Atari 2600 hardware design: making something out of (almost) nothing

Author: Thom Holwerda
Source

Sponsored:

Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence - Audiobook


Uncover the true cost of artificial intelligence.

"Atlas of AI" by Kate Crawford exposes how power, politics, and profit extract from our planet, our labor, and our freedom.

From hidden mines to massive data empires, discover how AI is reshaping who we are—and who holds control.

Listen now, and see the system behind the screens before the future listens to you. = > Atlas of AI $0.00 with trial. Read by Larissa Gallagher


Recently over the holiday break, I became interested in the 2600’s hardware architecture and started reading everything that I could find about it. I knew that it was some kind of 6502-based system, and I’d heard mentions of “racing the beam”, but that’s as far as my knowledge went. I was shocked to discover how primitive the 2600 hardware was, even compared to contemporary 6502 systems like the Apple II, Commodore PET, and even Atari’s own 8-bit computers. The 2600 was a bit before my time – I’m from 1984 – and I’ve never even seen one in person. While I understand how important and influential the 2600 really was, I find the games and technology just a bit too primitive to enjoy today, whereas games for the NES I can still happily play today. I’m sure if you grew up with the 2600, you’d disagree.

Read more