Atari has been conquering new horizons by expanding its influence beyond the video game industry and into the realm of wearable technology. With their newest innovation, the “Speakerhat”, Atari hopes to seamlessly blend contemporary fashion with modern tech.
Atari has teamed up with Audiowear and NECA to design the Speakerhat as part of their “Atari Connected Life” initiative, which aims to “blur the line between fashion and future.” The Speakerhat was recently featured for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con, where attendees got to try out the innovative new cap for themselves at the Blade Runner Experience booth.
What is the Speakerhat?
Atari’s Speakerhat is a baseball-style cap that has its own set of stereo speakers built right into the hat’s bill, allowing its user to listen to music or other audio content on the go. The Bluetooth-enabled Speakerhat can connect to nearby devices to stream media content and perform other audio-based functions. The Speakerhat also features a built-in microphone, which allows it to respond to voice commands and even transmit phone calls. The lightweight design of the Speakerhat makes it easy to wear all day, and its rechargeable lithium ion battery keeps the cap charged for hours of audio entertainment.
With the Speakerhat’s Multiplayer Mode, there’s no need to share earbuds or take turns wearing headphones to enjoy the same audio content simultaneously. The Speakerhat’s patented “Social Synchronous Broadcast” technology allows multiple Speakerhat wearers to enjoy the same audio stream at the same time.
Content creators OpticDi3sel and MissesMae sat down with us to share their thoughts on Atari's new Speakerhat at the Blade Runner Experience during San Diego Comic-Con. "You can't really feel any of the electronics in it, at all," says MissesMae of the Speakerhat's lightweight design.
Limited Edition Blade Runner Speakerhat
Atari’s new fashion-forward approach to technology was inspired by their relationship with the Blade Runner franchise. Atari is one of the most recognizable brands featured in Ridley Scott’s original Blade Runner film, and has been a crucial world-building element of the upcoming sequel, Blade Runner 2049.
“No brand that did not exist when the original movie came out was eligible to be part of our film,” says Andrew Kosove, co-founder and co-CEO of Alcon Entertainment, the producer behind the upcoming sci-fi sequel. “One of the most iconic aspects of the first film is Atari…we had to bring Atari back into our film.” Broderick Johnson, Alcon Entertainment co-founder and co-CEO alongside Kosove, echoed these sentiments in a recent interview at San Diego Comic-Con, which you can view below.
Given Atari’s pervasive influence in the Blade Runner film series, Atari will also be releasing a Limited-Edition Atari Blade Runner 2049 Speakerhat with its line of wearable tech products. Along with Audiowear, Atari has partnered with collectible creators NECA to make the Speakerhat into a reality.
“The minute the new trailer hit, we started getting requests for Atari-branded BLADE RUNNER 2049 products and knew we’d need to partner with Atari to satisfy the countless joint fans of both franchises,” says NECA COO, Joel Weinshanker.
How to Receive an Exclusive Atari Speakerhat
The Atari Speakerhat is currently in beta testing. Those who wish to participate in the Speakerhat’s development process can register to become a beta tester using the contest form on the Atari Speakerhat Beta Program signup page.
Signing up for the Speakerhat Beta also enters you into a contest to win one of 10 exclusive Atari Speakerhat Beta Tester Packs, which include one Atari Speakerhat and roughly $300 worth of Atari-branded items in each pack. Head over to AtariLife.com for additional Speakerhat details and updates.
