Atari is back and has partnered with FMTwo to provide fans lots of gaming fun right on their wrists.
The Gameband smartwatch is a step away from the headline-hogging Android Wear smartwatches of today as it veers its focus more on gaming.
Despite Gameband's nod to the past, it is "far from retro" as the company describes it. The Gameband boasts of some impressive specs including a 1.6-inch Square AMOLED display with a 320 x 320 pixel resolution and the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100. Incidentally, these specs are similar to what the LG Watch Style has as Android Guys pointed out.
The Gameband comes with 512MB of RAM and 4GB ROM. It also has an upgradeable microSD storage support which allows users to carry files such as music and photos with them everywhere they go. The gaming smartwatch can be plugged to a PC through the USB-Type C port which allows users to play the pre-installed games on the computer. All they need to do is plug, launch Pixel Furnace and play. Speaking of, the Gameband has two versions - the Atari and Terraria - which come with different pre-installed game titles. The games in the Atari version include Asteroids, Crystal Castles and Pong. The other version contains the Terraria game.
The Gameband does not only look great with its black and red minimalist ensemble, it also packs power as it makes use of a 400mAh battery. It is also power efficient. The Gameband uses around 25 percent less power which extends the battery life and lets users enjoy their classic Atari games even more. For connectivity, it utilizes Bluetooth 4.2 and Wifi 802.11 Dual Band. The Gameband also comes with a 3-axis Accelerometer, a Gyro Sensor, and a Light Sensor.
News of Atari making a comeback surfaced early this year after the Gameband teaser was released which featured the iconic Atari logo. At the time, it was not clear how Atari would stage its return. Now that the company has just revealed what it describes as the first smartwatch for gamers, old fans of Atari and younger gamers who live and breathe gaming will definitely get a kick out of the device.
Reports say that the Gameband will sell for $199 but new Kickstarter backers can get it for $149. Those who have already donated to the campaign only doled out $99 for a unit.
