Atari 2700

The Atari 2700 (also referred to as the Atari Remote Control VCS) was an unreleased console by Atari, Inc.. Intended for release in 1981, the 2700 was one of several planned follow-ups to the popular Atari 2600 video game system.

The 2700's new features were to be wireless controllers that feature a combination of a joystick and paddle. The fire button is touch-sensitive, as are the buttons on the console. The Reset and Select buttons are relocated to the controllers themselves. The 2700 console also features a top storage bin to store the controllers. It is unclear how many of these systems exist today.

Focus groups noted that the controllers were comfortable, sleek, responsive, and very easy to use, but design problems caused the console to be withdrawn just prior to its release. The controllers have a working radius of 1000 ft; this means the 2700 can unintentionally affect other nearby 2700s, as well as other remote controlled devices, such as garage doors and TVs.

Despite the 2700s failure, Atari still released wireless controllers for the 2600 console in 1983. However, to house additional electronics to correct the interference problem, the controllers are bulky. Additionally, they are hard to control and have poor battery life.

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

Another spin off of the 2700 is the recent Atari Flashback 4 which uses wireless joysticks.

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 KB maximum capacity (32 KB+ with paging)
• Output: B/W or color TV picture and sound signal

External links

• Atari's official website
• The Atari Historical Society's page about the 2700
• The Atari Historical Society's page about the "fixed" wireless controllers