The Atari 2600+ is Surprisingly Good

The 2600+ is a brand new console by Atari that can play 2600 and 7800 games. But you might have been hearing negative things about it. Is this console really that bad? And if not, is it worth it over other options like the Retron 77 and Atari Gamestation?
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Retron 77 Compatibility List:
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:03 Hardware
1:58 10-in-1 Cartridge
3:35 Compatibility Test
7:30 What's Included
8:16 Built In Settings
8:50 Why not use Original Hardware?
9:34 Atari Gamestation
10:21 Retron 77
11:07 Final Thoughts
11:49 Outtro
Special thanks to the following users from pexels.com for the stock footage:
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Special thanks to streambeats.com for the music used in this video.
#atari #atari2600 #retrogaming

[@gdodson69]

In 1981, for my 9th birthday, my parents got me the Atari 2600. Jump to 2023 and my mom asked me what I would like for Christmas, I emailed her the link for this. :)

[@ELmeinz]

That is so wholesome 😊

[@quigon6349]

Nice

[@pojr]

I love it!

[@themetalgamer9864]

1. Cool. 2. Goddamn, you're old!

[@marccaselle8108]

I wasn't born until 1982 but the Atari 2600 junior was my first game system.

[@Larry]

There's quite a compatibility issue with PAL versions of games, which a lot of the press hasn't picked up on yet.

[@PhilipMarcYT]

Do Atari PAL games have the same slowdown annoyances as Nintendo NES/SNES and Genesis games had?

[@meneerjansen00]

Really? If it's software emu then that shouldn't be so. The Stella emulator is ancient and plays everything.

[@Larry]

@@PhilipMarcYT I'm not quite sure on the speed front, but they definitely have a different colour pallette to compensate for the NTSC/PAL difference. I had a US copy of Pole Position 2 for my 7800 and thought it was broken the first time I tried it, until I discovered the difference.

[@Zaphod-ef9yz]

Plaion are making a firmware patch for these issues that apparently. I hope its soon, I am opening mine on Christmas!

[@pojr]

Yeah, the compatibility test on my end was pretty limited because I don't have a huge library of Atari games.

[@MCastleberry1980]

When I was a kid, we had a 7800 but no TV just dedicated to it, so I had to ask anytime I wanted to play. Having to take everything out of the box and fiddle with the RF adapter anytime I wanted to play Ms Pac man was the bane of my 8 year old existence lol

[@mccommas2]

I wore out my firing thumb playing Astroids.

[@knightterror8489]

Merry Christmas pojr!

[@nightbirdds]

Honestly, I kind of love how unapologetically simple this system is. The dip switches are awesomely authentic! I really feel as if the retro community, or at least some elements of it, have gotten into the Jazz Snob kind of mentality and turn their noses up at anything meant to bring retro gaming to more people. Not a very good thing, if you ask me.

[@pojr]

In general, I'm shocked with how accurate the hardware is.

[@nightbirdds]

​@@pojr It makes me wonder if they can update the firmware to get those edge-cases eventually. I haven't seen any facility to do that, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. On the whole, I like it, too. There is something to be said for something that does one thing, and does it well.

[@dannynhl9441]

As I get older it's not just the retro community. People around me over 40 are just getting more miserable and pissed at silly things. Sadly for me I'm all for younger generations enjoying older stuff. I love my teenage cousins into film photography, some in their 20's into old 90's consoles and even VHS tapes. Snobs exist in all collecting.

[@nightbirdds]

@@dannynhl9441 True that. At this point, I'm just of the opinion that if something does what I want it to, and I'm enjoying it, then I'm good. I just got an Analogue Duo today and I've been enjoying the hell out of it so far. Sure, it has its faults, but if I wanted a real PC Engine Duo RX I'd be spending over 2x to 3x the price of the Analogue, and I'd still need a scaler to play it on my HDTV. I don't like people turning their noses up at me, but in this case, it worked in my favor, since I was actually able to order one because it didn't immediately sell out and get scalped like other Analogue consoles. We're old, we don't have time for arguing whether a CRT is essential or not.

[@Syragar]

At 1:53 you mentioned that the joysticks have a rubbery finish that made it different from the originals. I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure I remember my original joysticks back in the day being rubbery as well.

[@XV250]

Perhaps he is confusing them with the joysticks for the Flashbacks, which are modeled to look like the original CX-40, but had hard plastic sticks.

[@bryanobrien2726]

Yes , the originals had rubbery stick covers over the hard center stick part .

[@Syragar]

Thanks for backing me up, folks. I thought for sure they were rubbery joysticks. I mean... it was my first console, and I played it to death. I used only the classic Atari joysticks for the first couple years... then we bought a GemStik which I *think* was also rubbery. It was a lot like the classic joystick but with a bigger yellow button. I later got a Commodore 64 which used the same joysticks as an Atari 2600. I continued to use those two previously mentioned joysticks and a Slik Stik... which was NOT rubbery and had a knob at the end of the stick. I played with that good ol' C64 for many years. The memories...

[@bryanobrien2726]

@@Syragar They used to sell the replacement rubber boot part because they would get damaged and break on occasion . A lot of the ones on ebay are missing the rubber part and just have the white plastic stick core exposed . I really liked the Kraft Mazemaster joysticks . They used microswitches and you could get them with two fire buttons , they also made a beige one to match the original Commodore 64 and Atari 400/800 computers . The Gemstick was better than the OG Atari joystick in my opinion . Commodore actually made their own joystick , I never owned one because they looked uncomfortable , but it was interesting .

[@haysoos123]

If I remember, there were different versions of the rubber joystick cover. Some were harder rubber and shiny, almost plastic-like, and some had a matte look and were a bit softer and more "rubbery." It's possible he is referring to the first kind.

[@AlessandroScuderi]

i have tested more than 60 games on cart and all works, sometimes i had loading failed but with accurate cleaning of the cartdrige and little trick when i insert (take the cart on up side during loading) i succesfully load all 2600 and 7800. Thanks for the review i love the new 2600+

[@PhilipMarcYT]

Watching your Atari videos has made me interested getting into it. I've always been a Nintendo/Genesis guy, but Atari has quality games, too. It's also a shame Atari Jaguar sucks so much because it had a huge potential to be amazing, especially Checkered Flag aka Atari's Virtua Racing. If you play the prototype of Checkered Flag you'll see what an incredible game it could have been. Thanks again, Pojr.

[@pojr]

I really appreciate it. Atari is a very underrated platform, and there's so much cool history behind it

[@chemicalburrito782]

There was nothing quite like running a super-long telephone cable between two apartments to play Jaguar DOOM via the JagLink.

[@Rushlarz2112]

I'm 38 and the atari to me when I was young was something I saw at my friends house that his older brother had. I was so confused by the joystick and knobs. Flash forward and Santa's bring this for Christmas. I have Berzerk and Mr run and jump and so excited.

[@marklechman2225]

I actually find the dip switches charming. Back in the 80s and 90s, we had to set dip switches on stuff all the time.

[@repoversemedium]

Especially if they were arcade cabinets.

[@patrickflynn7793]

Thanks for the review! Bought this for my dad's christmas gift, he is a big Space Invaders fan. Is the little clip that you had up at 6:25 the Atari 7800 version of the game, or is that the "aracde" version? Trying to figure out which space invaders cartridge to get him.

[@outsidewithmrt]

I just got mine in the mail today and it’s been awesome!

[@redglass77]

I just discovered your channel. I dig it. One would have to wonder if there are any plans to release a 7800 controller for the 2600 +

[@pojr]

Thanks! Yeah I'm surprised they didn't make a controller with two buttons, to accommodate the 7800, at the very least.

[@superbros64deluxe]

Could you cover the Atari 50 update? They added warbirds in finally, wondering if it has differences to the version included in the physical release of Atari 50

[@pojr]

I'm actually considering making a video on this!

[@superbros64deluxe]

@pojr glad to hear! also are you excited for Digital Eclipses next entry in the gold master series? Was just announced today (llamasoft collection)

[@RickyD1968]

Look I have been an Atari fan for over 42 years and i am 55 yrs now so I was 13 yrs when I got my new Atari 2600 for Christmas. I still have my Atari 2600 and over 60 games. This Atari 2600+ is Awesome plays just like my Atari 2600 and I love how they lit up the Atari logo on the 2600+. But the new Atari 2600+ plays and feels just like the Atari 2600 just a little smaller!!! Awesome job Atari !!!

[@sci-fyguy7767]

Same! 55 & got first Atari at 13-looking to get this so I can play all my old great games: Pitfall 2, Berzerk, Defender, H.E.R.O. & many more.

[@BlueMSX.]

glad to see the 2600+ is a big hit, it's nice that people today have tons of other options for playing 2600 games if they don't have or don't want the original hardware, and the ability to play 7800 games on the 2600+ is a nice bonus. great video Pojr!

[@potato9832]

I'd love to see the 2600+ do well, but incompatibility with modern homebrews that run on original unmodified hardware is a problem. If a homebrew runs on original hardware, but not the 2600+, then the 2600+ is not fully compatible with original hardware.

[@quigon6349]

That seems like that could be added later with an update.

[@pojr]

Absolutely, and I do think it's a great option rather than just buying the OG hardware off eBay.

[@mikebrant4615]

​@@pojrI have the Retron 77 and gamestation pro and the microcenter arcade stick pi based setup. Love options

[@mikebrant4615]

And the 2600 +

[@dc9662]

Labeling legitimate criticism as "hate" is just antithetical to getting people to take your opinions seriously. It's ignorant.

[@RetroBlissGaming]

Great review, my friend!!!

[@theoriginalKland]

I have 3 OG ataris, heavy 6, vader and Jr. and at least 120-150 games I also have the 77. I got it for the HDMI and I've been very happy with it. ALso considering you can load extra games onto the SD, you kinda get the best of both worlds.

[@johnfloy]

Another great video Pojr, i got the 2600+ and really have been enjoying it. Good honest review sir, take care

[@pojr]

I appreciate that!

[@joeg4707]

Nice review! I have the Retron 77, and it's solid. However, I'm enjoying the Atari 2600+. The ability to play physical 7800 games is a big differentiator! I have some old 7800 controllers and one, two-button controller (NES style) from a third party that is working great. If I get the GameStationPro, it would primarily be for an emulation box for arcade games. I've had more luck with the 2600+ ROM dumper, but both the 2600+ and R77 struggled with many of my Activision game until they were cleaned. Activision used thin PCBs which leads to lower contact force that is unable to cut through dirt and corrosion. After cleaning the cart contact pads, they were great.

[@SatoshiMatrix1]

Should you get a 2600+? I think that highly depends on if you _already_ have a box of 2600 games that have sat in a closet somewhere for the past several decades. Due to their age, buying used 2600 games is always rolling the dice. 2600 cartridges are often very difficult to clean non-destrictively, with screws under the label or with the case of Parker Brothers games, simply glued together. I've even encountered perfectly good looking 2600 games that don't appear to have anything wrong with them still fail to work. It can be extremely frustrating to deal with tech this old. Get a 2600+ only if you already have games that work.

[@XV250]

Or if you have some 7800 carts...

[@fabricatedego]

I actually want this console to play my old games. I was 8 when I got my 7800 and would love to be able to play them again.

[@g4z-kb7ct]

3:14 The 2600+ won't work with menus because it works as a cart dumper. It reads the ROM and runs it from the on-board RAM using a no-frills version of the Stella emulator. A game cart with a menu has some level of basic circuitry inside to select the game as well as a ROM containing multiple games. The 2600+ can't handle anything that isn't a standard cart containing a simple ROM.

[@mstanley97]

Got it 2 days ago and love it! Working on mastering the joystick 🕹 again!! Gen X ❤️

[@ajackson1451]

Another great video Pojr

[@danielzande]

Great video, POJR. I was a little to young to be spellbound by the Atari 2600, but this video really managed to stir up some 8-bit magic even for me. Don't think I've ever felt that for the Atari before.

[@robertgijsen]

I played around with the A2600+ and while I'll always prefer the original on a CRT, it's pretty good! Congrats on a million views🎉

[@argylega]

Thanks, very clear pros & cons of all 3. I'm looking for something I can hook up to a modern TV and play 2600 cartridges, so it's between the plus & the retron for me. Just have to decide if I care about 7800 games.

[@SaanMigwell]

If you've got a coaxial connection, you can hook up an og console to an LED/LCD screen. The lag is not bad surprisingly enough. I made it level 9 on ms pacman, after that the lag killed me. I play river raid all the time on a flatscreen.

[@onidensetsu3721]

I think quite the opposite pojr. We should listen to the negatives in hopes the issues get addressed in firmware updates. If you choose to ignore the 2600+ issues nothing will get fixed. Ive tested the 2600+ & it definitely has issues that needs addressed. Issues that break some games from playing like they should play. Issues of game running too fast. issues of terrible audio in games. Reversed fire buttons in 7800 games. Reversed difficulty switches. Does it count as hate if its true or are we supposed to ignore & pretend everything is fine? Im enjoying the 2600+ but would like to see improvements made. Thanks for keeping it retro

[@bradleydavis6463]

What you're referring to is constructive criticism, and while people probably have an unrealistic litany of wants on their list, I definitely agree with a lot of it. But POJR was alluding to and referencing some reviews that are really just outright dismissive of the console as an entire concept, because they basically don't or can't get it. Most gen-X get why this is so cool, and a smaller segment of any other generation. Would still like to see it improve some, and it will.

[@onidensetsu3721]

I just read the entire article pojr showed in the beginning of the video & i saw so much Hate i couldnt believe what i was reading! OMG it's unreal all the hatred Hahaha What i got from reading that article is not hate towards the 2600+ but a guy that grew up on Nes & he & his daughter dont get 2600 games, thats all. He described the 2600+ well of what it can do & expressed some of his opinions. Were there any other reviews i missed that were "Hateful"? @@bradleydavis6463

[@Agent-jc6ww]

At last a new video POJR. Keep it up brother.

[@PhilipMarcYT]

He releases a new video every so often and you're making it sound like he takes ages. 😆

[@Agent-jc6ww]

@@PhilipMarcYT Lol the content that he makes is really good. Sooner the better 🙂

[@guschampion]

I'm barely into video games, but I watch everything that POJR puts out because he just seems so darn happy and LIKEABLE. Much appreciated.

[@urbanknish]

He's a good kid! I can tell.

[@metal_kitsune]

Did you try Sega MS or Genesis controllers for it?

[@benjamin2677]

dose the atari 2600 plus is compatible to PAL and NTSC games? or only to one of them?

[@AnotherMovieStudio]

The scanlines and saves states I’m not too worried about. To me, the whole idea behind the 2600+ was to make a modern console that’s like the old days, no new features. Plus I feel like save states in general for older games (unless it was included in the original games) is pointless and takes away from the authentic experience.

[@Sinistar1983]

Honestly I think I'd love the system had I not gotten a atari jr already with everything needed to play it recently. All for 45 bucks with a game of my choice included. Though it brings up a problem with the 2600+ and that is value. As while you get 7800 compatibility. The price point still feels too high as the hardware used is rather rudimentary. Though if any of yall enjoy it thats awesome. I just think the machine could be cheaper and with more games to run with.

[@mccommas2]

Great hair Bro! For whatever reason, I am not attracted to the contemporary games which are superior in every way. I agree with all the drawbacks you mention like them being too cheap to include a second joystick which was standard with the original. I would have paid an extra ten bucks if cost was an issue with that. I will add that I expected the new joysticks to be somewhat lacking like the original was ---and they were. You notice what I mean when playing a game like Pacman. I will getting another better joystick on ebay so I can play better. I contacted Atari customer service and they did not indicate that they would be putting out brand new games for us to buy. They told me to buy old games on eBay. Maybe I should ask again because that is hard to believe. Maybe the person who answered my email didn't know what he or she were talking about. That would be the whole point of putting out the new console -- wouldn't it? As far as the old games, some work and some don't. These games are really old so I think the issue is how they were stored for the decades they were not in use. Less than a third have not been able to play. I have tried cleaning them but that did not work in all case except Donkey Kong. It only works when I I clean the plug in part with rubbing alcohol first --- every time. It has no issues once I get it going. Atari Chess has beaten me 5 out of 5 times so far on Level 1. Wish me luck for Game 6.

[@PuertoGeekan]

How would you say it compares to buying the Atari 50 collection for another console instead?

[@MechaFenris]

I bought a 2600+ over the Gamestation because I can emulate on my PC... but to have the carts again is a nice nostalgia trip, having grown up with a VCS when I was a kid. Thanks for the update on the Retron 77. I stayed away from it because of the compatibility issues, but it appears to be unfounded. I might get one of those for the living room. :) I don't dislike the Gamestation Pro... in fact I think it's ambitious and I hope it does well. It's just not for me. :)

[@R3TR0R4V3]

You're still emulating though... The 2600+ is software emulation.

[@OB77742]

5:50 i do remember that Pitfall 2 does not work.

[@jmogler]

The cart with the dipswitches and manually switching them is part of the charm. Sure they could have done a boring on screen menu but the point of retro is it's classic feel. Manually inserting a cartridge. Flipping switches. It's a tactile process. Dipswitches are an old arcade characteristic that Atari has ported over to a cartridge. Think Nintendo world championships cart.

[@nasal_voicedretro9940]

Nice review, I think that a lot of the "disappointed" reviews are people who have a lot of UK/European Atari carts in their collection, and the compatibility is not quite up the same level.

[@zimtage1744]

This console really needed to be FPGA. That said I'll probably grab one used on the cheap

[@pojr]

100% agreed. I think the reason it's not FPGA is because it would have been an expensive product. I would have still bought it though!!

[@JohnCrawford1979]

I wish they didn't use Stella. They had an opportunity to use the 2600+ to produce modern cart games, along with the classic carts. Seriously, an Atari cart could easily hold the data for a modern game and still have plenty of storage space for saves, as well space for additional, specialized chipsets. Problem is, Stella doesn't read chipsets, which is why Pitfall II can't play on the 2600+.

[@erwinvb70]

It’s just one of these products that almost gets it right. If I would have designed it, it would have been the same size as the original, FPGA based with 100% compatibility and with both RF, composite and HDMI outputs

[@pojr]

An FPGA console like this would have been awesome. Although it would have brought the price up.

[@fazares]

it's a good pov...i ll keep playing 2600 games on my modded Jr. but i understand the reasoning behind this AtGames style console!

[@urbanknish]

I believe there's much more disappointment than hate. The biggest disappointment is the loading time. Then there's missing support for some of the bigger releases like Pitfall II. But overall, it's still very exciting and fun. I hope there's firmware updates that resolve some of the issues (like A/B game difficulty being swapped).

[@XV250]

"The biggest disappointment is the loading time." I've read hundreds of comments on AA and KZbin about the Plus, good and bad, and I think the number of people who have complained about the loading time of a few seconds is just two - you and one other poster. The Plus does have some significant flaws, particularly for PAL carts, but load times is not one of them.

[@jayramsey690]

Hey POJR!!! You read ever since comment? Good! I’m so proud of your success!

[@Nathaniel_E_Dearing]

So here's a question: If an adapter were provided, is there any reason why the system _couldn't_ be given the ability to run 5200 software? And why stop there, depending on how powerful the system is, they could do the same for the 800 and Lynx as well. But as for 7800, why aren't they selling a separate 7800 replica controller? Not only is it clearly needed for the 2600+, but if done right it could also be beneficial for use on an actual 7800.

[@douglasvanbeynen6825]

Stay tuned soon that 7800 controller. Q1 2023

[@csolisr]

The architecture of the 2600 and 7800 is basically the same - not so with the 5200 which is based on the Atari 8-bit home computers instead. That's why the planned adapter was essentially the whole processor of the 5200, which made it too expensive and the most probable reason it was scrapped in the first place.

[@Nathaniel_E_Dearing]

@@csolisr We're not talking about getting 5200 software to work on an actual 2600 or 7800, we're talking getting 5200 software working on an emulation box. My point was, if the 2600+ is powerful enough, then in theory a firmware update could allow for 5200 and likewise 800 software to work through the aid of an adapter. Said adapter would only be capable of converting the pins to something the 2600+ can physically use, the rest would have to be on the emulator's shoulders. The fact that I even bothered to mention Lynx, which also has incompatible architecture to an actual 2600 or 7800, should have made it clear that I meant firmware update *and* adapter. Again, my question was: If an adapter were provided, is there any reason why the system couldn't be _given_ the ability to run 5200 software. I now place emphasis on the word "given".

[@brandong.1857]

Original hardware is entering the bit rot stage where transistors and IC's are degrading, to say nothing of capacitors and resistors. So, HDMI and being brand new are two selling points

[@g4z-kb7ct]

Bit rot? You might want to look up what that actually means LOL! The original 2600 is 99.99% fixable in ALL cases except if the TIA chip dies. Otherwise it's all off-the-shelf parts that you can still buy now. I've repaired several 2600 originals and clones and so far all of them had issues with other stuff and the TIA chip was ok.

[@R3TR0R4V3]

Exactly. Bit rot is what happens to old CD's. Electronic components, mainly electrolytic caps have a certain lifespan, but most of that stuff will last for many more decades. Plus all that shit is replaceable. Real hardware FTW. ✊

[@Soulintent95]

I desperately want this thing. But i have a really expensive vehicle so i cant get one. I cant believe people are hating on it. Its amazing. My first gaming memory was my father had that computer that had an atari slot on it. I remember adventure and i think space invaders being on there. It blew my 4 yr old mind.

[@dumpsterjerry3577]

Always wanted a 7800 but ended up with a NES in the late 80s. And who needs a save slot for these games especially 2600? Do they have think there's a ending to pit fall lol So I had to check myself and I guess PF Harry dose have a ending. Though it looked like it just froze up lol anyways great vid P ✌️

[@donnierussellii4659]

I'd like to try putting the guts of the Flashback 2 into a 2600+, if I could get the latter used for cheap down the line.

[@MrBluesMessiah]

Funny enough, my parents just came for a visit 2 weeks ago and dad had found the controllers for my old 7800 (unfortunately the rest of my Atari hardware appears to be packed away in some random box lost in a storage shed). Do you know if these controllers can be used with the 2600+? I seem to remember that you can use original 2600 controllers but haven't seen anything about using 7800 controllers

[@edrosa3485]

I might be wrong... but this looks like your best video. Really polished.

[@adultmoshifan87]

I wish I could be made Sega’s new boss, I’d work on a Sega Mega Drive+! It would play Mega Drive games out of the box, I’d use as much original hardware as possible (except the TMSS!) just as Atari did with the Flashback 2 in the 2000s, it would have AV and HDMI out, I’d add a means of making it multi region and I’d ensure as good a retro gaming experience as possible!

[@mightydegu]

I grew up on the 2600 and still have most of my old cartridges, yet I'm still not sure who this is for. It's easier for me to emulate the roms on pretty much anything without bothering with my old carts, and I'll get better compatibility as well. Pre-NES/Famicom systems are largely ignored by most collectors (as is the 7800), so the audience for this is too small to make the 2600+ particularly viable. Furthermore, it's still just a rom dumper/emulation box, and there are many more affordable and convenient options than this. For the vast majority of people who want to play the classics, the Atari Gamestation is probably a much better option.

[@XV250]

I bought one. I already have a couple of old 2600s and a fairly large collection of about 70 carts. This is an easy way to get HDMI quality video, and play some 7800 games.

[@Thenostolgicdude]

This is made for people who love collecting physical media! I never owned a 2600 because it was before my time but having this as a option made go out and buy about 100 games because I love collecting physical media. It’ll look great next to my 20 other consoles

[@greenknight9000]

Might wanna put an epilepsy warning on the Boxing segment - kinda hurt my eyes there

[@The-You-Doober]

The whole idea of the 2600+ is for the nostalgia. That’s why it’s a joystick for the joystick games and paddles for the paddle games. It’s called the Atari 2600+, that’s the only games they need to play.

[@user-pn9qp1sr3e]

I feel like in the current age it should just have every game known to have released on the original 2600. It wouldn't cost anyone anything to just give everything since storage capacity has improved enough to put everything on a 1gb memory bank or even less.

[@ecernosoft3096]

I'd agree here! The 7800 part of the 2600+ could be improved but it overall, is a great alternative to getting a real one. And for $129, it's cheaper than the origonal, it's a great buy! I hope more people get into the 7800 thanks to this. what did I do.....

[@R3TR0R4V3]

You can get a real 7800 or 2600 for far less than $129, trust me! 👍

[@NicolasCorte]

Is that a song from Mana? min 1:00

[@csolisr]

What are the chances, a firmware update for the 2600+ just dropped. Mind testing it and making a follow-up?

[@XV250]

There is going to be more info on a firmware update coming soon. I wouldn't hold my breath, but I'd expect in January-February 2024.

[@n8goulet]

It depends on.....what your comparing the 2600+. Compared to an original 2600 on a nice CRT display, the original is superior. Both with the way the games look, how some of the controllers work, and game compatibility. The paddle controllers have a lag on the 2600+, Indy 500 one of the very best titles is incompatible, some other titles are incompatible. For those that know how to use a computer, the Stella emulation (donation-ware) is generally better than the 2600+ too. It's easy to hook up a laptop to an HDTV if that's what you want, and most people will run it for free. You can also hook up original controls with a USB adapter. So is the 2600 surprisingly good? Not if your using one of those two options I mentioned. Compared to nothing.....sure, it would still be fun. The games don't look anything like what they are supposed to on modern display however, and there is no lag free composite video output on the 2600 either. It can be adapted with screen lag though with a cheap HDMI to composite adapter. Maybe even properly with a $700 RetroTink device, but still inferior picture compared to a CRT. No thanks Retrotink. You can keep your over priced adapter.

[@georgef551]

I think the hate comes from the fact it doesn't run games with special in-cart hardware, especially Pitfall II. Hopefully they will include support for them.

[@bltvd]

Does Pitfall II and H.E.R.O. work as they are the only Atari games worth playing?

[@michaeljordan6008]

Haha - You’re an idiot.

[@chemicalburrito782]

Pitfall II does not work on the 2600+. (It does on the Retron 77 if you use the microsd card rather than the actual cartridge - it's a rom dumper issue and not an emulator issue). HERO works on the 2600+, but some have reported jerky movement on the NTSC version of the cartridge.

[@ItchyTastyPlays]

I mean not being able to play ROMS itself is a no go honesty while the Retron 77 can do it. They missed out big while the Atari 400 Classic can play ROMS including 5200 games.

[@randomwrestlingarchive3937]

The hate comes from those who don't understand what it is. The 2600+ is just an easy way for 2600/7800 fans tompay their cartridge games in HD with classic controls. I may pick one up if there is a price drop after Christmas.

[@marcburger8458]

Even the 32 in 1 cart works on pal, same technique on off, 😊 Love mine👍💜

[@ajackson1451]

For some of us that don’t know. What does Pojr stand for?

[@PhilipMarcYT]

It's just a name he came up with.

[@thunderlifestudios]

Hey guys I personally am a fan of old school Atari games as a concept. I am currently developing a game called Quinlin which is inspired by Atari games, it's an adventure game with various survival, exploration and crafting elements. It is story driven but also is going for a free-roam but guided approach. I think some good modern parallels are games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and games like Minecraft and Morrowind. The original idea was spawned while I was a teen and working landscape with my step-father. I have a working demo that you can find on my channel for PC. I would really appreciate feedback.

[@theoriginalKland]

I really like that they made the pack in games a cart and not built in

[@ryanzmuda3167]

Can this work with the 7800 controller.

[@XV250]

Yes.

[@wizzel22]

If the community hacks the 2600+ to boot into Stella, i will consider replacing my Retron77. If not, i won't. But that's no hate, just facts.

[@greenaum]

I don't understand how bankswitching could present a problem. To the console, they're exactly the same as normal ROM. Except at the switching address where they're accessing a little logic chip instead, but again that's nothing a 2600 can't handle, they don't draw lots of power or do anything weird, it's just logic, the 2600 is made of logic! The 2600 hardware has no idea what "page" it's accessing, that's all within the cart, the circuit inside that drives the higher address lines. The console is still just accessing a ROM chip. The 2600 wasn't invented with bankswitching in mind (or else they'd just have sent more address pins to the cartridge port). It's a transparent solution to the 4K ROM size limit.

[@samusvikerness661]

I can’t believe you titled that video calling the NES outdated like it was junk.

[@Valentine82]

My first console was an Atari 2600 Jr and the first game I ever played was Frogger.

[@thebiggw04]

Has anyone tried the 2600 version of Zaxxon on the 2600+ or the game station? I can confirm it doesn't work on the Retron 77

[@XV250]

Zaxxon runs on the Plus.

[@bba935]

It wouldn't matter if you had a flash cart or not. It wouldn't work. This is just another emulator box that dumps the cart into memory.

[@VOAN]

I would had bought these if only I could find some Atari cartridges to play em. I do have some Atari collections that already had some but the Parker Bros games and Activision games are interesting to try.

[@opa-rappa]

I dunno, but that thing always reminds me of AtGames, since they also did emulation hardware.

[@Pikmit]

The Atari 2600 Junior was my first console. 🙂

[@devcybiko]

I don't understand all the hate for software emulation… From your perspective you wouldn't know the difference between software or hardware emulation… Especially if what you're concerned about is the look of the external cabinet… At the end of the day they play the same

[@halvolta8526]

❤❤❤ Plaque Attack was my favorite Atari game as a kid. It's a great game and never gets enough respect

[@XV250]

I just bought a used Plaque Attack off eBay to play on my 2600+ !

[@halvolta8526]

@@XV250 awesome! Make a video of you playing it

[@polocatfan]

it seems a little overpriced, but it's not badly made. I think $70 or $80 would have been a fairer price.

[@AdamConus]

I bought my first vintage system a few months back, an Odyssey 2, and I LOVE collecting carts for it. The down-side is I already have all but the crazy expensive games for it (there aren't that many.) The 2600+ was under the tree this morning and I know I'm gonna go nuts getting games for it, as that's essentially a bottomless pit of goodness. I'm very excited.

[@sillyolryan]

7:27 Maybe you forgot to blow on the cartridge first? :)

[@kevinlawson1746]

I believe the 2600 + can play Pal games with no problems as well .

[@marcburger8458]

That's right, all Tigervisions on pal work, also every original Atari cart on pal, I have 60 something.

[@TheSupervillain316]

I bought this versus Gamestation. I wanted the stuff they can't put on the Game station like Berserk, Defender, etc

[@JackHammer77]

You can put those (and many more) on an SD card for the GSP.

[@ryanzmuda3167]

Can the emulator be upgraded.

[@XV250]

Yes, the 2600+ is designed to do firmware updates via the USB-c port. Atari have stated they will be bringing out a firmware update "real soon now".

[@jmogler]

Hate?? I fricken love it. HDMI, plays 7800 and 2600 carts. Plays 2600 that don't play in a 7800 like Tigervision, Activision and Imagic games. Atari is supporting it with firmware updates. It looks great. It works great. This easily replaces the 7800 and is becoming more compatible by the day.

[@GarryGri]

Who are you listening to that I'm not? I've not heard bad things about the 2600+ at all. I have it sitting next to my heavy sixer and so far have been impressed by the build and the compatibility. Just a pity you can only use old bank switched multigame cartridges and not SD based multicarts. I only have one origonal cartridge that dosn't work, but it's expected because it's a non standard cart. Every other cartridge I used worked. The dip switch cartridge is designed like old bank switched carts.

[@resellerworldnj]

I actually like it a lot, for nostalgic reasons that it is a very good (though slightly smaller) replica of an original 4 switch. We just need that firmware update to help it play more games (especially home brews) AND to fix the difficulty switch functions where B is A difficulty and A is B difficulty. It has promise and I’m sure collectors will love it!

[@dragonchaserkev]

I still haven't got my free review console, that's the only way I'd get one. Unless Atari decided to release a bunch of great new games for it then what is the point huh? To play my old games on an HD tv? Yeah there are tons of people desperate to do that I'm sure. A niche nostalgia purchase that will sit and collect dust. However I must say there probably is a need to replace some old worn out and broke systems out there and raise the 2600 population again.

[@KrGsMrNKusinagi0]

so many good memories

[@Corpsecrank]

Knock 100 bucks off the price and I am in. At the current price for one of these I will gladly keep my original 2600 hooked up.

[@Morpheus170]

Thanks for the video, but the comparison of the retron 77 vs the atari 26+ is pointless since they are running the exact same emulation software stella.

[@ST2008X]

I wish they packed it with a Atari 7800 Multi-cart including Centipede and Asteroids.

[@wolfshanze5980]

The Atari Gamestation Pro includes 7800 Asteroids and Centipede.

[@allenwhiteside7838]

Totally note needed can emulate all atari games with usb on pc with easy only need a 2600 usb contoller