While gaming has moved forward with bigger and more powerful consoles, the Atari 2600 Plus offers a way to revisit the era of classic cartridge gaming. Right now, it's available for £50.13—half its usual price of £99.99—at its exclusive UK retailer, Amazon.
Released in November 2023, the Atari 2600 Plus modernizes the original console’s design while maintaining compatibility with both Atari 2600 and 7800 cartridges. It connects easily to modern TVs via HDMI and includes a widescreen mode to better fit contemporary screens.
If you still have old cartridges like Space Invaders or Asteroids, they’ll run just as you remember. The system also comes with a CX40+ Joystick Controller, faithfully recreating the original’s design, along with a 10-in-1 cartridge featuring titles like Combat, Missile Command, and Yars’ Revenge:
- Combat
- Dodge 'Em
- Haunted House
- Maze Craze
- Missile Command
- Realsports Volleyball
- Surround
- Video Pinball
- Yars' Revenge
For those looking to expand their collection, a second joystick is available separately for multiplayer games, and the 4-in-1 Game Cartridge Plus Paddle Pack adds titles like Breakout and Night Driver.
With its mix of nostalgia and modern convenience, the Atari 2600 Plus makes it easy to revisit classic games. And with this price drop, it’s a good time to pick one up.
What We Said in Our Review:
In our Atati 2600 Plus review, IGN's Seth Macy had this to say: "Every time I walk past the Atari 2600+ sitting on the floor of my living room, controllers and games scattered around it, I'm instantly transported to the 1980s. Everything about its design is painstakingly authentic to the original while making necessary updates to bring it into the modern era. Atari collecting is easier than newer systems, but playing those carts has always been a bit tough since the original hardware was designed for an era when few TVs had coax inputs, much less composite video."
"Being able to output to HDMI makes playing your original carts a snap, although seeing Combat on a 65" 4K screen doesn't really add anything to the experience. The Atari 2600+ is a fantastic upgrade to the original hardware that stays faithful to the original where it counts the most. Part of me wishes it had wireless controllers, but the other part of me knows that would take away from the experience I remember as a little kid in front of a 13" black & white tube television. And ultimately, the Atari 2600+ is about taking you back."
Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.
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