Atari Video Game Consoles  

 

 

  Atari Product Numbers-Feb 1, 1982

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

The Atari CX-2500

 


 

Now here's a real eye opener.   Yet another unknown, undocumented system.     The unit is labelled "ATARI CX2500" and from all appearances, it looks like a larger and perhaps earlier version of the Atari CX-2000 "VAL" all-in-one system designed by Steve Mayer and Gregg Squires at the WCI Atari New York Lab. However it was actually a Sunnyvale response to the CX-2000 to show that a design could be done, just like the NY/WCI LAB CX-2000 but using an off the shelf Atari 2600A motherboard in a much more robust case design.


The system contains all the basic features and functionality of a standard Atari 2600 Video Computer System.    The 4 switches are: Power, B&W/Color, Select, and Reset.    On the back of the unit are two joystick ports, difficulty switches, channel select and power input.    What the unit sounds like is an Atari 2600A system.    The joysticks are the exact same mechanical units from the Atari 2700 "RC Stella" wireless controllers.    They are 8 position joysticks with 270 degree paddles.   The long red strips behind each joystick controller are firing buttons.
 
 

 

Now it was time to see if the theory was correct by cracking open the case and having a peak inside of the unit.   Sure enough... an Atari 2600A motherboard inside of the case.    This was obviously a very early prototype as the controllers are mock-ups and have no contact switches or connecting cables going to the Atari 2600A motherboard which also has not been modified.     The unit is built like a tank to put it mildly and the controllers, once made live, would certainly have performed well.