How to install a Windows OS on the Atari VCS

The Atari VCS brings so much nostalgia for users who grew up with the system in the eighties. Mini-consoles like these have been a varied success, from the SNES Mini, to the Mega Drive Mini.

With a massive library of games on each system, it allows so many to relive part of their childhood with Sonic, or Metroid, or simply Pong on the VCS.

However, many communities have been able to see what else these machines are capable of, and this also applies to the Atari VCS, but this time its the makers themselves where they're showing how to install Windows on the machine.

With that, here’s how to install a Windows OS on the Atari VCS.

Install Windows on Atari VCS two ways

You can install Windows on your Atari VCS in two ways: internally or externally. As posted by the official support page for Atari, the Boot Order should be:

1) External USB drive2) Internal M.2 SSD drive3) Atari native OS 

Installing the OS in the internal SSD will require you to boot the native Atari OS by having an access to the UEFI menu. You must then choose the Atari native OS from the available drives listed on the Boot Manager.

Now to install Windows in an external USB drive on the other hand, you just need to connect it to a USB port and have it powered to boot. Disconnect the drive if you want to go back to the native Atari OS.

Which way should you install Windows on Atari VCS?

It's important to keep in mind that only the 64-bit version of Windows can be installed, and it's best to have it installed on the internal drive.

However, this method can also be used for Linux, but that should only be run on an external pen drive. The way the operating system works, it's mobile enough to be used through this method, so if you want to dual-boot, this can be a great method.

Having Windows 10 on the Atari VCS could bring several benefits, such as Fortnite, or even installing Steam to see what just could work on the system, or even as a workstation.

Whichever method you decide to do, it's a great example of just how capable these machines are.

READ MORE: How the Atari VCS offers “something different” to the PS5 vs Xbox Series X console war