Come this November (the date is slated for the 24th), Atari is jumping back into the race with its console/PC hybrid, the Atari VCS. Last week, the VCS went up for preorder in Australia for a whopping retail price of $699 for the console alone. The bundle runs for $845, which includes a wireless controller and wireless joystick. With the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X yet to announce release dates or prices, gamers from down under can anticipate this trip down memory lane for close to a grand...on a console powered by 14nm AMD processor and a Ryzen embedded R1606G chip...courtesy of Bluemouth Interactive.

In case you missed it — the Atari VCS is going down under! @BluemouthInt is named as the official distributor for the Australian & New Zealand market.

Learn more: https://t.co/Ebkm7EzTQA pic.twitter.com/YJFxZ0r7LN

— Atari VCS (@TheAtari_VCS) August 17, 2020

"We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Bluemouth Interactive to bring the Atari VCS overseas to Australia and New Zealand," said Atari CEO Frédéric Chesnais in a press release. "Bluemouth Interactive is an experienced distributor of video games, accessories, and gaming hardware, making them the ideal partner to help Atari launch its first new home gaming system in decades."

The retail price of Atari VCS in the United States is $389.99 for the "All-In" bundle. Raising over 3 million dollars on Indiegogo, the Atari VCS, originally called the Atari Box, the console's launch had seen significant delays over its development, the latest a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Atari intends to ship out 10,000 units for backers. With its release date placed during the holiday season, this gives it an opportunity to, let's say "undercut" Sony and Microsoft's upcoming hardware. 

Competing with the heavy-hitting hardware, it's not too far to say that the VCS really only has nostalgia appeal. Aspects of this device really puzzles me, and I'm a retro guy. Its library consists of Atari games built into it through the Atari Vault, which gives you access to over 100 classic titles. Many, if not all of those, can be found on almost virtually any other platform. The Intellivision Amico, another celebration of nostalgic hardware, at the very least is boasting an exclusive Earthworm Jim game. While the OS Linux system the VCS is based on is customizable, with nothing particularly unique coming to it, I am unclear as to what commands its value. But I'm certain that its backers will be pleased to own a refurbished piece of history.