Polymega Finally Release Atari Add-On
Legal emulation console, Polymega, has finally released its latest hardware Module for pre-orders, and it’s for Atari games. Existing Modules allow the console to play older Nintendo and Sega games, as well as titles from other retro consoles such as PlayStation and NeoGeo.
Teased at the start of May 2025, the new Module is named EM06 and it accepts Atari 2600 and 7800 games, as well as Sears Tele-Games cartridges. The Module also comes with a Pro USB Joystick that apes an original Atari controller, although there are no pre-installed games included.
“We’re excited to announce that the next Polymega Module is here,” Polymega said in a news post on its official site. “We recently completed hardware development of the Polymega EM06 Pro Element Module Set and it is now ready for mass production, and scheduled to ship later this year.”
“To commemorate this occasion, we’re opening up pre-orders for this brand new module, which will allow you to play and install all of your original and re-issued 2600 and 7800 games on your Polymega, plus provide compatibility with nearly every official controller released for the original systems including original Joysticks, Paddles, Touch Pads, and more.”
Not Big in Japan
Retro gamers who get their hands on the EM06 will find a licensed Module that supports not just North American (NTSC) versions of Atari 2600 and 7800 games, but PAL versions and cartridges from the forgotten Sears/Atari 2800.
The 2600 was first released in 1977 as the Atari VCS (Video Computer System) before being rebranded as the 2600 in 1982. It was also sold in Sears department stores as, initially, the Tele-Games Video Arcade, before being rebranded there as the Video Arcade.
The Atari 2800 was a version of the 2600 redesigned and sold in Japan; it was identical in terms of hardware and games, but had a different controller (which the Polymega Pro USB Joystick references). This version was also sold in Sears, but as the Video Arcade II.
However, the 2800 was up against the NES, which released around the same time in Japan (under the Famicom name). This boasted better graphics and sound and, crucially, retailed at a cheaper price. As such, the 2800 didn’t last long before being pulled from sale.
Not-So-Secret Addition
Polymega’s parent company, Playmaji, signed a partnership deal with Atari in July 2023, which also said that a new Module would be created, so this news won’t be a surprise to anyone following Polymega. However, it has taken a while for it to make it to market, and won’t be shipped until around October 2025.
Atari also outlined plans for Playmaji to work on software and integration between Polymega and the Atari VCS. Somewhat confusingly, this version of the VCS is a brand new console developed by Atari that works as both an Atari 2600 emulator and, if Windows or Linux is installed, a modern gaming console. Atari also sells a standalone, contemporary, Atari 2600 console.
It’s not entirely clear what or how Playmaji has done for the new VCS, or how it links with the Polymega, outside of a reference in Atari’s 2023 news post: “The Atari VCS will add support for the Polymega App and the Polymega Remix add-on. This will effectively provide all of the functionality of a Polymega console to Atari VCS owners.”
