Atari instead of Mattel: New version of Intellivision announced
Two wireless controllers, HDMI port, and 45 built-in games – the new Intellivision offers a lot but doesn't support original cartridges.
The new "Intellivision Sprint". The controllers are wireless, and the look is based on the 1979 original.
(Image: Atari)
In early December 2025, Atari will launch another retro console with the "Intellivision Sprint". The console, which is visually very similar to the original, can be pre-ordered for 140 Euros. The "Intellivision" from the then toy giant Mattel was launched in the US at the end of 1979 and was intended to compete with the Atari Video Computer System (VCS) alias 2600. In its home market, it was successful for a time, but eventually, the VCS prevailed. In 2024, Atari acquired the brand of its former competitor.
The Intellivision's advantages at the time were primarily slightly better graphics and sound capabilities than the VCS. It also came with two controllers from the factory, which could be stored on the console and had a special feature: the ten-key keypad could display the button assignments via plug-in cards supplied with the games. Instead of the single fire button of the Atari joysticks, much more extensive controls were possible, but there was no real joystick like in the arcade.
Atari retains this in its new edition. The cards, called "Overlays", are double-sided, so with 45 included games, there should be 23 cards. Unlike the original, the controllers are wireless, which we missed with the 2023 re-release of the Atari 2600 with its cable joystick. A new Atari 7800 also appeared in 2024, making the Intellivision Sprint Atari's third retro console. It is supported by Plaion, the publisher formerly known as Koch Media.
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The 45 games pre-installed on the Sprint were likely also compiled by Plaion. Atari only shows three titles in motion in its announcement video: "Astromash", "Boulder Dash", and "Shark! Shark!". Other Intellivision classics like the good arcade adaptation of "Burger Time" or the less successful port of "Zaxxon" are missing, but the in-house development "Vectron" is included. It will be possible to add more games later via a USB-A port. An original Intellivision controller will also fit here via an adapter that has also only been announced.
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Atari has not yet provided any technical details about the Sprint. The new Atari 2600 used a Rockchip-3128 SoC with 256 megabytes of DDR3 RAM and 256 megabytes of eMMC flash. The Stella framework served as the emulation layer. This combination, unlike some retro consoles released a few years ago, allowed for smooth gameplay without major bugs. However, compared to other emulation systems, compromises had to be made with the HDMI video output, which lacked the simulation of CRT monitors. In contrast to the new Intellivision, the new VCS can use original cartridges, a feature that the Sprint lacks.
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