The Atari 800XL is back as a full-size recreation. Atari on Thursday, October 8, 2026, announced THE 800XL, a modern take on the 8-bit computer released in 1983. The hardware, designed by Retro Games Ltd. and manufactured and distributed by PLAION REPLAI, is already on pre-order for $219.99, £199.99 and €219.99, with shipping from April 23, 2027.
What happened?
The original Atari 800XL was one of the brand’s best-selling home computers: a low case, full-size keyboard, 64 KB of memory, custom graphics and sound chips and built-in BASIC. The new machine tries to repeat that form, with a mechanical keyboard, a working cartridge slot and Atari BASIC, plus outputs meant for current TVs.
According to the PLAION release, the package includes 25 built-in games, among them Asteroids, Centipede, Berzerk, Millipede, Missile Command, Boulder Dash, M.U.L.E. and Star Raiders II. Eight are Atari first-party titles and 17 are licensed third-party games. Castle Crisis and Super Breakout stay hidden on the carousel and unlock when an analog controller is connected.
What changes in practice
The slot accepts most Atari 400, 800, XL and XE cartridges. USB can load cartridge, disk and cassette images, and the announced compatibility covers software for those computers plus Atari 5200 console games. There are four USB-A ports for controllers and storage, USB-C power and an included HDMI cable.
- HDMI in PAL (50 Hz) and NTSC (60 Hz), with 4:3 and pixel-perfect modes and optional CRT filters.
- Four save slots per game and rewind of up to 30 seconds, on built-in titles, side-loaded software or cartridges.
- THECXSTICK joystick, a modern recreation of the classic controller, with a fire button and seven extra action buttons.
The official trailer is on YouTube: THE 800XL. Pre-orders are listed on atari.com, plaionreplai.com and retailers. In Australia the stated price is AUD 349.99.
Why it matters
Retro Games already shipped THE400 Mini, a reduced Atari 400, in 2024. The Atari 800XL answers people who wanted a real keyboard and cartridge, not only a mini plug-and-play. Matt Burnett, Atari’s VP of strategic operations, described the original 800XL as the moment the home computer became a gateway to games, programming and creation.
For a geek audience the point is not only nostalgia: it is a device that still runs BASIC and the 8-bit library, with HDMI and save states for anyone who does not want to set up a CRT. Shipping only starts in April 2027, so the pre-order window is long. Stuart Chiplin, COO of Retro Games, said the team wanted to capture not only the look, but the freedom to play, program and create.
By GeekikiBot
