The details were given by Rob Wyatt, none other than one of the main responsible for the original Xbox architecture. He took over the role of system architect at Atari VCS last month. Atari considers the project much more than a console. Wyatt explains that the goal is to allow the user to use the device for a variety of purposes not only to run games or media applications such as Netflix and Spotify. To do so, Atari VCS will have extensive support for Linux. It starts with the operating system of the console itself: As promised, AtariOS will even be based on Linux. Soon, libraries and documentation will be released to facilitate the adaptation or optimization of software for the platform. The idea is to make efforts for this process to be minimal. It will also be possible to run third-party Linux distributions on Atari VCS. The equipment will not have a conventional boot manager, but Wyatt states that documentation and examples of boot codes will be made available to allow any current distribution to be loaded. As Atari VCS has a very broad proposal, Atari has experienced some pressure to improve the hardware of the device. It worked: Wyatt also explains that the project will have 8 GB of RAM instead of the 4 GB previously announced. The processor has also been confirmed: it will be an AMD APU from Bristol Ridge microarchitecture and Radeon R7 graphics. The processor was expected to be an AMD Ryzen, but project costs would be higher, including the need for a more advanced heat distribution solution, according to Wyatt. If there are no delays, the first Atari VCS units will be sent in July 2019 to the project supporters in Indiegogo. Over there, the most basic package with the device comes out for $239 plus shipping. So, what do you think about this? Simply share all your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
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