Gamers are expecting another great choice for a home console with the expected arrival of the Ataribox next year. Atari has already laid its plans for the console — with the start of pre-ordering period scheduled this week. Unfortunately, it appears that the company experienced a slight bump in the road, as the pre-orders are now postponed.

Atari was supposed to open the pre-orders for the Ataribox on Thursday, December 14. That would also mark the beginning of the company's crowdfunding campaign to help in the production of the console. However, Atari recently sent a message to its potential buyers saying that pre-orders have been delayed indefinitely.

Several e-mails were sent to those people who have already expressed their interest in the Ataribox, which would need to wait before Atari is ready to accept the pre-orders. As reported by Engadget, the e-mails state that the company has more work to do with the console in order to achieve the top-quality gaming platform intended for the customers.

"The countdown to the Ataribox launch on Indiegogo has been officially paused. Because of one key element on our checklist, it is taking more time to create the platform and ecosystem the Atari community deserves. Building Ataribox is incredibly important to us and we will do whatever it takes to be sure it is worth the wait," Atari revealed. 

According to The Verge, Atari could be taking its time to make sure that the Ataribox will have no issues upon launch. Updates regarding the pre-orders are not expected in the near future while the company looks for ways to improve the console, although Atari promised to talk about its plans in the next couple of weeks.

With the pre-orders on halt, it is rumored that Ataribox may not make it to the target Spring 2018 release date set by Atari. For now, it is known that the console will use a custom AMD processor and Radeon graphics card to deliver a premium gaming experience. The Ataribox will also run a customized Linux OS. The price is expected to range from $250 to $300, depending on the outcome of the crowdfunding campaign.