There’s no shortage of retro handhelds and consoles with Atari’s branding, but the newest flagship device from My Arcade aims to offer the definitive portable experience. The Atari Gamestation Go is a 7-inch handheld with over 200 games and a few unique control methods, including a paddle, trak-ball, and even a numeric keypad. Retro enthusiasts interested in the Gamestation Go may want to secure one soon. Preorders for the $180 portable are sold out on Atari’s website, but you can still snag one from Amazon ahead of its October 31 launch.
The Atari Gamestation Go releases the same day as the the Pac-Man Edition of the cartridge-based Atari 2600+. Take a closer look at the Gamestation Pro below.
$180 | Releases October 31
The Gamestation Go aims to replicate the experience of playing over 200 Atari classics by offering numerous different control options. On the left side of the handheld, you’ll find a D-pad, trak-ball, and integrated paddle. Below the four face buttons on the right side is a 12-button numeric keypad with 0-9 as well as the number sign and asterisk. It also has four shoulder buttons.
Atari 8-bit and 16-bit games made use of a variety of controllers, and the Gamestation Go looks to offer the most comprehensive experience yet in a handheld form factor. One interesting feature is called SmartGlow, which illuminates the controls for each game you boot up.
The built-in game library includes a wide range of arcade and console games from the Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, and Atari Arcade. Notable publisher partnerships include Bandai Namco (Pac-Man), Jaleco, and Piko Interactive. It also comes with the modernized “Recharged” versions of five classics, including Asteroids and Centipede. Another highlight is Balls of Steel, a pinball game with seven different tables. The full list of games can be found on Amazon’s store page.
The Gamestation Go’s built-in 7-inch display looks nice in promotional videos and images, but if you want the home console experience, you can connect the included HDMI cable to your TV or monitor to game on a big screen.
It’s unclear exactly which controllers will work with the Gamestation Go, but the handheld has a pair of USB-C ports on the back for multiplayer. We know My Arcade is making an official controller and joystick, but we’d expect the Gamestation Go to support other controllers similar to the Game Station Pro home console.
$80 (was $100)
The Atari Gamestation Pro is My Arcade’s dedicated home console. Released in late 2023, the Gamestation Pro also has a library of 200-plus games and is bundled with two wireless joysticks. If you’re primarily interested in gaming on TV, the Gamestation Pro would be the better option, as it’s only $80 at Amazon right now. Alternatively, you can get a refurbished version in “excellent” condition from Amazon Renewed for $60.
The joysticks that are included aren’t the best, but you can use many third-party controllers with the Gamestation Pro via a hardwired USB connection.
Budget-friendly portables for $40 or less.
My Arcade is one of the most popular manufacturers of budget-friendly retro handhelds themed around arcade classics and early home console games. If you’re interested in playing some old Atari or arcade games on a handheld device without spending $180, you have a lot of options in the $25-$40 range.
We created an Amazon hub collecting three different series of My Arcade portables. You can get themed handhelds based on Tetris, Atari, Mega Man, Street Fighter, Pac-Man, and other classics.
You can take a closer look at My Arcade’s Pocket Player Pro, Pocket Player, and new Pixel Pocket Pro handhelds below.
The Pocket Player Pro is a series of portables with 2.75-inch color displays, ergonomic form factors, and wrist straps. Each Pocket Player Pro retails for $45, though you can get deals on several models right now. Notably, the Atari Pocket Player Pro includes 100 preloaded games and is up for grabs for only $40. The Pocket Player Pro can be recharged via USB-C or powered by four AA batteries.
There’s also the standard Pocket Player handhelds, which is a bit confusing, but one of the core differences is that the Pro models have better ergonomics and improved controls. That said, the regular Pocket Player handhelds typically have at least three built-in games, which makes deciding on which Pac-Man handheld to buy a bit trickier. Then there are instances like Tetris, where the regular Pocket Player is only $25, while the Pro model is $45. There’s also a vertical form factor version of the classic puzzle game called Tetris Go Gamer for $26 (was $35). Screen sizes vary in the Pocket Player line, but most are 2.75 inches, just like the Pro versions. By the way, the Tetris Pocket Player–technically called the Tetris Gamer V–has 200 bonus games.
My Arcade just launched its latest series of budget handhelds called the Pixel Pocket Pro. As shown in the image above, the Pixel Pocket Pro has a stylized aesthetic with ridged corners designed to resemble the blockiness of pixel art. Pixel Pocket Pro handhelds have 2-inch color displays, run on three AAA batteries, and include keychain clips. Some of the Pixel Pocket Pro handhelds, including the Atari model with 25 games and Tetris, have horizontal form factors, while others like Pac-Man and Galaga have vertical orientations.
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