ARTICLE – The usual answer to emulating thirty years of game hardware is compromise. One controller layout, a set of buttons mapped in ways that sorta work, and a hope that muscle memory adapts. What My Arcade did with this Atari-branded handheld is the opposite move. Instead of asking every game to fit one input method, they built multiple input methods into the same device and let each game pick what it needs. That approach makes it more interesting than taking the obvious path. The Gamestation Go costs $179.99 and ships with over 200 games spanning Atari’s 2600, 5200, 7800, and arcade catalogs, plus modernized Recharged titles and third-party additions from Namco, Jaleco, and PIKO Interactive. WiFi handles updates, HDMI connects to a TV, and battery life sits around four to five hours. The size puts it closer to a small tablet than a pocket device, which makes sense once you see what’s happening on the front panel.
Price: $179.99
Where to Buy: Atari
Multiple Control Surfaces That Actually Work
The layout doesn’t look like a standard handheld because it isn’t trying to be one. There’s a paddle controller and trak-ball near on the left and a keypad and a D-pad with action buttons on the right. Everything sits flush with the surface, and the build quality suggests these weren’t added as decorative references to Atari’s past. The paddle has smooth analog resistance, the trak-ball responds to light directional flicks without lag, and the keypad delivers tactile clicks that feel deliberate.
The system is telling you what to use without making you dig through menus or guess based on trial runs. The effect becomes obvious when you move between game types—going from Centipede to Breakout to Combat doesn’t require remapping or adjusting expectations. The hardware shifts its interface to match the original design intent of each game, and the transition feels natural rather than jarring. Most retro compilations force everything through a thumbstick and call it close enough, but this respects the input method each game was built around, which changes how they feel to play.
If you’ve spent years playing Missile Command with an analog stick, the difference a real trak-ball makes is immediately clear. Including the trak-ball at all is a choice most companies avoid—they’re harder to manufacture than thumbsticks, harder to calibrate, and easy to get wrong. My Arcade included one here and tuned it well enough that Centipede and Missile Command feel like the arcade versions instead of approximations. That precision comes with a trade, though, since the device is larger than a Switch and the mix of control surfaces means it won’t slip into a jacket pocket.
It’s built for deliberate play sessions at home, not for pulling out on a crowded train. That’s the exchange Atari made, and it shows in how seriously the hardware treats faithful input replication.
Game Library Depth and What You’re Actually Getting
The catalog spans decades without pretending all 200+ titles carry equal weight. Atari 2600 games make up the bulk, which means classics like Adventure and Yars’ Revenge sit alongside deeper cuts most players won’t recognize or care about. The 5200 and 7800 selections are smaller but include standouts like Ballblazer and Food Fight, while arcade games bring the most immediate appeal with Asteroids, Tempest, and Crystal Castles leading the list.
Third-party additions from Namco add multiple PAC-MAN variants with speed modes that shift pacing, Jaleco contributed its Bases Loaded series and City Connection, and PIKO brought Jim Power along with regional curiosities that feel less like nostalgia plays and more like historical footnotes. The Recharged series is where things get modern—these aren’t straight ports but rebuilt versions of classic arcade games with updated visuals, new mechanics, and cooperative modes. Five Recharged titles appear here: Asteroids, Berzerk, Breakout, Centipede, and Missile Command. They sit alongside the originals and let you compare how much the new versions change the core loop.
Some players will prefer the pixel-perfect originals, others will appreciate the additional challenge modes and polish, but having both options removes the need to pick one approach over the other. Balls of Steel also makes its first appearance on a My Arcade device, a late-90s pinball sim with multiple tables and physics that hold up better than expected, signaling that Atari isn’t limiting this hardware strictly to games from the company’s own archives.
Hardware That Holds Up
The 7-inch screen runs at a higher resolution than most retro handhelds at this price. Colors saturate without bleeding, blacks hold, and pixel art renders cleanly without aggressive smoothing. You can toggle scanlines or aspect ratios, but the defaults work well enough that most won’t adjust them. WiFi updates let Atari add games, fix bugs, or tweak controls after launch. My Arcade’s previous handhelds have received multiple firmware updates post-launch, and early Gamestation Go buyers are already seeing patches for minor input lag on specific titles. Battery performance lands in the four-to-five-hour range depending on brightness and audio settings, competitive with other handhelds at this size though it won’t survive a cross-country flight without a recharge. USB-C charging means no proprietary cables, and the device supports pass-through power for playing while plugged in. The HDMI output sends clean video to a TV, and external controller support enables multiplayer sessions for games that support it, letting the device double as a mini console when docked.
A pop-out kickstand on the back props the unit on flat surfaces and works better than expected for longer sessions when holding it becomes tiring. The included accessories cover everything needed to start playing immediately—HDMI cable, USB charging cable, and power adapter all ship in the box with no hunting for extra parts. Customer reviews on the official site average above four stars across over 200 ratings, with most praise directed at SmartGlow and the trak-ball, while complaints focus on wanting more 7800 titles or Atari Lynx games that didn’t make the cut.
Reception among retro gaming communities has been cautiously positive, with the control variety earning respect but the lack of expandable storage or custom ROM support keeping enthusiasts from pushing the hardware further. The first production run sold out, though it’s unclear if that signals strong demand or conservative initial manufacturing, and restocks are happening in waves rather than continuous supply.
Who This Is For
This works best for people who care about how games feel to play more than exhaustive library size. If you’ve been frustrated by retro compilations that force paddle games onto a D-pad or trak-ball games onto an analog stick, the Gamestation Go solves that problem directly. It’s not trying to be everything to everyone, which makes it better at what it actually does.
Collectors will appreciate the physical design and included accessories, plus the fact that it doubles as a mini console for multiplayer sessions on a TV. The SmartGlow system and authentic trak-ball show attention to detail that goes beyond typical nostalgia hardware. The curated game selection means you’re getting licensed, working versions of classics without dealing with ROM legality questions or compatibility issues.
Price: $179.99
Where to Buy: Atari
Skip this if you’re looking for portability or open customization. The size makes travel awkward beyond room-to-room use, and the closed ecosystem blocks personal ROM collections, interface modifications, or emulation tweaks. It’s built for plug-and-play sessions, not tinkering. If input authenticity doesn’t matter and any controller works fine, spending $180 on specialized hardware makes less sense than cheaper emulation options.
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