Atari is bringing back one of its earliest 8-bit home computers

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.

After resurrecting iconic consoles like the 2600 and Mattel’s Intellivision, Atari is relaunching one of the brand’s personal computers that originally debuted 43 years ago. The 800XL is a faithful recreation of the all-in-one 8-bit PC that’s being resurrected as part of a collaboration with game developer and publisher Plaion. While most retro enthusiasts will probably use it for gaming, the new 800XL carries forward the original’s built-in mechanical keyboard for those wanting to code their own games and apps using Atari BASIC.

The 800XL is available for preorder now for $219.99 with shipping expected to start in April 2027. It comes with modern conveniences like an HDMI port and four USB-A ports for connecting flash drives, peripherals, and a bundled recreation of Atari’s classic joystick that’s been upgraded with eight action and function buttons making it more versatile.

There’s a fully-functional cartridge slot that’s compatible with most Atari 400, 800, XL, and XE carts, but the reborn 800XL can also play any of the software created for those old 8-bit systems, even when loaded from a flash drive. For those lacking a collection of retro cartridges the 800XL comes with 25 games built-in including recognizable titles like Asteroids, Centipede, Berzerk, Missile, Command, and Millipede.

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.