Atari 7800

Atari 7800 ProSystem
Atari 7800 System (American system with joystick controller)
Atari 7800 System (PAL system with Joypad controller)
Top: North American 7800
Bottom: European 7800
DeveloperGeneral Computer Corporation
ManufacturerAtari, Inc.
Atari Corporation
TypeHome video game console
GenerationThird
Release dateUS: May 1986[1]
PAL: 1987
Introductory priceUS$140 (equivalent to $389 in 2023)
DiscontinuedJanuary 1, 1992[2]
MediaROM cartridge
CPUAtari SALLY @ 1.19-1.79 MHz
Memory4 KB RAM
4 KB BIOS ROM
48 KB cartridge ROM space
Display160×240, 320×240 (288 vertical for PAL), 25 colors out of 256
GraphicsMARIA custom chip @ 7.16 MHz
Backward
compatibility		Atari 2600
PredecessorAtari 5200
SuccessorAtari Panther (canceled)
Atari XEGS

The Atari 7800 ProSystem, or simply the Atari 7800, is a home video game console officially released by Atari Corporation in 1986 as the successor to both the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200.[3] It can run almost all Atari 2600 cartridges, making it one of the first consoles with backward compatibility. It shipped with a different model of joystick from the 2600-standard CX40 and Pole Position II as the pack-in game. Most of the announced titles at launch were ports of 1981–1983 arcade video games.

Designed by General Computer Corporation, the 7800 has significantly improved graphics hardware over Atari's previous consoles, but the same Television Interface Adaptor chip that launched with the 2600 in 1977 is used to generate audio. In an effort to prevent the flood of poor quality games that contributed to the video game crash of 1983, cartridges had to be digitally signed by Atari.

The Atari 7800 was first announced by Atari, Inc. on May 21, 1984,[4][5] but a general release was shelved until May 1986 due to the sale of the company.[6] Atari Corporation dropped support for the 7800, along with the 2600 and the Atari 8-bit computers, on January 1, 1992.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference CE2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Patterson, Shane; Brett Elston. "Consoles of the '80s". GamesRadar. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  3. ^ Top 25 Videogame Consoles of All Time: Atari 7800 is Number 17, IGN.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference press release was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Atari Video Game Unit Introduced". New York Times. 22 May 1984.
  6. ^ AtariAge: Atari 7800 History, AtariAge.