Atari 2700

The Atari 2700 (also referred to as the Atari Remote Control VCS) was an unreleased console by Atari. Intended for release in 1981, its main standout features were wireless controllers that featured a combination of a joystick and paddle. The fire button was touch-sensitive, as were the buttons on the console. The Reset and Select buttons were relocated to the controllers themselves. The 2700 also featured a storage bin at the top of the console to store the controllers. Focus groups used to test the system noted that the controllers were comfortable, sleek, responsive, and very easy to use.

The 2700 was set for release, and even had ads made for it. Everything seemed ready for the system's launch, but one problem destroyed its chances. The controllers had a working radius of 1000 ft; this meant the 2700 could affect nearby 2700s, as well as other remote controlled devices, such as garage doors and TVs. Rather than spend millions to redesign the controllers, the system was shelved and never released. It is unclear how many of these systems exist today. Despite the 2700's failure, Atari released wireless controllers in 1983. However, to correct the interference problem, the controllers became bulky, hard to control, and had less battery life, which is why the controllers never became huge sellers.

The basic case design for the Atari 2700 was later used for the Atari 5200.

Technical specifications

* CPU: MOS Technology 6507 @ 1.19 MHz
* Audio+video processor: TIA. 160 x ~192 pixel, 128 colors (121 of them actually different from each other on NTSC, 114 on PAL), 2 channel mono sound.
* RAM: 128 bytes (plus up to 256 bytes built into the game cartridges)
* ROM (game cartridges): 4 KiB maximum capacity (32 KiB+ with paging)
* Output: B/W or color TV picture and sound signal

External links

* [http://www.atari.com/ Atari's official website]
* [http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2700/a2700.html The Atari Historical Society's page about the 2700]
* [http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2600/2600rc.html The Atari Historical Society's page about the "fixed" wireless controllers]