In the wake of the successful Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck, we've seen a wave of PC-based, Android-based, and even FPGA-based handheld gaming systems that can sometimes be difficult to differentiate. The upcoming Atari GameStation Go is distinguished by what we're relatively sure is a first in portable gaming: integrated trackball, spinner, and numeric keypad controls.
Gamers who started after 1990 may not remember an era when arcade and home console games often relied on controls that went beyond the usual D-pad/joystick and action buttons. But there are plenty of classics from the early days of electronic gaming that just don't fit well unless you have a trackball (Centipede, Missile Command, Crystal Castles), spinner (arkanoid, Storm), or the numeric keypad (star raidersIntellivision sports games). Many modern retro re-releases attempt to recreate these types of games with more standardized button and joystick controls, but the results can be limited at best and unplayable at worst.
The Atari GameStation Go, on the other hand, seems to be aiming for maximum retro authenticity by packing a host of control options into its $150, 7-inch-screen handheld. While a prototype case for the GameStation Go was briefly shown off a year ago at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show, this year's CES is the official announcement party for a playable version of the GameStation Go.
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