXGrownUp So glad to hear that! Atari is really knocking it out of the park with everything.

[@alexshdvideo]

Thank you for posting. I’m wondering if new home brews or new Atari cartridges (more ram) can be used. Meaning how big is the is hdd?

[@domeshtan1677]

So a harmony cart can work if it only has one rom image on the SD card? Did I catch that right? Kinda kills the concept for it. I used mine mainly for testing my homebrew work which leads me to another question. I have a real 2600 Jr. for testing my work with an old rummage sale TV. How is the 2600 plus as far as "accuracy" with the scan line count? I know on a real 2600 your screen could bounce or flutter a bit if your scanline count was off at times. It depends on TV type as well but I had one of my games run fine on my TV but bounced and flickered a bit on someone else's newer flat screen TV at the time. Also I tried it on an SD card on an Atari Flashback and there was no flutter at all from what I can tell. Just wondering how "accurate" this thing really is.

[@Vaskomyr]

Well, in the teardown there is an unpopulated sd card reader contacts on the board. I am curious if the multicart is the same, are there unpopulated pads for more chips? I'm sure the controller support will be updated.

[@WunUnknownPlayer]

Curious how you would feel about connectivity to Retro Achievements. The emulation is Stella, which is well compatible with Retro Achievements. Granted, no way to really connect to network, but assuming it could, how would you feel with connecting to an achievement set?

[@GenXGrownUp]

I think that would be cool! I will occasionally turn on Retro Achievements when I'm using RetroArch and it's fun little added bonus.

[@garypranzo9334]

If hooking up to a 4:3 TV you want to use the 16:9 fill mode.

[@miked4377]

your right about the overall atari 2600 experience ..that is paramount to this device....and it should support the star raiders key pad....driving paddle as well...however I think they have Done alot of things right with the 2600+....I say 4 out of 5

[@themanofthemanoftheonlyman]

So cool how they brought back the old Atari, and not even that, you can even collect games for it, incredible.

[@wildsmiley]

This is good for people who fondly remember the 2600 and would want to recapture their youth for not too much. Those of us who are 2600 fanatics, it's pointless. But if this gets people more interested in classic Atari, then I'm glad.

[@tpeezy3042]

Do you have a video on how to clean the old cartridges?

[@Datan0de]

Sorely disappointed that you can't play Star Raiders, though lately I've been playing the 5200 version built into the Atari 50 game. Any chance of a teardown of the CX40+? I'd really, really love to see the inside and how it compare with the original. The original CX40 is wonderful and iconic, but the membrane switches and plastic ring meant I wore through several of them as a kid before i got the Epyx 500 XJs that I still use today.

[@Lachlant1984]

I'd be curious to know if the unit works with the Atari keypad that some games used, and I don't remember which ones used it. Also, would it work with Commodore 64 and Commodore Amiga compatible joysticks? Since they all used the same control protocol, they should do.

[@GenXGrownUp]

The keypad is the same internals as the Star Raiders pad, and I don't believe it would work. I have a set of them, but not sure I own a cartridge that supports them. 😀

[@humbugstube]

Where can I get new versions of the firmware?

[@DavidGuzman-mg8wj]

What happened to the music? I didn’t hear the background music to moon patrol.

[@GenXGrownUp]

I don't recall, but it may have been off since it can be toggled with the left difficulty switch.

[@Karateka1973]

Damn, I'm showing my age, but i got excited about the dip switches...LOL. i remember toggling those on my Apple IIe's printer to change font types. I may have to snag one of these, and I'm so glad that i didn't get a VCS.

[@GenXGrownUp]

I know, right? Someone said in a comment that the dipswitches were a "lazy" way to do the multicart, but I thought it was delightfully throwback! I remember having to set the dipswitches on the back of my Atari 1050 drives in order to declare drive ID!

[@chrischriskidnicky6088]

I already have the Atari 50 Flashback but I’m getting this for some of the games that system doesn’t have. So far I’ve thought of: ET MASH (one of my favorites ) Q Bert Galaxian What else is worthwhile that is missing from the flashback?

[@lurkerrekrul]

Star Raiders - I always found it ironic that the Video Touch Pad is just a re-tooled keyboard controller. Ironic because Atari created the keyboard controllers for just that sort of thing, but since they never included them with the base system, almost nobody had them, so they had to make a special version of them just for this one game. I really didn't care for Star Raiders on the 2600, but I did use the keypad to play Codebreaker.

[@TomMannCenturia]

Great review thanks. It'd be great if they could get those load times down to near instant, definitely loses something without the immediacy of a game running on the real machine.

[@frankbizzoco1954]

If there is no sd card slot, how does one update the firmware? I would imagine the Harmony flash cart works with this console. That would negate the need for jailbreaking. Otherwise you would have to do some soldering work to add a card reader. I'm sure the community is already working on it lol.

[@GenXGrownUp]

Firmware updates will be accomplished by plugging directly into a PC via the USB port.