1977 · Atari, Inc. · US · console
Atari 2600
The woodgrain console that brought video games into the world’s living rooms.
Also sold as Atari VCS
Essential Trivial to run ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
The woodgrain console that brought video games into the world’s living rooms. With only 128 bytes of RAM and no video framebuffer, programmers had to "race the beam", creating legendary arcade conversions and an early Easter egg in gaming history.
Priced at $199 with two joysticks and Combat in 1977, Atari sold 30 million units. By 1982 it accounted for over 70% of the entire home console market before the market crashed in 1983.
Under the hood
- CPU
- MOS 6507 @ 1.19 MHz (Only 128 bytes of RAM!)
- Sound chip
- TIA (Television Interface Adaptor) 2 audio channels
- Graphics
- 160 × 192 (128 colors in NTSC, drawn scanline-by-scanline by CPU)
- Media
- 2 KB to 32 KB ROM Cartridges
What it cost
only about 6% of a month’s pay in 1986 · about $143 today
| US launch list price ($199 with Combat & 2 joysticks) |
$199 (1977)
about a quarter of a month’s pay · about $1,030 in today's money |
|---|---|
| Atari 2600 Jr. budget price ($49.99) | $49.99 (1986) |
| Units sold | 30,000,000 30 million units sold worldwide. |
What it's worth now
Moderate $40–90 working, depending on revision
Value tracks the revision — the heavy 'sixer' commands the most, the all-black 2600 Jr. is the entry point.
A guide to collectibility, not a valuation — real prices depend on condition, completeness and demand.
Why it mattered
Priced at $199 with two joysticks and Combat in 1977, Atari sold 30 million units. By 1982 it accounted for over 70% of the entire home console market before the market crashed in 1983.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | Stella, Stella 2014 (libretro) |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Trivial to run (0 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | A standard modern controller covers the ordinary controls, though unusual accessories may need custom mapping. |
| Runs on a handheld | Yes |
Plug and play. Flawless compatibility in RetroArch Stella core. Single-button joystick controls map instantly to any controller. The emulator names above are starting points, not a promise that every title or accessory behaves identically. Computer platforms usually add model selection, disk handling and keyboard setup even when CPU emulation itself is mature.
Firmware
This system needs no firmware file. Install an emulator, open a game, and it runs.
How many files you need: none to go and find. No separate firmware file is needed for an ordinary setup.
Firmware details checked 2026-08. Emulator requirements change — see Libretro documentation for the current list.
Where the software is
Preservation catalogues describe verified dumps; they do not grant permission to download commercial software. A curated, correctly matched set is easier to use than an undifferentiated archive.
Copyright: Commercial software remains copyrighted unless its owner explicitly released or relicensed it. Homebrew, public-domain programs and current reissues should be treated separately from abandoned commercial titles.
This site names preservation projects and explains what they are. It does not link to ROM downloads.
Where to start
- Pitfall! Platformer
David Crane’s 255-screen jungle trek masterpiece.
- Yars' Revenge Action / Shooter
Howard Scott Warshaw’s hypnotic alien battle, the best-selling original 2600 game.
- River Raid Vertical Shooter
Carol Shaw’s brilliantly paced scrolling river jet combat.
- Adventure Action Adventure
The first graphical action RPG with random item generation and the famous secret room.
- Space Invaders Fixed Shooter
The system seller that quadrupled Atari 2600 sales in 1980.
- Missile Command Defensive Shooter
Frantic city defense against incoming nuclear ICBMs.
- Demon Attack Shooter
Imagic’s visual stunner with multi-phase alien phoenixes.
- Kaboom! Reflex Action
Catch falling bombs in water buckets with paddle controllers.
- H.E.R.O. Action Adventure
Helicopter backpack cave rescuer with dynamite and lasers.
- Combat Multiplayer Tank/Biplane
The legendary 2-player pack-in cartridge with 27 game modes.
- Asteroids Multidirectional shooter
- Air-Sea Battle Fixed shooter
The verdict
Pure arcade reflex gaming with instant pickup-and-play appeal. Top titles (Pitfall!, River Raid, Yars’ Revenge, Adventure) remain surprisingly addictive bite-sized fun.
The strongest software can be rewarding, but original controls and setup assumptions may matter more than screenshots suggest.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about atari consoles and willing to learn how the original machine worked.
- Not for
- Anyone who wants a large, instantly accessible library and no model, firmware or control decisions.
Scored 4/5 for fun today and 5/5 for historical importance. Those two scores decide the label at the top — a machine can matter enormously and still be no fun.
Read more & watch
This page is 75% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.