Pong at 50: the video game that ‘changed the world’

Atari’s breakthrough invention remains a ‘touchstone’ in the history of gaming

An adult and child play the Home Pong video game
Home Pong quickly soared to popularity in the mid-1970s
(Image credit: Interfoto/Alamy Stock Photo)

Today marks 50 years since the gaming giant Atari first released Pong into an unsuspecting world.

The “first commercially successful video game in history”, the electronic table tennis game has embedded itself “in the public consciousness forever”, said Kotaku’s editor, David Smith. Today, historic Pong hardware even “sits on displays as prestigious as the Smithsonian”.

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Julia O'Driscoll is the engagement editor. She covers UK and world news, as well as writing lifestyle and travel features. She regularly appears on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast, and hosted The Week's short-form documentary podcast, “The Overview”. Julia was previously the content and social media editor at sustainability consultancy Eco-Age, where she interviewed prominent voices in sustainable fashion and climate movements. She has a master's in liberal arts from Bristol University, and spent a year studying at Charles University in Prague.