Nintendo's Switch 2 -- or whatever the Switch successor's name ends up being -- might be the handheld game system on everyone's mind at the start of 2025, but Atari has rather unorthodox designs on the handheld space, too. The retro game company revealed its Atari Gamestation Go in a brief video on X and showcased some of its design features, including a number pad similar to that of a computer keyboard.
Atari is developing the Gamestation Go with MyArcade, a console maker known for creating miniature versions of retro arcade cabinets. MyArcade also worked with Atari on the GameStation Pro, a small Atari console that included over 200 classic games and two joysticks.
Gamestation Go seems to be the revamped name for what Atari originally announced as the Gamestation Portable, which was meant to launch in 2024 before falling off the scene. It shares the Gamestation Portable's general design, with standard elements, like an ABYX button layout, headphone jack, and SD card slot, and some Atari-specific ones -- a trackball and the aforementioned number pad.
An icon, reimagined. 🕹️ @MyArcadeRetro#Atari #GamestationGo #CES2025 pic.twitter.com/AvqTLuegR2
— Atari (@atari) January 2, 2025
The number pad is a curious inclusion. Atari sold a keypad accessory in the late 1970s for the Atari 2600, though only a very small selection of games actually used it. Several of those were licensed Sesame Street edutainment games, though a few -- such as Codebreaker, Brain Games, and Star Raiders -- had broader audience appeal. Making the number pad a key feature of its handheld system for just a few retro classics seems like overkill, though it's possible Atari has bigger plans for the Gamestation Go.
Atari launched its VCS console in 2021 with the option for users to run Windows and Linux programs, and adding that feature to a handheld system would compare it to the likes of Valve's Steam Deck and Asus' line of ROG Ally handhelds. Market analyst firm DFC Intelligence predicts handheld game consoles will play an important role in the expanding hardware space the rest of the 2020s -- so if Atari is launching one designed mostly for retro games, letting players download other applications would help it remain relevant and competitive.
When Gamestation Go might launch is anyone's guess at the moment, though Atari plans to share more during the Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off on Jan. 7, 2025.