"The pictures we’re sharing today are of first prototypes. Everyone that has seen Ataribox first-hand loves it, feeling the Atari 2600 influence, while still being a modern design.
Ataribox will be powered by an AMD customized processor, with Radeon Graphics technology. It’ll run Linux, with a customized, easy-to-use user interface. This approach means that as well as being a great gaming device, Ataribox is also a full PC experience for the TV, bringing you streaming, applications, social, browsing, music, and more.
Most TV devices have closed systems and content stores. Linux lets us be more open; you can access & customise the OS, & you can access games you’ve bought from other content platforms (if compatible with the OS and HW)."
…The way I see it, the console market is pretty saturated as it is, so I am not sure what Atari plans to accomplish with this system. But it has been unveiled that their upcoming console will use an AMD APU solution and run Linux. No word on what chipset it will use, it could end up being another Jaguar based system like the Xbox One and PS4, or possibly even based on the Ryzen chipset?
It is also going to be using a flavor of Linux with desktop functionality in a media center-like UI. They will also allow users to install programs like Steam for Linux and such. So it can be used as an open platform.
This console was mention on L1T news more than once, so I thought people here would be interested in the news.
I’ll check it out. My interest in the Xbox One is as dead as Lionhead Studios. There’s still a chance that a second game I want to play could be released for the PS4.
I like the Atari 2600 aesthetics, and considering it’s scheduled to be released in Spring 2018, it’s possible it’ll be based on Raven Ridge rather than Jaguar, but yeah, even then I don’t see the point.
Okay, Atari somehow managed to grab my attention. But I mean I am busy getting a new mobile computer, my other two mobile systems are near the end of their lifespan.
Lets see if this device serves any purpose, it might help Linux Gaming but idk. I might just wind up doing Hardware Passthrough when I have 2 GPUs.
If the price stays within the rumored $250-300 range thats a hell of a lot more attractive than the cost of a steam machine. And why buy a steam machine when you can build a pc and run steam or steamos if you like?
A chromebook for $300 maybe, but certainly not a game worthy PC.
If the atari runs a common OS that makes it far more viable than an xbox or playstation in my eyes. Why limit yourself to microsoft or playstations ecosystem? And if it ran SteamOS that takes burden off atari, and eases deployment for game developers.
As stated it runs a custom version of Linux. You’re in a way limiting yourself to Linux’s ecosystem which, for average people who this is aimed at, is even more restrictive than the former two
Steam Machines were a big misfire for Valve. They jumped in way too early on that. However, I do think that SteamOS is a good long term project for them. The work Valve has done with Linux has benefited the in some positive ways, and the Steam Linux Library is getting close to 3000 games. But there still aren’t enough big names titles to grab customer interest yet.
I think the long term goal for SteamOS is move Valve in a position to cut their umbilical cord with the Windows platform and expand their business beyond Microsoft.
Going back to the Ataribox… I still get a little queezy when I hear “AMD GPU” and Linux gaming. I like AMD, but their Linux drivers have always been weak. Though MESA has been getting some interesting results with their open source drivers.
I think it is safe to bet that this will be x86, AMD only develops x86 CPU’s. By the sounds of it, this will be a Linux Box that can run mid-tier Steam games.
