website/content/museum/atari-7800-prosystem.md

title, categories, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	origins	years	cpus	params
Atari 7800 ProSystem	Consoles	U.S.A.	1984	6502c	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos screenshots emulators links videos oc_id source 7800 ProSystem /media/museum/photos/atari_7800_1.jpg /companies/atari Atari label value NAME 7800 ProSystem label value MANUFACTURER Atari label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1984, 1986 (full launch) label value END OF PRODUCTION 1992 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Pole Position II (USA) - cartridge; Asteroids (Europe) – in system memory; 32-in-1 (Australia and New Zealand) - cartridge label value KEYBOARD 1 detachable joystick with 2 fire buttons (USA); 2 detachable controllers including a pad and 2 fire buttons each (Europe) label value CPU 6502c (custom, not 65C02) label value SPEED 1.79 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR TIA (sound chip), Maria (graphics), Riot (I/O) label value RAM 4 KB label value ROM 4 KB (BIOS) label value GRAPHIC MODES 320 x 200 label value COLORS 16 hues, 8 luminances each, 128 colors. 256 colors possible, 16 on screen at once. label value SOUND 2 channels; POKEY sound chip option in cartridges (for additional or replacement 4 channels) label value I/O PORTS RF TV video output, 2 x controller ports, expansion port (not on all system revisions) label value BUILT IN MEDIA Cartridge, 32 KB Maximum label value OS Over 65 cartridges, plus most 2600 VCS cartridges label value POWER SUPPLY External power supply unit, 9v DC 1A label value PERIPHERALS All Atari 2600 peripherals; Atari XEGS Model XG-1 Light Gun; Unreleased: Keyboard (which would allow use of Atari 8-bit computer peripherals, but not software), High Score Cartridge, Dual Controller Holder and 5200 Compatibility Module photos software emulators links videos 878 title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE /media/museum/photos/atari_7800_l-side_1.jpg title subtitle text image 7800 (EUROPEAN MODEL) /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_1b.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_front.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT PORTS These are the joystick ports and option switches /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_front_2.jpg title subtitle text image BOTTOM /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_bottom.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_r-side.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE #2 /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_r-side_2.jpg title subtitle text image CONTROLLER PAD /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_controller_1.jpg title subtitle text image JOYSTICK UNSCREWED /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_controller_2.jpg title subtitle text image US BOX /media/museum/photos/atari_7800_us-box_1.jpg title subtitle text image EUROPEAN BOX /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_box_1.jpg title subtitle text image EUROPEAN BOX - BOTTOM /media/museum/photos/atari_7800pal_box_2.jpg title subtitle text image ASTEROIDS /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_asteroids.jpg title subtitle text image BARNYARD BLASTER /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_barnyard-blaster.jpg title subtitle text image BALL BLAZER /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_ballblazer.jpg title subtitle text image BASEBALL /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_baseball.jpg title subtitle text image BASKETBRALL /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_basketbrall.jpg title subtitle text image CENTIPEDE /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_centipede.jpg title subtitle text image COMMANDO /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_commando.jpg title subtitle text image CROSSBOW /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_crossbow.jpg title subtitle text image DARK CHAMBER /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_darkchamber.jpg title subtitle text image DESERT FALCON /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_desertfalcon.jpg title subtitle text image DIG DUG /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_digdug.jpg title subtitle text image DONKEY KONG /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_donkeykong.jpg title subtitle text image DONKEY KONG JR /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_dkkjr.jpg title subtitle text image DOUBLE DRAGON /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_doubledragon.jpg title subtitle text image FATAL RUN /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_fatari_7800_ss_fatalrun.jpg title subtitle text image FIGHT NIGHT /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_fiatari_7800_ss_fightnight.jpg title subtitle text image FOOD FIGHT /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_foodfight.jpg title subtitle text image GALAGA /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_galaga.jpg title subtitle text image HAT TRICK /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_hattrick.jpg title subtitle text image IMPOSSIBLE MISSION /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_impossiblemission.jpg title subtitle text image JOUST /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_joust.jpg title subtitle text image KARATEKA /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_karateka.jpg title subtitle text image MARIO BROS /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_mariobros.jpg title subtitle text image MEAN 18 /media/museum/software/atari_7800_ss_mean18.jpg title url platform text MESS http://www.mess.org/ Multiplatform This multi-system emulator, can emulate the Atari 7800 title url text Atari 7800 FAQ http://www.atariage.com/7800/faq/index.html?SystemID=7800 What would be a system without a FAQ ? ;-) title url text AtariAge http://www.atariage.com/ What you don't know this site ?! Go there, I tell you. title url text Cousin Vinnie's Atari 7800 Panoramic Froo-Froo http://www.bigfishusa.com/7800/index.html A 7800 dedicated page with reviews and original articles title url text Dan Boris' 7800 Tech Page http://atarihq.com/danb/a7800.shtml Useful technical page title url text Jindroush's 7800 Tech Page http://cat.asw.cz/~kubecj/7800tech.htm Another interesting technical page title url text The Atari 7800 page http://www.atari7800.org/ Nice page. Instruction manual archive, Games list, Emulators, Screenshots, Schematics and more title url text The Atari History Museum http://www.atarimuseum.com/ Everything Atari !! A must see title url text Atari 7800 commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxfsb1wvWb8 Length: 51s 898 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230530065125/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=898 2023-05-30

The Atari 7800 ProSystem was originally scheduled for release in late 1984, as the follow-up to Atari’s misguided 5200 SuperSystem, but didn’t see release until 1986, when it retailed for approximately $140 (USA). Instead of competing with comparatively weaker systems like the 5200 and Coleco’s ColecoVision, the later release date for the 7800 brought direct competition from the more robust Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), released in late 1985, and the Sega Master System (SMS), which, like the ProSystem, was released in 1986.

In late 1984, despite having had successful showings at trade events, an extensive and enthusiastic preview in one of the top video and computer game magazines of the day (Electronic Games), retail orders already taken, and warehouses full of stock, Atari management decided to shelve the system and its launch games in favor of their computer line when it became apparent to them - and seemingly everyone else in the industry - that the videogame depression had become an irreversible crash. Also put on the shelf was a redesigned Atari 2600 (VCS), dubbed the Atari 2600jr, due to its diminutive size. These moves have often been criticized in hindsight, but for those around at the time, it was clear that videogames were being supplanted by low cost and powerful personal computers as the more flexible game machines of choice, and a game system in the traditional sense simply wouldn’t be financially sustainable.