Atari 2600

Overview

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 (Atari VCS), 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.

During the mid-1970s, Atari had been successful at creating arcade video games, but their development cost and limited lifespan drove CEO Nolan Bushnell to seek a programmable home system. The first inexpensive microprocessors from MOS Technology in late 1975 made this feasible. The console was prototyped under the codename Stella by Atari subsidiary Cyan Engineering. Lacking funding to complete the project, Bushnell sold Atari to Warner Communications in 1976.

The Atari VCS was launched in 1977 with nine games on 2 KB cartridges. Atari ported many of their arcade games to the system, and the VCS versions of Breakout and Night Driver are in color while the arcade originals have monochrome graphics. The system's first killer application was the home conversion of Taito's Space Invaders in 1980. Adventure, also released in 1980, was one of the first action-adventure video games and contains the first widely recognized Easter egg. The popularity of the VCS led to the founding of Activision and other third-party game developers, as well as competition from the Intellivision and, years later, ColecoVision consoles. Beginning with the VCS version of Asteroids in 1980, many games used bank switching to allow 8 KB or larger cartridges. By the time of the system's peak in 1982–83, games were released with significantly more advanced visuals and gameplay than the system was designed for, such as Pitfall!.

Specifications

Manufacturer

Atari, Inc.

Type

Home video game console

Generation

Second

Released

NA September 1977; EU 1978; FRA 1982; BR September 1983; JP October 1983 ([[#Atari 2800

Discontinued

1992

Launch price

US$189.95

Units sold

30 million

Media

ROM cartridge

Processor

MOS Technology 6507

Graphics

Television Interface Adaptor

Memory

128 bytes RAM

Predecessor

Atari Home Pong; Atari Video Pinball

Successor

Atari 5200

Best-selling game

Pac-Man, 8 million (list)

Models

• Initial version
• Atari 2600+

Model names as listed by IGDB.

More from Atari

• Atari 5200 1982
• Atari 7800 1986
• Atari Lynx 1989
• Atari Jaguar 1993
• Atari Jaguar CD 1995

Sources

• Wikipedia overview and specifications
• IGDB model names
• Atari-2600-Wood-4Sw-Set.png
• Atari 2600 Prototype at CHM.jpg Pargon CC BY 2.0
• Atari-2600-Woody-FL.jpg Evan-Amos Public domain

The overview is adapted from Wikipedia and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.

Checked October 2026.