In PC Mode, users are able to install and boot from their own choice of operating system. Currently the Atari VCS supports Windows, various flavors of Linux, and other operating systems that users may wish to add such as Steam OS and Chrome OS.

The Atari VCS is powered by an AMD Ryzen R1606G processor with Radeon “Vega” graphics technology, which is a modern X86 PC processor. AMD created these processors to power “Mini PC” class devices, which are small-but-highly-capable computers that don’t take up too much space and can easily fit into an existing media or gaming setups. In spite of such a small form factor, the R1606G processor used in the Atari VCS allows for HD gaming and supports a variety of video codecs for 4K HDR videos and streaming.

By building the VCS on a solid PC foundation and taking this open “hybrid” approach, we are giving consumers a versatile two-in-one device that is more powerful than Android-based platforms. The console-like Atari Dashboard provides games, apps and entertainment offerings, including streaming services. PC Mode provides an open experience for the TV, including streaming, office applications, social platforms, browsing, music, and more.

The Atari system is compatible with most PC peripherals like keyboards, mice and the game controllers and various other accessories many users will already have at home, which all adds to the products’ flexibility and open nature.

The latest AMD Ryzen PC hardware and the software flexibility of the Atari VCS is just the beginning. By using standard SODIMM memory units and providing an open M.2 SSD socket, there is a pathway for more skilled users to expand the hardware’s capabilities to allow for more demanding PC games and applications.