Atari partners with Antstream Arcade to deliver thousands of retro games to Atari VCS.

 Atari® — one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers — today proudly announces a partnership with revolutionary retro gaming platform Antstream Arcade. This partnership brings an enhanced and exclusive “Atari Edition” of Antstream’s game streaming service to the upcoming Atari VCS™ home gaming and entertainment system. 

The exclusive Atari VCS edition of Antstream Arcade unlocks an instantly-accessible collection of classic video game titles. In addition to an existing library of 2,000+ officially licensed games, the exclusive Antstream Arcade Atari VCS app will include the largest collection of Atari games available on demand, in both original and enhanced edition formats, curated from across the brand’s many arcade, home, and handheld platforms. Accessible from the Atari VCS system dashboard at launch, the Antstream Arcade app for the Atari VCS offers a 30-day free trial, with subscription options available for $9.99(US)/month or $7.99(US)/month (total $95.88) for a yearly subscription.

“Antstream Arcade is a perfect partner for Atari and its fans,” said Atari CEO Frédéric Chesnais. “Anstream’s offering lets players instantly access a vast library of games, including many Atari titles that have not been available for streaming before now. This partnership further cements the Atari VCS as a highly versatile entertainment platform and multimedia streaming device, built to embrace the best of classic and modern gaming.”

“Antstream is thrilled to partner with Atari to deliver the magic of the Antstream Arcade service to Atari VCS users,” said Antstream CEO Steve Cottam. “Our exclusive Atari VCS edition of the Antstream Arcade app puts us one step closer to fulfilling our mission of making every classic game all the way back to Pong available for retro gaming fans with a modern twist.”

Antstream Arcade on the Atari VCS will exclusively offer fifty (50) classic Atari titles at launch for new and existing Antstream Arcade users to enjoy whenever they sign on from their Atari VCS system, with additional games added on a steady basis. Antstream Arcade titles will be compatible with the Atari VCS Classic Joystick and Atari VCS Modern Controller, including rumble and LED lighting effects. Enhanced game editions with new functionality such as multiplayer and “pure” unmodified versions of classic Atari games will be available. In addition, Atari and Antstream Arcade will deliver a constant flow of all-new creative social challenges to engage and incentivize fans to experience their favorite retro games in unique ways. Popular Atari titles appearing via the Atari VCS Edition of Antstream Arcade include standalone retro classics — from Adventure, Night Driver™, Pong®, Tempest® 2000, and Yars’ Revenge® — and full Atari compilations from PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. 

The all-new Atari VCS home gaming and video computer system is aimed at transforming the TV-centric home entertainment experience. Users will enjoy an ever-expanding Atari world of all-new games, classic and remastered favorites, streaming media and personal apps; or can easily make their own. The powerful AMD Ryzen processor featuring Radeon Graphics Technology can handle it all, including 4K HDR streaming, while the all-new Atari Classic Joystick and Atari Modern Controller make everything easy and fun. Switching to the unique Atari Sandbox Mode unlocks an expandable multimedia PC for freedom and versatility you can’t get with other home game systems — meaning users can play their favorite Windows or Linux games on their Atari VCS. 

There has never been a better time to join the fun, with the entire Atari VCS lineup of systems, bundles, and peripherals available for preorder now at GameStop.com, Walmart.com, and AtariVCS.com, for shipments starting in March 2020. Pricing starts at $249.99 for the Atari VCS 400 (4GB) Onyx Base model and goes up to $389.99 for one of three Atari VCS 800 (8GB) “All-In” system bundles that include the Atari VCS Classic Joystick (available separately for $49.99) and Atari VCS Modern Controller ($59.99), which were created in partnership with PowerA. Atari will announce international presale dates soon.

Atari VCS fans can look forward to additional product updates and announcements about new games and entertainment content, streaming, software development, distribution, and more in the coming months. In addition, Atari will continue to provide periodic work-in-progress updates via its Atari VCS Project Development blogs on Medium.com.