Atari 7800+ Announced for 2024: WHO's it for & WHAT's the Atari+ Platform?

The new Atari 7800+ joins the ranks of such timeless design icons as shoulder pads, crop tops, and aviator sunglasses! But upon reading the news of this new Q4 2024 console, lots of people have questions about Atari's choices & motivations related to the 7800+. In this video, Jon talks through a few of those, and explores what meaning we can find in that new Atari+ Platform lnitiative!

#atari #7800 #7800plus #genxgrownup

@atari @PLAION_Official

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00:00 7800+ Announced
00:52 Who's This For?
04:02 Where's My 5200+?
05:40 What Are They Thinking?
08:50 Summary

[GenXGrownUp]

🚨 U P D A T E D I N F O R M A T I O N🚨
Well, this is cool. Turns out you CAN use the new wireless CX-40+ and cX-78+ *wirelessly* with anything that uses a 9-pin connection, because it doesn't come with an adapter cable, but an adapter DONGLE that receives the wireless signal and convertes it to DB9. Neat!

[GCJACK]

I can get why certain people don't like this, but... for me? The 7800 was my first console ever. When I upgraded to the SNES and Genesis, I got rid of my childhood 7800 and the carts I had for it. I've been kicking myself ever since and wanting to get one again and try to hunt the carts I had as a kid down again. But this? This appeals to me because physically it looks like the same 7800 I had back then, with updated internals and connections. The original 7800 units floating around out there? They're living on borrowed time as the internals corrode over time. This increases the number of machines out there while at the same time, ensuring the new stock machines keep the OG carts around.

[markheberlein]

After enjoying the 2600+ so much, I was a breath away from getting another one for our rec room (the 2600+ is in the living room) so getting something a lil’ different with some updated bells and whistles works for me! 🕹️👾

[Mario]

I'm hoping, unlike the 2600+, that the 7800+ is fully compatible with flash carts such as 7800 Game Drive & Harmony.

[Apexflipper]

I'll be buying one. Did not get the 2600 one.
I'm pro 5200, Jaguar, Lynx.. . Bring em!

[IuriFiedoruk]

About the 5200, the 7800 has enough pins in the cartridge slot so that you can create an adapter for the 5200 carts. But of course, then you need the firmware to detect the different format and dumo and run the correct emulator, that can be trick. I gave that suggestion to the representative of the comoany that built the plus consoles and he was really interested in the concept. So lets see.

[fourthhorseman]

Thank you for mentioning the 5200+! :)

[xreevx]

I won’t lie, I was a little upset when I saw the 7800+ announced, mostly because there is still no official patch for the 2600+ (so buttons on the 7800 games are still reversed). It would be nice for them to fully support last year’s model before they offer up a new-and-improved one.

[matthewmccrea]

I believe the primary reason for the 7800+ is nostalgia for those who had the system. I was a 2600 era kid. Just bought the 2600+ and it arrived last week. Works with all but a handful of cartridges I have. We were using an old 2600jr console and it gave up the ghost. The 2600+ is epic. I think its awesome having forward and reverse compatibility as well.

Guess I need to go fire it up and play some Megamania now!

[michaeljordan]

Great job.
I have the 2600+ and that is what I first had back in 1978, but I’m definitely buying the 7800+ for the wireless controller capability.
Here’s a strange tidbit. Back in the early 90s, I walked into a Radio Shack. They were selling 7800 cartridges for $1.49 so I bought everything they had in the bin. I spent close to $100 at the time, but they sure have come in handy recently.

[darkridearts]

I love it and love the look. I only wish I had a copy of Robotron 7800 to play on it

[jamesroviezzo]

I like how Atari is releasing there old consoles again it give people a opportunity to play old games on new tv

[kingofgrills]

For me, I didn’t pick up the 2600+, so this is appealing to me. I still have my original 2600 boxed, and I never had a 7800. Given the same features, I’ll pick up the 7800 form.

I’m just glad I didn’t waste my money on a new Atari VCS. 😂

[OrionsAngel]

I think the Atari 5200 is way more relevant than the 7800. In 1982 the 5200 was billed as the successor to the 2600. It garnerd a lot of media attention. It's when Atari was still going strong. The 5200 also had a true purpose, it was meant to compete to with the Colecovision. It was fair fight too. Both had something to prove. I was there and there was a lot of buzz around the 5200. We're talking the Golden Age of video games here. Atari cared more at this moment. Kids talked about the Atari 5200 and Colecovision in schools. They were the hot new consoles.

In contrast to the lazy release of the 7800. When Atari was in the dumps. Atari actually cancelled the 7800 because of the game crash. They eventually released it because the NES was a big hit and Atari saw that video games were viable again. I don't think much love went into the 7800. It was Atari just trying to get a small piece of the Nintendo and Sega pie. Whenever anyone brought up the Atari 7800 in that time you'd get the same response. Is Atari still around? The 7800 is forgotten flop of a system that barely made a blip on the gaming radar. The 5200 has a more popular legacy. AVGN devoted an entire episode to the Atari 5200 for a reason. It's more well known for good or bad. We deserve an Atari 5200+

[ElderKai]

Would be cool if Atari could support their previous product that they continue to sell and release the firmware officially for the 2600+ for all of the people who bought that already. To include, not rely on the community to solve our own problems for their incomplete products. Valid criticism.

[jeremiahthomas]

I would bet an Intellivision+ would get added under the Atari+ banner. It would be a hard sell, but a 5200+ with new CX52+ controllers would be awesome.

[ObsidianContraption]

Let's hope for a track ball + more 7800 carts!

[wasakawakawaka]

I can’t wait to get his unit. I didn’t get around to the 2600+ but this time will be different

[jonathont]

Its for people that want and love that look and feel.

[XV]

"Who is this for?" I think there's a fourth group; folks who like old-school Atari games, but who looked at the instructions for upgrading the 2600+ firmware and thought, "I can't do that." Lots of folks are out there who don't have a Windows machine or felt they weren't tech-savvy enough to complete the firmware update.