Atari 8-bit
Developer | Atari, Inc. |
---|---|
Type | Home computer |
Release date | 1979 |
Discontinued | 1992 |
Introductory price | US$549 (equivalent to $2304.58 in 2024) (Atari 400) US$999 (equivalent to $4193.58 in 2024) (Atari 800) |
Successor | ST |
Emulated | ✓ |
- For emulators that run on the Atari 8-bit, see Emulators on Atari 8-bit.
Atari 8-bit is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari in 1979 and manufactured until 1992. It includes the Atari 400, 800, XL, XE and the home video game console version Atari XEGS. Due to the hardware similarity, most Atari 8-bit emulators can also emulate the Atari 5200.
Contents
Emulators[edit]
Name | Platform(s) | Latest version | Models | libretro | Accuracy | License | Active | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PC / x86 | ||||||||
Atari800 | 5.2.0 | 400, 800, XL, XE | ✓ | Cycle | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✓ | ✓ | |
Altirra | 4.21 | 400, 800, XL, XE, XEGS | ✗ | Cycle | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✓ | ✓ | |
Atari++ | 1.84 | 400, 800, XL, XE | ✗ | Cycle | TPL (Copyleft) | ✓ | ✓ | |
MAME | 0.272 | Good: 400, 800 Basic: XL, XE XEGS |
✓ | ? | GPLv2 BSD-3-Clause |
✓ | ~ | |
Pantheon | 14.620 | 800, XE | ✗ | Mid | Proprietary | ✓ | ~ | |
Atari800Win-PLus | 4.1 | 400, 800, XL, XE, XEGS | ✗ | ? | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✗ | ✗ | |
Rainbow | 2.2.0 (Windows) 1.6.1 (macOS) |
400, 800, XL, XE | ✗ | ? | Proprietary | ~[1] | TBD | |
Consoles | ||||||||
XEGS-DS | git | 400, 800, XL, XE, XEGS | ✗ | Mid | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✓ | ✓ | |
WiiXL | git | 400, 800, XL, XE | ✗ | Mid | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✗ | ✓ | |
Atari800DC | 0.78 | 400, 800, XL, XE | ✗ | Mid | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✗ | ✓ | |
PokeyDS | January 18, 2009 | 400, 800, XL, XE | ✗ | Low | Proprietary | ✗ | ✗ |
Models[edit]
Atari 400[edit]
The Atari 400 was released in November 1979 and retailed for US$549.95 (equivalent to $2308.57 in 2024). It had a 6502 CPU at 1.79 MHz with 4 KBs of RAM. It had 3 graphics modes, 24 X 40 text, 160 x 96 with 128 colours, and 320 x 192 in B&W.
Atari 800[edit]
The Atari 800 was also released in November of '79 alongside the Atari 400. It retailed for US$999.95 (equivalent to $4197.57 in 2024) with a 6502 CPU at 1.8 MHz and 8 KBs of RAM. It had the same graphics modes as the Atari 400.
Atari 1200XL[edit]
The Atari 1200XL was released in March of '83 and retailed for US$899.99 (equivalent to $2752.86 in 2024) with a 6502C CPU at 1.79 MHz. It had 64 KBs of RAM with 5 text modes, with the max being 40x24 and the min being 20x12, and 12 graphics modes, with the max being 320x192.
Atari 600 XL[edit]
The Atari 600 XL was released in January of '83 and retailed for US$199.99 (equivalent to $611.72 in 2024) with the 6502C CPU at 1.79 MHz with 16 KBs of RAM.
Atari 800 XL[edit]
The Atari 800 XL was released in January of '83 alongside the Atari 600 XL and had the same CPU as the 600 XL but with 64 KBs of RAM.
Atari XEGS[edit]
Emulated | ✓ |
---|---|
The Atari XE Video Game System (XEGS) was based on Atari's 8-bit 65XE computer and was released in the Fall of '87. It retailed for US$159 (equivalent to $426.31 in 2024) and had a 6502C CPU at 1.79 MHz with 64 KBs of RAM. The operating system for most of the XEGS units is called the XE ROM revision C. That specification is the same as any other Atari computer (i.e., 800/XL/XE) that had that ROM, which is usually why no separate software was needed to emulate this console's hardware. The XEGS is backward compatible with the Atari 8-bit computer software library. The console could be turned into a computer with its specially designed keyboard and, while in computer mode, use most of the peripherals released for Atari's 8-bit computer line.
There are no XEGS-exclusive games; instead, they all run on the older machines (with enough memory) or the XE/XL line.
Emulators[edit]
- Main article: Atari_8-bit#Emulators
Resources[edit]
External Links[edit]
- C:\RETRO ROO> Atari XEGS Reboot, Part 1: 8-bit Nostalgia (October 7, 2016. David K. Sutton.)
- 60 Best Atari 8-bit games (Apr 30, 2010. By zubiaks2.)
- Atari 8 bit Vs. Arcade - Part 1 (Published on Jul 29, 2016. Laird's Lair.)
- 20 Games That Defined the Atari XEGS (May 17, 2012. By applemctom.)
Consoles: Atari 2600 • Atari 5200 • Atari 7800 • Atari XEGS • Atari Jaguar • Atari VCS Handhelds: Atari Lynx Computers: Atari 8-bit • Atari ST |
- ↑ Only the macOS version is still active.