The Atari VCS is a video game console released in October 1977. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware with separate cartridges containing the game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in.
 

The VCS soon gained massive popularity as people realised it could play much more varied games than just variants of Pong, the game ‘Adventure’ changed gaming forever, as it unlocked a game with a virtual world larger than a single screen.
 
A conversion of the arcade hit Space Invaders raised the console and Atari to ever greater heights in the early 1980s, and despite a huge crash for the videogame market in the US, and Atari being sold on to several new owners, the console would have a very long manufactured life of around 14 ½ years. Some very prominent software companies such as Activision grew out of the VCS.

Our example is in excellent condition, with the finest box we have seen, PSU, and documentation.

Manufacturer: Atari
Date: October 1977

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH9400. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.