Atari 800XL Replica Lands Next Year With Cart Slot
Retro Games Ltd's Atari 800XL remake packs HDMI, a working keyboard, a cartridge slot and 25 built-in games for $219.99.
Retro Games Ltd has made its long-rumoured Atari project official, confirming a full-sized recreation of the 1980s 800XL microcomputer with HDMI output, a physical cartridge slot and a working full-size keyboard. Publisher PLAION describes the machine as a faithful revival of the best-selling 8-bit computer, and it arrives with 25 games built in alongside USB support for loading ROMs from a drive. Rumours about the project surfaced back in May when trademark filings appeared, and the official announcement now confirms that speculation.
The price lands at $219.99 / £199.99, which sits comfortably above the smaller Atari 400 Mini and even the incoming Amiga 1200 remake. Collectors holding shelves of 8-bit cartridges will likely accept the premium, since the cartridge slot is the whole point of the exercise, while casual buyers may be happier with the cheaper plug-and-play box. The design stays close to the original office-desk silhouette, and the launch window is set for the coming year rather than a firm date. Whether the emulation-based approach can satisfy hardware purists is another question, but for most buyers the cartridge slot will be the deciding feature.
Tags
- hardware
- business
- release-date
Sources
Where this story ran: 2 outlets on 8 October 2026. The summary above is written by GamersGuild; the links go to the original reports.