Atari is bringing retro gaming to your wrist with the Atari 2600 My Play Watch—a smartwatch that’s more about nostalgia than smart features. Instead of notifications and app integrations, this watch lets you play four classic Atari games: Centipede, Missile Command, Pong, and Super Breakout. If you’re looking for a fitness tracker with a twist, this one comes with step counting and a heart rate monitor—but no Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or app store access.

Priced at $79.99, the watch is up for pre-order now and is set to ship on June 10, 2025.

The Atari 2600 My Play Watch is designed to capture the look and feel of the original Atari 2600 console from the late 1970s. It features a 2.02-inch color touchscreen, a metal case, and a rotating crown dial that works as a paddle controller—perfect for games like Pong and Super Breakout. There’s also a single button below the crown to help with navigation.

If you’re wondering how well classic games play on a watch, the answer is—well, about as well as you’d expect. The crown dial mimics a joystick, which might help some of these games feel more natural than just tapping on a tiny screen. But let’s be real—wrist-based gaming has always been more of a fun gimmick than a serious way to play.

This isn’t the first time a gaming smartwatch has surfaced. The same My Play Watch team launched a Space Invaders watch through Kickstarter in 2024, but that model only had one game. The Atari 2600 version steps things up with four titles and a few customization options for watch faces and sound effects.

Atari is marketing this as a fitness tracker too, but with a very limited feature set. Here’s what you get:

• Step tracking
• Heart rate monitoring
• Calorie burn estimates

But here’s what you don’t get:

• GPS tracking
• Workout modes
• The ability to sync data with your phone

Since there’s no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, all your fitness stats stay on the watch—you can’t sync them with an app or track long-term progress. Atari is actually leaning into this lack of connectivity, pitching it as a distraction-free wearable that won’t bombard you with notifications.

To make things feel even more retro, the Atari 2600 My Play Watch comes with three interchangeable watch bands inspired by the classic console’s design:

• A wood grain-style band, just like the front panel of the original Atari 2600
• A colorful gradient band with a blocky, old-school design
• A Missile Command-themed strap, available as a pre-order bonus

You can also customize the watch faces with Atari artwork and sound effects, so your watch can look and sound just as retro as the games you’re playing.

If you’re expecting this to be a full-fledged smartwatch, you might be disappointed. 

Here’s what you also won’t find:

• No Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (so no syncing, notifications, or software updates)
• No app store or additional games (what you get is what you get)
• No word on battery life, which could be a big deal considering it’s running a color screen and playable games

Atari says the watch’s software will never be updated, meaning no bug fixes or new features down the road. That’s either a blessing (no forced updates) or a curse (no improvements), depending on how you look at it.

The Atari 2600 My Play Watch seems less like a smartwatch and more like a collector’s item for retro gaming fans. If you grew up playing Atari 2600 games and want a fun, nostalgic gadget, this might be worth checking out.

For now, it’s available for pre-order through Atari’s website, and shipping is limited to the U.S.—no word on whether it will be sold internationally.

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