Coleco Telstar (1976-1978)

Coleco Telstar 🥇First Home Video Game System to Sell 1 Million Units The original Coleco Telstar (Model 6040), launched in June 1976, was a monumentally successful "Pong clone" that established the Connecticut Leather Company as a major force in the first-generation video game console market. Driven by General Instrument’s revolutionary AY-3-8500 chip, which hardcoded all game logic directly onto its silicon circuitry rather than relying on a CPU, the console offered three built-in, black-and-white sports variations: Tennis, Hockey (which added dual defensive paddles to the screen), and a solo, wall-rebounding Handball mode. While its competitors from Magnavox and Atari frequently retailed for a steep $100, Coleco aggressively priced the Telstar at just $50, turning it into the must-have family electronics item of the 1976 holiday season and driving sales of over one million units. The device featured an internal speaker to generate raw, blipping game audio, integrated control knobs mounted directly onto its wood-grained plastic chassis, and a traditional analog RF switch box that broadcasted the video action straight over the household television's VHF channel 3. Acquired from: eBay.com