1983 · Oric-1 · UK · computer
Oric-1 and Atmos
A British budget machine that flopped at home and thrived in France.
Mixed Trivial to run Needs a keyboard ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
Image: Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY-SA 3.0
A 1983 British budget home computer from Tangerine, pitched directly against the ZX Spectrum and, despite a shaky and bug-ridden start at home, a lasting success in France, where it held on for years after Britain had moved on.
Its best-remembered game is Defence Force, a fast and faithful take on the arcade classic Defender.
What it cost
about 15% of a month’s pay in 1983 · about $618 today
| UK launch price (£129 for 16KB, £169 for 48KB) |
£129 (1983)
British 6502 computer featuring 8-color graphics and GI AY-3-8912 sound. |
|---|---|
| Typical street price | — No verified mass-market street price recorded yet. |
| Units sold | ≈210,000 estimate Over 210,000 units sold across the UK and France. |
Why it mattered
The Oric is a reminder that home-computer history was regional: a machine that flopped against the Spectrum in Britain yet became a beloved standard across the Channel in France.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | Oricutron, MAME |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Trivial to run (1 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | This is a computer-like platform: games may use a joystick or pad, but launching and configuring software often needs a keyboard. |
| Runs on a handheld | Yes |
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
TOSEC catalogues computer disks and tapes broadly, including many revisions. It is useful for preservation, while a smaller curated selection is usually easier to play.
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
- Zorgon's Revenge 1983 action
- Defence Force 1983 shooter
The Oric's answer to Defender, and its best-remembered game.
- Xenon 1 1983 shooter
- The Ultra 1985 action
The verdict
For its French library and Defence Force; a modest but characterful catalogue.
Outside a few favourites the library is thin, and much of its best software is French.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about acorn and the british micro scene 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 3/5 for fun today and 3/5 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 50% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.