---
title: BALLY PROFESSIONAL ARCADE IS ANNOUNCED
date: '1977-09-01'
years:
- '1977'
topics:
- Hardware
params:
  when: SEPTEMBER 1977
  image: /media/history/images/history_astrocade_1.jpg
  oc_id: 22
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221215134357/http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=22
    date: '2022-12-15'
---

![](/media/history/images/history_astrocade_1.jpg)

In September 1977, Bally, the famous pinball tables manufacturer, announced shortly after the Atari 2600, the **Bally Professional Arcade**. The first versions were shipped in early 1978 for $299.

This video game system featured a Z80 processor, three built-in games (Gunfight, Checkmate, Scribbler), a calculator with numeric keypad and up to four controllers that were a unique combination of joystick and paddle, which resembled the grip of a revolver.

Furthermore, a BASIC cartridge gave this system the ability to save programs to a cassette tape. For about 6 months, it was thus the world's cheapest computer.

Even though is was slightly superior to the competition (Atari VCS), the unit was too expensive and the sales remainded at a low level. In 1982, Bally withdrew the system and sold the rights to Astrovision Inc., a group of users who had enjoyed the system. The console was then reintroduced as the **Bally Computer System**. The same year, the company changed its name - and the system name - to **Astrocade**.

After that, Astrocade tried to keep the system alive and marketed it as a video game console for several years. In 1985, the game consoles market crashed and finally, the Astrocade company closed their doors and the Astrocade system disappeared.

![](/media/history/images/history_astrocade_2.jpg)