Is Atari Bringing Back The 800XL? + More Retro News!
Atari may be hinting at a return for one of its classic 8-bit computers, and that has us wondering what kind of retro hardware revival could be coming next. 🕹️
This week on Bit By Bit, we’re digging into the new Atari 800XL trademark buzz, the surprisingly interesting return of Bubsy in Bubsy 4D, Embracer spinning off Fellowship Entertainment, AYANEO’s new Pocket Air Mini Arcade Home Edition, R-Type Dimensions III, Nintendo 64 rollback netcode, Lenovo’s ROM-loaded retro handheld controversy, and a fan-made Final Fantasy XVI SNES-style demake.
It’s another packed week of retro gaming news, weird hardware, classic franchises, and a few stories that made us say, “Wait… what year is it again?”
#RetroGaming #Atari #BitByBit #Atari800XL #RetroNews #Nintendo64 #Bubsy4D #AYANEO #FinalFantasy #GenXGrownUp
– LINKS
New Atari Hardware – https://tinyurl.com/4ty4mntv
Bubsy 4D Review – https://tinyurl.com/3yv6tnah
Embracer split – https://tinyurl.com/yc84dena
AYANEO New Pocket Air Mini – https://tinyurl.com/4982s5h2
R-Type Dimensions III – https://tinyurl.com/y3tfecmd
NSO N64 Updates – https://tinyurl.com/u38ervms
Lenovo G02 Problems – https://tinyurl.com/mubt35c2
Final Fantasy XVI SNES demake – https://tinyurl.com/y6e6zwj8
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– CHAPTERS
0:30 – New Atari Hardware
3:18 – Bubsy 4D Review
6:24 – Embracer split
9:25 – AYANEO New Pocket Air Mini
12:31 – R-Type Dimensions III
15:07 – NSO N64 Updates
17:08 – Lenovo G02 Problems
19:13 – Final Fantasy XVI SNES Demake
Comments
Latest news
@DozerSeventyone
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
You need to get Joe off the videos. As much as I love the channel, I can't look at that "melted icecream" face and the fact that he eats like on livestreams that remind me of a camel at lunchtime. A thumbs down on every Joe video
@SaintLewisMusic
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I adore Bubsy 4D. I’d give it an 8.5. It’s not perfect, but for $20 it’s a no-brainer!
@Swanlord05
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Bring back the 5200
@varan619
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Mr. T is a Night Elf Mohawk
@JohnGreenstreet-w6g
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I have a 800xl and 600xl❤❤❤😊😊😊
@Carlb328
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Didn't Eidos make the Thief games?? Hmm.
@tenminutetokyo2643
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
That would be awesome.
@RobsRetroGaming
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
LOVING my C-64 Ultimate! Good luck to this project!!!
@1969cougareliminator
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
If only Mr. T could have been the pitchman in the US…. Thanks for the news George!
@LuisVidal-jl5bp
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Remember when i made the decision tween the c64 and 800xl…thought the xl was so cool looking
@ecdhe
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I would love a 800XL+ (or RM800XL for that matter), but I'll believe it when I see it.
@markaes
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Ha that "powerdubs" is such a shill. Banned me for saying my Atari vcs and game station go both shipped broken (they were). I love Atari. But this company today ain't Atari. Sorry. Truth. It's just a name bought by opportunists. I will approach anything they release with great caution…
@jcchaconjr
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
If they release a modern version, that would be cool, but I still have my original 800XL, purchased back in 1984. Also still have a working 1050 disk drive with almost 2 dozen disks that amazingly still work! I did buy an SDrive-MAX to back up all of my disks except for one. It was copied with error sectors, and my 1050 doesn't have the happy drive mod. I may have to get one of those…
@johndoe-vx3kf
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
john hancock is donating his collection to enbracer and enbracer is splitting. What a waste for John Hancock. Those games will sit in a warehouse collecting dust. Enbracer won't do nothing with it but if Enbracer gets into financial trouble they will just sell all those games off.
@jeffreymiller3295
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
My families first computer was a used 800xl. I wish we hadn't gotten rid of it, we had some cool programs.
@mtcubsman
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I hope they make it like they did the 2600 where they have a cartridge port have so many cartridges
@RagShop1
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I PITY the fool that doesn't think Mr. T would be a great computer company spokesperson. C'mon, Alan Alda made us fall asleep during the commercial! 🤣
@901aerol
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I hope not. ST or TT only.
@richard1113
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
The 800XL wasn't a "game machine" (although it played games), it was a fully functioning computer. If they release this (a'la C64U) I'm in. If they release a console like the 400 mini, I'm not interested at all.
@mvl71
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
When I was 12 years old (I think), I got my hands on a magazine that had a contest in it where you could win computer prizes.
You had to type in a little BASIC progam on an Atari 600XL/800XL and run it. Then you had to send in a form, describing what you saw on the screen when you ran the program.
In the local Dixons store I asked if I could use their 800XL to type in the program.
I never had typed in anything on any computer, but I was hooked from the moment I started typing.
The result of the little BASIC program was a colorful spiral being drawn on the screen and I was amazed at the whole concept of me typing stuff in and making that magic box do things!
I didn't win the contest, but I gained a hobby for life!
@paulphillips546
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Hopefully the 800xl will be a full size from RGL as they have a proven track record with providing excellent products in this sphere
@remy333
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I still have an original 800. I can’t let it go. It’s in flawless condition in the original box with external drive and dot matrix printer.
One day when I have a home with more space, I’d like to have it set up and use it for personal offline lists and spreadsheets. It doesn’t really do games well, but it’s a beautiful piece of home computing history and I’d love to showcase it and make the best old-school use of it that I can.
@Ori-Retro-Gamer
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
The 800xl was my first computer aged 10 years old
@Scotty-z70
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
i have ALWAYS wanted the Atari 800 XL. I have the Atari 400, and the Bubble keys were okay, until they wore-out
@sideburn
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I’ve been making Atari xe laptops. Called xebook.
@bellissimo4520
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
After the C64 Ultimate, this certainly seems like an actual possibility
@CB3ROB-CyberBunker
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
the company named 'atari' today is the arcade/games branch no? well then. then it cannot trademark or produce the 800xl or any other
computerproduct, which belong to the homecomputer division, which time warner sold to tramiel and therefore the copyright to the roms and pokeychip design etc probably is in JTS inc.@EricWards
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Mr. T is the Best . . . He just had a birthday on the 21st ! The commercial in Australia is awesome ! I think they need to get him to promote the reboot !
@binkman853
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I pity the fool who don't get an 800XL!
@anthonycervo9908
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I'm all for it, even if I don't need it. I still have my original 800XL from when I was a kid. It's been upgraded with the UAV mod and Ultimate 1MB mod, and I also have a Fujinet running on it.
@STR82DVD
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Thanks for crediting and linking Retro Dodo. Well done.
@piotr.zietara
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
It's all to block superior products RM800xl or Re-Falcon.
@luca_verce_969
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
If they release a new Atari 800 XL, I'll pre-order it right away. It was a great machine.
The 400 mini was too small, and without a working keyboard, it felt like a toy.
Come on, Atari, make us happy again. ❤💜
@SyntheToonz
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Quad Pokey, built-in Fuji-net, VBXE. . . somehow bring 4 joystick ports back. (Asteroids 4-player, MULE.) A new, safe, non-electrocuting power supply that can also be used with the original hardware. Then count me in.
@ancient_of_mumu
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I pray the Atari is fully functional. I would love to not only play the vintage games, but would love to be able to run word processing and checkbook programs.
@JonOfGenXGrownUp
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I soooo hope this leads to a real-chip reproduction like we're seeing with the Neo Geo AES+! Fingers crossed! 🤞
@tedadamgreen
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
Mr T probably would have sold more Atari XL in the US than Alan Alda in retrospect… just saying.
And I didn’t realize Bubsy 4D was out and at a great price too… I hope it is very successful … any chance GenX Grownup will live stream game play?
And that Lenovo handheld is a definite misstep for them. I feel like they never thought it was gonna make it here but stay in the Asian Markets, but it’s a global market these days for good or bad.
The Ayaneo Pocket Air Mini looks like a good product especially if it can play up to GameCube at that price point.
And lastly and most importantly to me this week … I sure hope Plaion Replay keeps on headed in the direction they have been going in lately!!
Have a great and safe holiday weekend George … I appreciate these weekly Bit-by-Bits very much 👊🏻🕹️📺😎🥳
@Dippy-Dawg6877
May 25, 2026 at 6:01 am
I am now 51, and when I was in the 4th grade, my father told me that he would get me a computer if I got all As & Bs on my report card just once. Well, success happened in the last grading period. I was given the Atari 800XL. Along with the computer, he also got me the 1050 5 1/4 floppy disk drive and the 1010 cassette drive. For Christmas that same year, I received a printer, but it was not made by Atari. The printer was actually made by Radio Shack, and it came with an adapter to make it work with the Atari computers. The one cool thing when it came to the components is that you could daisy-chain them. For example, on the back of the disk drive, there was a serial output connector, and there was also an input so you could connect an additional component. For me it was the cassette drive. I had a lot of fun with that computer. Now that Atari has filed a new patent on this classic device, definitely makes me feel like an old fart. Thanks, Atari, I will go get my glass of prune juice, sit in my rocking chair, and reminisce about the good ol' days. Ya know, the 80s