PC Mode USB

One of the more anticipated features of the Atari VCS is PC Mode, which allows you to install an operating system onto an external drive and boot your VCS as a PC. Our goal is to make the Atari VCS as open and flexible as possible while maintaining the best possible user experience across both PC Mode and Atari Mode.

 

Atari VCS PC Mode USB Installation Instructions

Detailed instructions regarding Atari VCS PC Mode USB installation can be downloaded here: Link.

 

Boot Order

Installing an OS on an Internal vs External Hard Drive - the boot order for the Atari VCS is:

  1. External USB drive
  2. Internal M.2 SSD drive
  3. Atari native OS 

If you install an OS on an external drive, you simply connect the drive to a USB port and power it on in order to boot to it. In order to boot to the native Atari OS, just disconnect the drive.

If you install an OS on an internal SSD selecting which OS to boot from is more complicated. In this scenario, the VCS will always boot to the OS on the SSD unless you intervene. In order to boot to the native Atari OS you need to access the UEFI menu, and then select the Atari native OS from the list of drives under Boot Manager.