My Arcade has announced a new officially licensed Atari Gamestation gamepad, designed to work with both the Atari Gamestation Go and Gamestation Mega, as well as connected TVs via HDMI. It’s set to make its public debut at CES 2026, with a retail price of $59.99.
On paper, this is a controller aimed squarely at classic Atari fans. The gamepad includes a free-spinning paddle, trak-ball, and keypad, covering control styles that standard modern pads often struggle with. There’s also support for up to two controllers on a single device, wireless play up to 30 feet, USB-C wired connectivity, and a built-in rechargeable battery.
Compatibility and features
A notable feature is SmartGlow illumination, which lights up only the relevant controls for each game — a nice quality-of-life idea, particularly for systems that mix joystick, paddle, trackball and keypad inputs across different titles.
Compatibility-wise, it’s intended to pair neatly with the Gamestation Go and Gamestation Mega (which doesn’t seem to have been released yet), both of which offer a broad selection of Atari titles spanning the 2600, 5200, 7800 and arcade eras (much like the Atari 50 collection), including the Recharged series.
That said, it’s hard not to approach this announcement with a degree of caution. I was genuinely excited about the Gamestation Go when it was first revealed, only to be left disappointed once reviews landed. Build quality, in particular, was a recurring criticism — and that inevitably raises concerns about whether this new controller might suffer from similar issues…
When is the Atari Gamestation Gamepad available?
At $59.99, the Gamestation gamepad isn’t exactly a cheap add-on, especially for something aimed at fairly niche hardware. If the materials, buttons, paddle and trackball feel solid, it could end up being a genuinely useful companion for Atari’s modern retro line-up. If not, it risks reinforcing some of the doubts already surrounding the Gamestation ecosystem.
My Arcade will be showcasing the controller at CES 2026 in Las Vegas from January 6–9, so hands-on impressions shouldn’t be too far away. For now, the idea is appealing — but this is one that really needs to prove itself once people get it in their hands.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
