A quiet update to Atari’s Greatest Hits app has revealed early details of just the second retro arcade gaming stick for the iPad to arrive in earnest. The Atari Arcade Duo Powered stick, which gets support in the update, recreates the analog buttons and feel similar to the iCade but exchanges some of its vintage feel for more flexibility. Instead of recreating a cabinet, it represents a simpler joystick and dock combo that lets players more freely swap out the iPad and isn’t as focused on the original iPad design.
Some mysteries remain, such as how the iPad and the dock link up. Atari may still be using Bluetooth and, if so, could support games in landscape mode when it’s supported. If not, there may be a hidden Dock Connector that would keep the iPad powered and let it sit in the cradle as long as the owner likes.
Many of the details, such as the ship date and the price, are still undetermined. The iCade costs $99, and the simpler design of the Duo Powered stick could lower its practical costs
