Atari 2600 Plus Review: A Modern Throwback

An updated version of the original Atari home console, the 2600 Plus can connect to modern high-definition TVs.
Read the CNET Review:
Atari 2600 Plus Review: A Modern Throwback cnet.co/3tmRaUU
0:00 Intro Atari 2600+
0:45 The original Atari 2600 console
1:30 Atari 2600 vs 2600+
2:25 Setting up and playing the 2600+
4:04 New Controllers
6:07 Conclusion: Likes and Dislikes
Subscribe to CNET: / cnettv
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉 bit.ly/3lO7sOU
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/cnet
Follow us on TikTok: / cnetdotcom
Follow us on Instagram: / cnet
Follow us on Twitter: / cnet
Like us on Facebook: / cnet
#atari #retrogaming #pacman #atari2600

[@XV250]

I bought one. I have a large collection of the old carts, and it's great to play them on a large HDMI instead of an old CRT with a blurry RF connection.

[@bobhuber8480]

And that’s what it’s all about. You get a great buzz from playing an Atari game in HD with a nice stereo hooked up to it. I’m all in. We get to be kids again in our older years. Please make more of these games or hire me to tell you how to make more games!

[@justgivefacts]

All you need is the correct cable. There's no reason to have a fuzzy picture. Crts have way better contrast for those kind of games. There's no comparison.

[@juancargts]

This is what Nintendo should do with their legacy games and systems.

[@davidhamid8025]

They did. NES classic and SNES classic. Like 5 years ago.

[@spektred]

Yeah, they did do this but they stopped making those. I snagged them while they were still available, and then a lot of Chinese knockoffs came out

[@juancargts]

@@davidhamid8025 but you couldn't use old cartridges with the classic versions... They came preloaded

[@thomasa.243]

I was also thinking about that. Why not create a, e.g. "Legacy Gameboy"? Plus, they should bring back new copies of their classic games. There are a lot of games that you are unable to play legally which is sad :/. Even some DS games are now practically lost to most of us...

[@ThePorkchopExpress975]

@@davidhamid8025he means one that plays the old cartridges

[@al28854]

FUN HACK: for the OG 'space invaders' game on the OG console, when cartridge is inserted, activate the 'game reset' lever while turning ON the console at the same time will give you the double burst shot with each press of the red fire button on the controller. I wonder if the same can be done on this 'updated version', ..... doubted though.

[@sammiches6859]

That will be fun to try later

[@foooooob]

Atari 2600 was much more than just a gama console.....it was one of the symboles of the great 80's just like the Sony Walkman.

[@pwilliams9666]

Yep !!! 💯

[@jezza6575]

Man that thing will be a monster for burn-in on an OLED!

[@Boswd]

actually atari has it built in anti burn in, that's why you see different color screens etc when the game is over. old CRT's used to get burn in so they did that to help prevent in.

[@Dd-sunshine68]

I still have an original version of that game machine plus games lol i love Atari 😊

[@heinekenswordfish]

2:44 That robotic voice was in the arcade version of Bezerk

[@rogerphillips1679]

Love it. Hope someone does the same thing with the Intellivision!

[@markrotondella4689]

Hahaha

[@rossydv]

There was! Intellivision Amico! Delay after delay till final there seems no hope. Google it. Quite the disappointing fiasco!

[@CarrieV9]

Loved Breakout, Nightrider, Adventure and Superman

[@foooooob]

Don't forget Defender!😊

[@andrewsgarage796]

Love it mate welcome back to the 70,s - 80,s Best Regards Andrew

[@Hi-Tech-Ray]

bought one as well, I highly recommend getting a 10FT HDMI cable and 10FT USBC cable so that you can move the console on a coffee table in front of you.. In addition an HDMI switcher so you can save your TV's HDMI built in port(s) from plugging in and unplugging wear down!

[@The-You-Doober]

Can you buy a 2nd CX40 plus a 2nd CX 30 plus controller to add to the system? When you take apart the CX 40+, there is modern technology in the joystick on the newer one. I’m thinking about buying the new console, but I would like a 2nd set of controllers with it. I have 2 original consoles with tons of game cartridges. It would be cool to use them again.

[@neelo821]

Smart! Posting series of shorts as teasers before posting the actual video, that's interesting. Is that method gonna last? Will that work all the time. Let's see.

[@jasonsmith530]

There was a time, even before Chris Pratt was supper mario

[@jasonsmith530]

@@Yakoom I was trying to make a joke, that there would be no Nintendo if it wasn’t for Atari

[@Uriel77200]

I enjoy retro games since I was born in 72. I will say however they look and play so much better on old crt television.

[@bobhuber8480]

I like how he complains about how short the joystick cables are and when you see him playing, he has the console as far away as possible.

[@sirkrunch]

Most of us played Atari with the console at arm's length anyway. Controller cable length was never an issue. I guess that's why I never took issue with playing Alex Kidd on the Master System either. I was used to games that required reaching for the console as opposed to having buttons on my control for start, pause, etc...

[@NamasenITN]

He is a kiddo, not an authentic Atari player! How long would he have lasted playing Adventure or Haunted House???

[@525Lines]

And the Commodore joysticks work with the 2600 and are much nicer. The original Atari joystick makes my hands hurt just looking at it.

[@sirkrunch]

Actually the RF output of the Atari can look really good with that RF to coax converter. Just open up your Atari and find the pot on the board to fine-tune the RF output to the channel you have set on your TV.

[@mirage809]

The fact that this thing takes existing carts is pure awesome. It keeps these games alive and accessible with CRTs and original hardware becoming scarce. I'm hoping Atari will spend a long time bringing releasing classics on this little box. Ms. Pac-Man and Space Invaders in particular. Space Invaders is a really well done conversion and Ms. Pac-Man is the Pac-Man port that doesn't suck.

[@eyeofthescar6890]

Ahh the memories of trying to get a controller to connect.....one more time.

[@Watch10045]

Well, it’s not a classic console, it’s a new model of the 2600. At least, that’s what I see it as

[@Anth230]

That is what it is. Why would they create an exact duplicate? No one would buy it... 😂

[@af2808]

When are they coming out with that machine and what price?

[@adrenochrome_slurper]

It's out now and costs $130 US

[@petermetro4686]

some research might reveal that there aftermarket wireless controllers available..the 2600 has a huge market for not only for games but add on devices and upscale controllers. the look of the console is part of the retro experience.there are many 2600 clones with integrated games available. will we see a new 400-800 series ?

[@seancurtin2632]

Ours was missing the usb-c cord and didn't work when we got our hands on one. Did that happen to anyone else?

[@kingdza]

Why Sega doesn’t do this blows my mind, yes they are a software company now but they can easily still sell 100k-500k a year of the Genesis, Master System, Saturn and Dreamcast consoles….i know I would love a genesis with hdmi built right in it.

[@muppet1011]

In another 50 years they’ll be making a film like this about the PS5

[@Anth230]

We will all be dead so it won't matter.

[@joshs3916]

Very cool

[@mikedalton770]

Wireless joysticks always been that simple

[@ItsYurVatoAlex]

I wish other companies would do this, not just with consoles

[@LaurenGlenn]

Shame that they can't figure out how to get a 10 game multi cart in a better interface than DIP switches. I'd pay for $125 or so to get every single game on the device officially if it didn't need cartridges but could take them.

[@yaknophonics]

I have always liked Yars’ Revenge.

[@magickdragonwizard]

I got one the other day today I'm going out to get some games

[@doaldox]

I can finally open my selaed game of E.T for the Atari to play it

[@superviro]

Now provide a framework for developers to create and distribute their own games.

[@jewbme]

Hope it comes with ET

[@courtpaul9334]

I once owned 1 😃

[@RavenDaSergalOwO]

I wonder how this would look on a CRT that has HDMI

[@lorensims4846]

I never had one of these. I had an Atari 800 Home Computer System, which was originally designed to be the next generation of this console, except, by that time, home computers were becoming popular so they gave it a real keyboard and managed to squeeze BASIC into an 8K cartridge. So this system had superior screen graphics and a surprisingly modern modular operating system in ROM. I would like to see the games that were available for that system because even the 7800 system's graphics still aren't quite good enough. As it is I have to make do with an emulator on my laptop.

[@markracer3281]

"the 7800 system's graphics still aren't quite good enough" This makes you an 800 elitist snot...

[@rossydv]

2:49 so not Berserk enhanced?

[@Bearcade]

I think the size is perfect

[@HiFiInsider]

I like it! #want for x-mas.

[@yabani2012]

I would buy it for moon patrol if its still there. I think i can beat the game now

[@84tanooki]

Those measurements are to the 2600 you have in front of you, one of the many re designs. Not the measurements of the "original" Atari 2600

[@nicksterwixter]

Yeah but he was using the model that the design of the 2600+ is based off of--that's the most reasonable thing to compare it to. He did his homework!

[@Em_Dee_Aitch]

It isn’t 4 by 3 and 16 by 9…. It’s 4 TO 3 and 16 TO 9. Being CNET, you should know this.

[@ClayKirby-sj3zy]

I liked the Atari flashback console it had 120 preloaded games and it was 60 bucks ..cant see paying 200 bucks for that

[@Anth230]

I agree. But some people like it because it's a cartridge based system and they can play older ones.....so it appeals to collectors....

[@ArshadAnsari-rs1nw]

I would rather emulate these games and play in my Fire Tv Stick with wireless bluetooth controller.

[@Tokmurok]

No aesthetic

[@ArtificialExperience]

I’m not sure why you’d pay so much for the console, extra controllers, cartridges… or download the roms online and play on pc or other devices. I enjoyed some of the Atari reboot games with better graphics and gameplay, but find it difficult to see people getting into 50 year old games for more than 10 minutes. I wish Atari luck but think it’s too much for too little.

[@siskavard]

"Find some cheap games at a second hand store, which isn't hard to do" my brother in christ what planet do you live on

[@ien2023]

Pacman was a rush job and it scared my childhood. It was a horrible conversion.😊

[@kcat200]

I must’ve had a later model of the console because it didn’t look like this.

[@Boswd]

You probably had the Atari 2600 Jr. came out in the mid to late 80's is it black with that metal strip across the middle with the spectrum colors?

[@525Lines]

If you open up the original console it's 90% empty. Can't understand why they didn't just give you a joystick with a cartridge interface. It could all fit in the joystick now.

[@provisionalhypothesis]

such a normie review lol. even his games were vanilla

[@justgivefacts]

Hdmi. Pff. Weak sauce. Part of the experience is using the correct tv with the great contrast and vivid colors that modern tvs dont have.

[@OneOfEightBillion]

I had a Sony FD Trinitron in the early 90s which was one of the best CRTs for photo editing/graphic design and it wouldn't come close to matching my cheap Dell IPS or my LG OLED, not even close!

[@BOMBSQUADPYROTECHNICS]

Should be like 29.99 max

[@Rhade15]

The monotone presenter again…

[@N7DRONES]

Meh rather have an intellivsion