Atari Super Pong
Atari Super Pong
[Vin162]
The Atari Super Pong C-140, released in 1976, stands out in vintage computing history for its pioneering use of Atari’s “Pong-in-a-chip” IC (C010073-01), which integrated complex analog circuitry into a single revolutionary component, enabling affordable home video gaming. Its most notable features included four distinct games: Pong, Super Pong, Catch, and Solitaire, plus rare on-screen digital scoring and color output on compatible TVs, all housed in a woodgrain cabinet with detachable controllers in the Sears-branded variant.
- Manufacturer: Atari Inc.
- Model: C-140
- Type: Video game console
- Release Date: 1976
- Cost at release: ~$500 (adjusted for inflation)
- MIPS: As a dedicated analog hardware device without a CPU, it has no MIPS rating
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- Processor/Logic: Custom Atari “Pong-in-a-chip” IC (C010073-01), analog design for four games (Pong, Super Pong, Catch, Solitaire)
- Output: RF modulator (channel 3/4), color-capable with gradient effects, on-screen digital scoring
- Controls: Two integrated dial paddles, variable speed adjustment
- Power: 4 x D-cell batteries (~6V total); optional Atari #004720 AC adapter (6V DC regulated, ~500mA)
- Audio: Analog Pong beeps via discrete circuits
- Build: Plastic cabinet (woodgrain Sears version), RF cable included, no expandability
- Weight: 1.1 kg (no batteries)
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It supports zero computer languages, as there’s no CPU, memory, or programmable hardware; all four games (Pong, Super Pong, Catch, Solitaire) are permanently etched into the analog chip, making it purely a “firmware-less” appliance.
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- One of the first consoles with on-screen digital scoring and color gradients (green-to-purple on TVs).
- Hardwired analog logic: No CPU/OS, four fixed games (Pong, Super Pong, Catch, Solitaire); epitomized shift from arcades to living rooms.
- Saved Atari via massive Sears holiday orders (150k+ Pong units prior), fueling growth to Atari 2600; marked Pongmania’s peak, selling millions amid clones
- Sears catalogs touted “true Pong sounds, variable speed, color TV ready” as premium craftsmanship—no rivals matched.
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Andrew Miles