Dive into the stories of the most important video game systems in history—from the Magnavox Odyssey (1972) to the Sony Playstation 5 (2020)—in Console Central, now open just outside eGameRevolution on the museum’s second floor.
- Learn how inventor Ralph Baer created the prototypes for what would become the first home console, the Magnavox Odyssey. Then test your skills on a larger-than-life version!
- Play your way through the evolution of console systems with classic games on an Atari 2600 (1977), Nintendo Entertainment System (1983), Playstation 2 (2000), and Microsoft Xbox Series X (2020).
- See rare console examples—such as a prototype Xbox 360 S and the unreleased Panasonic M2.
- Learn about the Fairchild Channel F (1976), the first video game system to use cartridges.
- See examples of lesser-known systems, such as the Toshiba Visicom (1978), GCE Vectrex (1982), and Nintendo iQue Player (2003).
Console Central is produced by The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games.