History of Video Game Consoles (second Generation) - List of Consoles

List of Consoles

Name Fairchild Channel F Atari 2600 Magnavox Odyssey² Intellivision Atari 5200
Manufacturer Fairchild Semiconductor Atari Magnavox Mattel Atari
Console
Launch prices US$169.95 US$199 US$200

¥49,800

 US$299 US$270
Release date
  • August 1976
  • October 1977
  • 1978
  • October 1983
  • 1978
  • December 1982
  • 1982
  • 1983
  • 1979
  • 1982
  • 1982
  • November 1982
Media Cartridge Cartridge and Cassette, available via special 3rd party attachment) Cartridge Cartridge Cartridge
Top-selling games N/A Pac-Man, 7 million N/A Astrosmash (1 million) N/A
Backward compatibility N/A N/A None Atari 2600 games through the System Changer module Atari 2600 games through the 2600 cartridge adapter
Accessories (retail) N/A
  • Driving controller
  • Keypad
  • Game Brain
  • Starpath Supercharger
  • GameLine
  • The Voice
  • Chess Module
  • Keyboard component (cancelled)
  • Entertainment Computer System
  • Intellivoice
  • Trak-Ball Controller
  • Atari 2600 adaptor
CPU Fairchild F8

1.79 MHz (PAL 2.00 MHz)

 MOS Technology 6507

1.19 MHz

 Intel 8048 8-bit microcontroller

1.79 MHz

 General Instrument CP1610

894.886 kHz

 Custom MOS 6502C

1.79 MHz (not a 65c02)
Memory 64 bytes, 2 kB VRAM (2×128×64 bits) (within a MOS Technology RIOT chip): 128 bytes (additional RAM may be included in the game cartridges) CPU-internal RAM: 64 bytes

Audio/video RAM: 128 bytes

 1456 bytes main RAM 16 kB main RAM
Video
  • 102 × 58 pixels visible
  • 8 colors, maximum of 4 per scanline
  • 160 x 192 resolution
  • 2 sprites, 2 missiles and 1 ball per scanline. Sprites can be use multiple times through the HMOVE command.
  • 2 backgrounds colors and 2 sprite colors per scanline
  • 128 colors (NTSC)
  • 104 colors (PAL)
  • 160×200 resolution (NTSC)
  • 16-color fixed palette; sprites use 8 colors
  • 4 8×8 single-color user-defined sprites
  • 12 8×8 single-color characters; 64 shapes built into ROM BIOS;
  • 4 quad characters;
  • 9×8 background grid; dots, lines, or blocks
  • 159x96 pixels (159x192 display on a TV screen, scanlines being doubled)
  • 16 color palette, all of which can be on the screen at once
  • 8 sprites.
  • 320×192 resolution,
  • 16 (out of 256) on-screen colors per scan line with 256 colors capable of being displayed at once.
Audio Mono audio with:
  • 500 Hz, 1 kHz, and 1.5 kHz tones (can be modulated quickly to produce different tones)
 Mono Mono audio with:
  • 24-bit shift register, clockable at 2 frequencies
  • noise generator
 Mono audio with:
  • three channel sound
  • one noise generator
 Mono audio with:
  • 4-channel sound
Name Vectrex Emerson Arcadia 2001 ColecoVision Bally Astrocade Sega SG-1000
Manufacturer General Consumer Electric and Milton Bradley Emerson Radio Corporation Coleco Bally Technologies Sega
Console
Launch prices US$199 N/A US$199 N/A ¥15,000(JP)
Release date
  • November 1982
  • May 1983
  • June 1983
  • 1982
  • August 1982
  • May 1982
  • 1977
  • July 15, 1983
  • 1983
Media Cartridge Cartridge Cartridge and Cassette, available with Expansion #3 Cartridge and cassette/Floppy, available with ZGRASS unit Cartridge and Cassette (SG-3000)
Top-selling games N/A N/A Donkey Kong (pack-in) N/A N/A
Backward compatibility N/A N/A Compatible with Atari 2600 Via Expansion #1 N/A N/A
Accessories (retail)
  • 3-D Imager
  • Light Pen
 N/A
  • Expansion #1
  • Expansion #2
  • Expansion #3
  • Roller Controller
  • Super Action Controller Set
  • ZGRASS unit
 N/A
CPU Motorola 68A09

1.5 MHz

 Signetics 2650 CPU

3.58 MHz

 Zilog Z80A

3.58 MHz

 Zilog Z80

1.789 MHz

 NEC 780C (clone of Zilog Z80)

3.58 MHz for NTSC, 3.55 MHz for PAL
Memory 1 kB main RAM 512 bytes 8 kB main RAM

16 kB VRAM

 4k (up to 64k with external modules in the expansion port) 16 kB Main RAM

16 kB VRAM
Video Built in vector CRT
  • 128x208 / 128x104
  • 8 Colours
  • 256x192 resolution
  • 32 sprites, maximum of 4 sprites per scanline
  • 16 colors
  • Resolution: True 160x102 / Basic 160x88 / Expanded RAM 320x204
  • Colors: True 8* / Basic 2
  • 256x192 resolution
  • 32 sprites, maximum of 4 sprites per scanline
  • 16 colors
Audio Mono (built in speaker) Mono audio with:
  • Single Channel "Beeper"
  • Single Channel "Noise"
 Mono audio with:
  • 3 tone generators
  • 1 noise generator
 Mono audio with:
  • 3 voices
  • noise/vibrato effect
 Mono Audio with
  • 4-channel sound
  • 3 sound generators, 4 octaves each,
  • 1 white noise generator

Read more about this topic:  History Of Video Game Consoles (second Generation)

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