Retro gaming brand Atari is officially (re)entering the handheld console space with the Atari Gamestation Go.
Atari is showcasing its new handheld at CES 2025, and it appears to be going the extra mile with its attempt to repackage gaming history.
The brand is teaming up with My Arcade to produce the Gamestation Go. The two companies previously worked together on the Gamestation Pro, a plug and play console that bundled in 200 of the famous brand’s games. The Gamestation Go appears to offer the same 200-strong line-up, but in a custom handheld form factor.
The handheld features a genuine Trak-Ball right there beneath the single analogue stick and D-pad on the left hand side. This Was Atari’s quirky ball-shaped control input from the late ’70s and early ’80s, which was at the heart of seminal arcade hits Centipede and Missile Command.
Over to the right of the 7-inch 16:9 screen, below the standard array of four diamond-arranged buttons, there’s another control innovation (or should that be regression?) in the shape of a full numerical pad, which is used to play classic Atari 5200 games in the way they were intended.
You also get a modern selection of four shoulder buttons on top of the device. Together with that modern display, this suggests that the Atari Gamestation Go is going to be more than just a machine for playing old Atari and Intellivision games on the go.
With such a wealth of control options, the Atari Gamestation Go might seem like a bit of a mess, but Atari smartly backlights only the relevant controls for the current game.
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There’s an HDMI port for outputting to a TV or monitor, and together with a kickstand this portable console could become a great retro console option into the bargain. There’s also a 3.5mm jack and two USB-C ports for wired controllers (dealer’s choice).
We also spotted a pleasingly tactile power button switch and a microSD card slot along the top edge.
The Atari Gamestation Go will launch in the third quarter at a price of $150, which translates to about £120, though we’ll have to wait and see what the inevitable UK premium amounts to.
