At CES 2024, Atari briefly presented a handheld console without giving many details. Since then, there has been no news from the retrogaming community, leading to speculation that the project might be abandoned.

But that's not the case! Atari has just posted a video on its X account unveiling the Gamestation Go, a handheld console that, at first glance, looks familiar in its design, while displaying some intriguing features.

Atypical design

The first surprise is the absence of a joystick on the right-hand side of the console, an unusual choice for a modern handheld console. Instead, there is a 12-key numeric keypad. Just above this are the four classic action buttons, backlit like all the buttons on the console.

The left-hand side features a joystick, a D-Pad and a trak-ball. The latter is nothing new for Atari, who had already offered this feature on the Atari 2600.

Photo: Digital Game Museum

A nod to the past

These design choices seem to indicate that the console is partly dedicated to iconic Atari titles. The numeric keypad could be used for games such as Star Raiders, Defender, Codebreaker or Total Carnage. The trak-ball is reminiscent of classics such as Centipede and Missile Command, which already used this accessory back in the day.

What's more, Atari could enhance this offering with its vast library of retro games, recently augmented by the acquisition of Intellivision. This acquisition includes over 200 titles from Intellivision Entertainment LLC, which could make the Gamestation Go even more relevant.

Connectors and features

In terms of connectivity, Atari is sticking to the classic: an HDMI output (suggesting that it will be used as a controller connected to a TV set), a mini-jack headphone socket, a microSD card slot, and two USB-C ports for controllers 1 and 2.

Still some mysteries to unravel

For the moment, it's difficult to say more about the exact nature of this console. Atari did not provide any additional details in its presentation video. However, the wait shouldn't be long: the Gamestation Go will be presented in greater detail at CES 2025, which starts on 7 January.