Atari VCS: How to pair a joystick - Wired and Wireless pairing explained

The new Atari VCS console returned with a classic joystick controller. The Atari VCS controller is similarly designed to the old-school Atari controllers back in the 80s. 

However, this Atari VCS classic joystick has modern connectivity features to the console, such as wireless support. 

The Atari joystick’s design is where retro designs meet the features of a modern console controller. The joystick’s look is also a modern take of the old Atari controllers too. 

Even with its modern features, it can be confusing to use the Atari joystick. The design may be alien for today’s standards but it’ll be easy once the steps is known.

Old-school wired joystick 

To get started, connect a USB cable to your Atari VCS classic joystick. Afterwards, connect the joystick to your console. 

Make sure to have the cable long enough as using the Atari classic joystick can be hefty and full of movement. Short cables could get disconnected when trying to use the joystick’s movement stick.

Once it’s connected, boot up the Atari VCS console. Let the console detect the wired joystick and a message will pop up on the screen if the pairing is successful. 

Wireless Atari joystick 

The Atari VCS joystick can also be played wireless. To use the wireless feature of the joystick, boot up the Atari console first. 

Allow the console to fully finish booting up and the console will start flashing a blue icon on the screen. This is the sign that the console is looking for controllers to pair itself with. 

In response to the blue icon, hold down the Atari Fuji button on the joystick. This will pair the joystick to console wirelessly and simply wait for the connection to finish up. An on-screen message will also pop up once the pairing is successful. 

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