Asteroids: Recharged Arrives on Consoles and PC

Written by Brandon Hofer on December 14, 2021

News: The classic arcade shooter receives a modern boost while staying true to the original.

Asteroids: Recharged, the modern co-op revival of the definitive arcade shooter from Atari is now available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X|S and One, Atari VCS, and PC for Steam and Epic Games Store.

Asteroids: Recharged is the latest Atari title to receive a modern refresh, following behind Centipede: Recharged and Black Widow: Recharged, and preceding 2022’s Breakout: Recharged. Known for its zero-gravity controls and surprise alien invasions, the highly influential 1979 space shooter Asteroids was arguably the original arcade high-score hunting ground, with the first high score leaderboard with the ability to enter one’s initials.

Return to the roots of the 1980’s top-grossing arcade game and Atari 2600 best seller while piloting through giant asteroids. Blast rocks into pieces and take down aliens to earn high scores with just one life on the global leaderboards. Play solo or with a friend in couch co-op, perfect for Steam Remote Play and PlayStation Share Play. Test rock-smashing skills in more than two dozen Challenges introducing tricky scenarios testing even Asteroids masters.

While staying true to the original “thrust forward and shoot” playstyle, Asteroids: Recharged ups the intensity with new powerups such as Side Shots, Rapid Fire, Mega Lasers, and a handy reflector in case a flying saucer sneaks its way into play. And if space gets too crowded, use the ultimate risk-reward “hyperspace” button to teleport to a random spot on the screen.

Asteroids: Recharged doesn’t just stand in the shadow of the past, but defines its own style with new vibrant visuals. Gameplay takes full advantage of modern widescreen displays with support for high refresh rates on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, all complemented by a modern upbeat synthwave soundtrack from award-winning composer Megan McDuffee.

“The simplicity of Asteroids is what makes it easy to learn, yet difficult to master,” said Wade Rosen, CEO, Atari. “We’re looking forward to bringing the old-school arcade action of the classic to a new audience with Asteroids: Recharged, as well as giving veterans to showcase their skills. It’s just like riding a bike, right?”

Asteroids: Recharged is now available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam and Epic Games Store for Windows PC, and the Atari VCS for $9.99. The Atari VCS versions each feature exclusive content and are optimized to work with the new Atari Wireless Classic Joystick.

Will you be picking up Asteroids: Recharged? Tell us what you think below.