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Atari 2600

Atari 2600

Manufacturer
Atari
Production
1977–1992
Generation
Gen 2
Type
Home
Launch price
$199
Media
Cartridge
Units sold
30.0M

About Atari 2600

The Atari 2600 is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released c. September 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System, it popularized microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on swappable ROM cartridges, a format first used with the Fairchild Channel F in 1976. The VCS was bundled with two joystick controllers, a conjoined pair of paddle controllers, and a game cartridge—initially Combat and later Pac-Man. Sears sold the system as the Tele-Games Video Arcade. Atari rebranded the VCS as the Atari 2600 in November 1982, alongside the release of the Atari 5200.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Read about the Atari 2600 in the Chapter 1: Foundations era of our long-form console history.

Library & collector facts

Software library

565licensed games

  • North America: 565
Best-selling game
Pac-Man

Pricing

Launch price (1977)

🇺🇸 USD
$199

Launch titles & exclusives

Launch titles

Combat · Air-Sea Battle · Basic Math · Blackjack · Indy 500 · Star Ship · Street Racer · Surround · Video Olympics

Pack-in game

Combat

Notable exclusives

Adventure · Pitfall! · Yars' Revenge · Asteroids · Missile Command · Centipede · Pac-Man · Space Invaders · Defender · River Raid

Final licensed game

Klax (1990) was among the last licensed releases; Atari kept the 2600 in production through 1992

Most valuable collectible

Air Raid (no Atari logo, sealed examples reach $30k+); Red Sea Crossing (Christian-themed homebrew, ~$15k); Birthday Mania (personalized run, ~$8k)

Hardware specs

Cpu
8-bit MOS Technology 6507
Gpu
Television Interface Adaptor
Ram
128 bytes RAM
Weight
~2.1 kg (4.6 lb)
Dimensions
346 × 89 × 232 mm

Hardware revisions

  • Heavy Sixer(1977)

    original launch hardware made in Sunnyvale CA, premium plastics, 6 front-panel switches

    ⚠ collector premium for first-6-month production

  • Light Sixer(1978)

    Hong Kong/Taiwan manufacturing, identical look, lighter build quality

  • 4-switch wood-grain(1980)

    difficulty switches moved to rear, cost reduction

  • 'Vader' 4-switch all-black(1982)

    all-black redesign aligning with 5200 family

  • Atari 2600 Jr(1986)

    final low-cost rebox, smaller footprint, less reliable cartridge port

Launch colorways & special editions

Launch colors
Wood-grain front (launch); all-black 'Vader' (1982)
Special editions
  • Heavy Sixer launch units (1977, USA-made, premium plastic — collector prized)
  • Sears Tele-Games rebadge (1977)
  • Atari 2600 Jr cost-reduced rebox (1986)

Modding scene

Difficulty
soft-mod
Custom firmware
N/A (ROM-based); modern flashcarts: Harmony Cart, UnoCart-2600
Composite video mod is the most common hardware upgrade (RF output is rough on modern TVs); Harmony Cartridge holds the entire library on an SD card and is the standard enthusiast flashcart

Reception & legacy

Launch reception

Modest launch with thin first-year library; sales exploded in 1980 after the Space Invaders port (the first 'killer app' for any home console)

Notable controversies

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) — rushed five-week development, millions of returns, the Alamogordo NM landfill burial in 1983 became a defining symbol of the 1983 video game crash

Cultural significance

First massive-success home console; established the cartridge model and home video games as a mainstream entertainment medium; its market collapse triggered the 1983 crash that nearly killed the industry

References

More from Atari

Atari Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
1993
Atari Lynx
Atari Lynx
1989
Atari 7800
Atari 7800
1986
Atari 5200
Atari 5200
1982

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