Atari and Playmaji, Inc – maker of the modular Polymega console – have announced a "strategic collaboration" which will see the pair work together on "innovative retro hardware and software initiatives."
The most obvious benefit of this agreement is the fact that owners of the beleaguered Atari VCS system will be able to use the upcoming Polymega App and Polymega Remix add-on. "This will effectively provide all of the functionality of a Polymega console to Atari VCS owners," reads the press release.
In the opposite direction, a new 'Element Module' will be developed for Polymega that will add Atari 2600 and Atari 7800 compatibility to the console, allowing Polymega users to play and digitise their Atari collection of physical cartridges. "Atari-owned games will also be sold in the Polymega storefront," continues the PR, a reference to the long-awaited digital store for the Polymega system.
Alongside this partnership, Atari has also completed a "minority" investment into Playmaji – a figure which has since been revealed as $5,441,999 (thanks, @PowerDubs).
Wade Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Atari, had this to say about the news:
Polymega’s innovative approach to retro hardware is perfectly aligned with Atari’s goals in retro gaming. This partnership greatly expands the capabilities of the Atari VCS while also making the Polymega platform itself more compelling. I know fans will be excited to see Atari games added to Polymega’s growing ecosystem.
I look forward to working with the team at Polymega as they evolve their modular gaming console. Polymega’s approach fills an important need in the market, providing a hardware solution that allows players to legally access classic retro content while respecting game companies’ intellectual property.
Bryan Bernal, Chief Executive Officer of Playmaji, added:
This partnership is a vote of confidence in Polymega; it expands our audience and adds compatibility support for one of the most important brands in retro gaming. This is an important step in the growth of our platform, and we look forward to working with Atari in the important space of retro innovation.
This deal could be seen as a shot in the arm for both systems, which have experienced their own unique struggles since launch.
The Atari VCS has struggled to find an audience since launching in 2021, while the Polymega has been plagued with production problems for the past few years.
Many people who put down their cash for one of the modular systems years ago are still waiting to receive their unit – although Playmaji now insists that "all outstanding pre-orders for Polymega systems, bundles, modules, etc will be fulfilled in the near future. Thankfully, the long lead times we were dealing with before are no longer an issue."
Alongside the Polymega App, Playmaji is also working on an N64 Element Module for the system.