What is the Atari VCS? We're not sure either, but you can pre-order it soon

After decades of radio silence, Atari announced that you'll be able to pre-order its game-console homage to '80s gaming, the Atari VCS (formerly the Ataribox), starting May 30 via an Indiegogo campaign.

It's been a long road for the mysterious vintage-looking console. The device, first announced last summer, was supposed to roll out for pre-order in December, but that was pushed back indefinitely due to unexpected production delays. And even if you pre-order it, it's not expected to ship until the spring of 2019.

Production delays aside, what exactly is this thing?

We're not sure either. The folks behind the console have revealed almost nothing about its internal specs or power, not to mention the games it will run apart from classic Atari titles like Adventure. We know it's going to run Linux, and be compatible with midrange games, not modern AAA titles.

That's not great for a console that will likely start at $199 (and that doesn't include a controller, by the way).

The Indiegogo campaign is set to kick off on May 30. While we'd like to remain hopeful, it's worth noting that the crowd-funding route doesn't tend to go well for gaming consoles.

"Indiegogo will help us market to a broader crowd than just classic Atari followers we can normally reach," Atari COO of Connected Devices Michael Arzt told Mashable.

It will also "gauge/verify market interest and gather consumer feedback."

Indiegogo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

So, should you order this thing? You have a month to decide... and a year to wait.