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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Atari has announced THE 800XL, a full-sized recreation of its 1983 8-bit home computer, with preorders open and shipping expected in late April 2027. It is a new product built to look and feel like the original, with modern video output and game loading added. It is not a claim that the original hardware line has returned, and the announcements do not yet show how closely it reproduces the original machine’s internal behaviour.
What Atari has actually announced
THE 800XL is a recreation of the Atari 800XL. Atari publishes the product page, and the product itself is designed by Retro Games Ltd., which also published its own announcement. Atari describes the machine as retaining the look and feel of the original, and its product page puts it this way: “THE 800XL retains the look and feel of the original, including a full-sized mechanical keyboard, baked in Atari BASIC, and a working cartridge slot, while adding features designed for modern displays and gaming setups.” That is the manufacturer’s own description; no individual spokesperson is quoted in the official announcement.
Readers should treat the product as a new machine that imitates the 800XL’s form and several of its features, not as a continuation of original Atari production.
The announced feature set
Per the Atari product page, THE 800XL includes:
- A full-size mechanical keyboard.
- Atari BASIC built in.
- A working cartridge slot.
- HDMI output, supporting PAL (50Hz) and NTSC (60Hz) signals.
- Display modes including 4:3 and pixel-perfect, optional CRT filters, and 12 display frames.
- Four USB-A ports for additional controllers and USB storage.
- Four save slots per game and a rewind feature of up to 40 seconds.
- An included eight-button THECXSTICK joystick.
- 25 built-in games.
The 25 built-in games
Atari lists the following titles as built in: Airball, Asteroids, Basketball, BattleZone, Berzerk, Boulder Dash, Bristles, Capture the Flag, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Elektraglide, Encounter, Flip and Flop, Henry’s House, Hover Bovver, Lee, M.U.L.E., Millipede, Miner 2049er, Missile Command, O’Riley’s Mine, The Seven Cities of Gold, Star Raiders II, Wavy Navy, and Yoomp!
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- Officially licensed Atari titles. Titles include Asteroids, Centipede, Millipede, Breakout, Missile Command, Crystal Castles and many more. Game save options.
- Packed with over 200 built-in Atari games + bonus titles. Pac-Man & Galaga not included. Full Game list listed below.
- Includes Atari console, games instructions, 2 wireless joysticks, USB power cable, HDMI cable, and user manual. System connects directly to TV.
- Includes two 2.4 GHz wireless joysticks, inspired by the original Atari joysticks, include paddles for paddle games like Breakout, Warlords and many more.
- User Guide Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Japanese and Arabic. Dynamic RGB LED lights.
The list is the publisher’s, so it describes what ships on the machine, not an additional licensing commitment or a list of extra games planned for later.
Loading software: cartridges, USB images and what “most” means
There are two ways Atari says you can run software on THE 800XL, and they carry different compatibility claims.
The cartridge slot
Atari says the cartridge slot supports most Atari 400, 800, XL, and XE cartridges. The product page also describes support for Atari 5200 software. The qualifier “most” is important: the page does not establish that every cartridge, or every software image, will work. Readers with a specific cartridge in mind should not assume compatibility until they can confirm it against Atari’s own statements or independent testing.
USB loading
According to Atari, software can be loaded from USB flash drives in cartridge, disk, and cassette image formats. This is a loading path, not a compatibility guarantee; whether a given image runs as expected is a separate question the announcement does not answer.
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Preorder terms are regional and are reported at different points in time, so the table below attributes each figure to its source. Treat them as the published terms at the time of reporting, not as fixed prices.
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- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
| Region | Preorder price | Source and seller | Shipping start |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $219.99 | Atari’s product page, which says preorders are open | Late April 2027, per Atari |
| United Kingdom | £199.99 | Reported by Video Games Chronicle; seller not stated | Not stated in that report |
| European Union | Not stated in the sources checked | Plaion Replai EU product page | April 23, 2027, per Plaion Replai |
| Global shipping start | Not applicable | Retro Games Ltd. announcement | April 23, 2027 |
The Atari and Retro Games Ltd. dates agree on a shipping window beginning in late April 2027, with April 23, 2027 as the specific start date given by Retro Games Ltd. and repeated on the Plaion Replai page. Because preorder terms and shipping schedules can change, check the seller page at the point of purchase.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the announcements do not establish
The official material is precise about features and marketing terms but silent on the engineering details that matter most to people who want to know how faithful the machine is. As of this writing, the announcements do not specify:
- The internal processor or chipset.
- Whether the machine uses emulation, FPGA hardware, or another approach.
- Exact compatibility across the original software library, beyond the “most” qualifier for cartridges.
- Hands-on performance, latency, or display accuracy. No independent hands-on evaluation was available when this article was written.
- Final manufacturing volumes or long-term availability after launch.
Until those points are clarified, anything said about original-hardware behaviour is an inference, not a confirmed property of the product.
Recreation or original: who each suits
The useful comparison is between what THE 800XL offers now and what a reader is actually trying to do.
- Playing the built-in library on a modern TV or monitor: The HDMI output, display modes, and included joystick address this directly, subject to the specific games listed above.
- Running a personal collection of cartridges and disk or cassette images: USB loading and the cartridge slot are announced, but the “most” qualifier means you should verify each title you care about.
- Preserving or reproducing exact original hardware behaviour: The announcements do not establish fidelity at this level, so an original 800XL remains the reference point until more evidence is available.
Checklist before you preorder
- Confirm the price and shipping window on the seller’s page in your region on the day you order, since the figures above are point-in-time reports.
- List the specific cartridges and software images you plan to use, and check them against Atari’s compatibility statements.
- Check your television or monitor for HDMI input and confirm that its PAL or NTSC support matches the content you intend to play.
- Decide whether the built-in game list and included joystick are enough, or whether you will need extra controllers from the four USB-A ports.
Retro Games Ltd. and Plaion Replai are the publishers named in the regional material; buy only through the seller pages linked above.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
