Until now, all renders and pre-production models of the Atari VCS Onyx Edition have shown the “Fuji” logo illuminated in red, and others showed the front panel lit with four small horizontal LEDs. The aesthetic looked cool and was very well-received, but as the user experience team continued to work through the communication tasks that the console and its LEDs needed to accomplish, it became apparent that a consistent approach was necessary across all VCS models to implement clear messaging that avoids any confusion in the system-to-user communications and alerts.

The original motivation for the red Fuji logo on VCS Onyx was simply cosmetic. Now, all Atari logos across all Atari VCS models will be illuminated in white light. This also extends to the Atari logos on our new joysticks and controllers (much more coming on those devices in a future update) so that everything is consistent across all VCS hardware and accessories.

The white Fuji indicator light will be used for a number of core Atari VCS communication messages about power, accessory pairing, internet connectivity, etc., which will be delivered via different patterns of blinking, pulsing and flashing, similar to the behaviors of other modern consoles.

In addition, the UX team decided that rather than asking people to look at the box frequently to see what four lights on the front might be doing, it will be more effective to combine the Fuji indicator light with a series of on-screen indicators that communicate accessory connections, player count, battery life and other messages.

Not only is this new configuration more practical and informative, it leaves the front panel sleek and clean.

Streamlined Construction replaces “Ribbed-Sandwich”

As noted above, the original design intent and conceptual approach was to build each finished Atari VCS box using a series of at least 16 layers. The layered “fins” represent a bold and distinctive design decision, but presented with some notable engineering challenges. Our design and engineering team engaged in extensive discussion and collaboration with the manufacturing team at the factory early in the process.

However, as the team moved forward with finalizing the mechanical architecture tasks toward a finished design, the original construction method was becoming less and less practical. There were a number of specific factors that led to the decision, but suffice it to say, building the VCS in a more streamlined way is resulting in a stronger, more cost effective product that maintains the original ID while delivering several additional benefits.

The original VCS concept from 2017 consisted of 16 individual layers, plus front and rear housings. That assortment of 18 parts included seven common rings, nine unique mid-enclosure ring parts, and the front and rear fascia parts.