Atari has announced they are ending their support and storefront for the VCS console effective February 1, 2027.
We have stopped onboarding new games and we will be shutting down the Atari VCS software store early next year. VCS owners will be able to purchase games through February 1, 2027.
After the store shuts down, owners will continue to be able to play the games they have purchased and downloaded to their VCS.
The Atari VCS has earned its spot alongside the many console platforms Atari has launched over the past 50-plus years. We want to thank our dedicated players and creators for bringing such great content to the VCS, and for building a vibrant community.
Thank you for playing with us.
Despite the shut down, Atari will update their OS to remove a mandatory connection to their online server and also release a homebrew app so fans can develop and enjoy games forever.
Carly Francis, Atari community manager, said:
“After the store closes, our plan is to make an OS update available that allows you to migrate all functionality to your local machine, removing any dependencies on Atari infrastructure for authentication and software. Once that transition is complete, we will end support for the platform.
“As part of the transition, we intend to push the Atari Home Brew app to all players. This will allow everyone to add new games to your VCS independently, so developers can continue to build apps for the VCS and share them with the community. Early next year we will post information that walks you through this OS migration, and the Home Brew App functionality, so everyone has plenty of time to prepare.
“We recognize that this is unwelcome news. We are working hard to ensure that the community can continue to use their VCS well into the future, and we are committed to supporting you through this transition.”
