History of Video Game Consoles

technology · gaming history · invention

First TV game. The Magnavox Odyssey, invented in 1972, was the first console that let you play games on your television. Ralph H. Baer dreamed it up back in 1966, but it took a few years to build.

Before video games. The very first handheld games were electro-mechanical, meaning they used actual mechanical parts and LEDs (tiny light bulbs) to show you what was happening on the screen.

The LCD revolution. When liquid-crystal displays (LCD) were invented, game makers could suddenly create screens with programmable pixels that looked more like real video games instead of just blinking lights.

Handheld pioneers. The 1979 Microvision and 1980 Game & Watch were among the first real handheld video game consoles, letting kids play games in the car, at school, or anywhere they went.