Ataribox Pre-Orders Open on December 14

Incredibly enough, there will be a brand new Atari console launching in 2018. It’s called the Ataribox, and while it will be at least partially crowd-funded- which sounds like a recipe for disaster, going by how the Ouya went- it also sounds like Atari is proceeding with its plans.

Therefore, the Ataribox will be available to pre-order starting December 14. It will run from $250 to $300, depending on the model you choose, and not be available at retail- not at first, anyway. Instead, you can pick it up only via the IndieGoGo campaign. The console itself is actually a living room Linux PC, albeit with a customized interface, and a sleek design for the hardware reminiscent of the classic Atari 2600.

I’m not sure any of this is a recipe for success- products like the Steam Machine have already tried this and failed, Atari has already mentioned the system is not powerful enough for modern AAA games, and having no retail presence is… not the best idea. Throw in the fact that it’s $300, which is the same price as a PS4, Xbox One, or Switch and- who will buy this?

If you want to, head on over to the IndieGoGo page.