Return of the Atari 800XL

As an Atari-age kid, I always wanted an 800XL! It was the Porsche of 8-bit home computers, and Atari has a storied history with Lucasfilm, spawning Atari/Lucasfilm Games in 1982.

I’ve written about how Atari was my gateway into playing video games when I was gifted an older cousin's unwanted Video Computer System (VCS) on my 8th birthday in 1980.

After school, I avidly played Space Invaders, Frogger, Donkey Kong, Pitfall, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and many more with childhood friend Kevin Simpson.

My first family computer was a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K. However, the Atari XL line was alluring, with its sleek look and premium price tag. Atari and Retro Games Ltd are bringing the 800XL back as a full-sized modern recreation in 2027. This coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Atari VCS and Star Wars.

“The 800XL represents an important moment in Atari’s history, when home computers were becoming a gateway to gaming, programming and creativity,” said Matt Burnett, VP of Strategic Operations at Atari. “It gave an entire generation the opportunity to discover what they could do with a computer, while offering an incredible catalog of games and software. That combination is what makes the 800XL such an important part of Atari’s legacy, and working with Retro Games Ltd. and Plaion we are excited to bring back this modernized version.”

Beautiful beige box.

“The 800XL was one of those rare machines that really showed what an 8-bit home computer could be capable of,” said Stuart Chiplin, COO at Retro Games Ltd. “When recreating it, we wanted to capture not just how the original looked, but what made it such a compelling computer – the freedom it gave people to play, program and create. A lot of work has gone into making THE 800XL feel authentic while bringing the experience up to date for today’s players.”

THE 800XL is £199.99. Pre-orders are open now, with shipping in late April 2027. I hope to review THE 800XL as soon as possible.

Pre-order THE 800XL at Amazon (affiliate link).

Will you be adding THE 800XL to your retro collection? What are your favourite Atari 8-bit video games? Let me know in the comments below.