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In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the video game market experienced an explosion of products hoping to capitalize on the success of the Odyssey and Atari. From the nigh-infinite Pong clones to the suspiciously similar consoles, consumers had far more options than they do today. This is a list of those first and second generation machines. Not all of them can be emulated or preserved, though some that can't be emulated have simulations instead. See also [[Strange and Forgotten Console emulators]], a similar page for the 90s and 2000s. Amazingly, over 900 first-generation home video game consoles are known to exist. More than 200 different companies were involved in the first generation, and while more than half only released one console, it's still a large number of companies compared to the 20 that partook on the second generation.

It's [[wikipedia:Pong|Pong]]. You can play it [http://www.ponggame.org/ anywhere]. Emulating first generation systems like these can be tricky, as the games were heavily tied to their hardware, and most were just variations of Pong.

* [http[wikipedia://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1009&st=1 APF TV Fun series|APF TV Fun]]* [[wikipedia:Video Pinball series|Atari Video Pinball]]<ref group=N name="vps">These 3 bizarre Atari models made use of bumper controllers to control some games.</ref>* [[wikipedia:Binatone|Binatone TV Master Series]]* [[wikipedia:Binatone|Binatone Color TV Game Series]]* [http[wikipedia://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=944 BSS 01|BSS 01]]

* [[wikipedia:Coleco Telstar Arcade|Coleco Telstar Arcade]]<ref group=N name="cta">Only 4 cartridges were released for this triangular abomination, but because of the console's design they can't be dumped and "emulated." They're more like activation discs for data already in the console. No known emulators.</ref>* [[wikipedia:Colorsport VIII|Colorsport VIII]]<ref group=N name="cviii">The VIII model is based on the same chip as the Coleco Telstar Arcade. It features eight (4x2) different sport games including a gun-shooting game.</ref>* [httphttps://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=3&c=676&st=3 Commodore TV Game 2000K/3000H]<ref group=N name="commodoretv">Aesthetically different but same console hardware. Their chip is also the base for other consoles such as the Coleco Telstar Arcade. Allows to play Pong-like & other games such as ''Target shooting'' (optionally playable with the optical gun), ''Tennis, Football'' & ''Squash''.</ref>* [[wikipedia:Gameroom Tele-Pong|Entex Gameroom Tele-Pong]]<ref group=N name="egt-p">The Entex model is similar to the first Japanese video game console, Epoch's TV Tennis Electrotennis, released a year prior. There was an UK version marketed by Binatone called the TV Game Unit.</ref>

* [[wikipedia:PC-50x_Family|PC-50X]]<ref group=N name="pc-50x">There were over 200 variations of the PC-50Xhome game consoles family. The units were made in various countries and were marketed by Creatronic, Hanimex, ITMC, Rollet, GrandStand, Soundic and plenty other manufacturers.</ref>* [[wikipedia:TV Scoreboard|Radio Shack TV Scoreboard ]]<ref group=N name="rstvs">The TV Scoreboard is an handheld Pong with dials or paddles made by Tandy, with support for 10 games. Also released in Germany under the name Universum Multispiel. Hanimex Model 666 & Model 677 are very similar.</ref>* Ricochet<ref group=N name="rs">4 different Ricochet models? MT-1A, MT-5A, MT-1A8, MT-4A with their own names.</ref>

* [[wikipedia:TV Tennis Electrotennis|TV Tennis Electrotennis]]<ref group=N name="tvte">Epoch's unit is the first Japanese home video game console ever & released in 1975, a few months before Atari's home Pong console.</ref>* [https://diamondminerstudios.fandom.com/wiki/TV-4_Four-Way_Video_Game TV4 Four Way Video Game]<ref group=N name="tv+4wvg">This TV+4 unit plays [https://www.mobygames.com/game/tv4-four-way-video-game 4 Pong variants].</ref>* [[wikipedia:Unisonic Products Corporation|Unisonic series]]<ref group=N name="upc">Unisonic released a series of 10 dedicated consoles between 1976-1978.</ref>* [https://diamondminerstudios.fandom.com/wiki/Volley_VI Volley VI]<ref group=N name="vvi">Volley VI* is a dedicated console actually made by company Roberts from Korea. Plays [httphttps://www.old-computersmobygames.com/museumgame/dedicated-console/computerricochet_____ 4 coloured Pong variants].asp?c=1105&st=3 </ref>* [[wikipedia:Wonder Wizard (7702)|Wonder Wizard]]<ref group=N name="ww7702">The W.W. model 7702 is basically a Magnavox Odyssey 300 with a different case.</ref>