Microvision

Lore & Background

The Microvision's design was unusual for its time: it contained no onboard processor. Instead, each game cartridge housed its own processor, making the console itself essentially a shell with controls, an LCD panel, and an LCD controller. Early cartridges used either the Intel 8021 or Texas Instruments TMS1100 processor. Due to purchasing issues, Milton Bradley switched exclusively to the TMS1100, which offered more memory and lower power consumption but was more primitive. This switch also affected the battery configuration: first-revision units required two 9-volt batteries to power the 8021's higher draw, while later units used only one active battery holder. The second battery compartment was retained but had its terminals removed, becoming a spare battery holder, to prevent a short-circuit hazard if a battery was inserted improperly.

The Microvision suffered from several design problems. Screen rot, caused by poor LCD manufacturing and sealing, leads to permanent darkening of the liquid crystal. ESD damage was a major issue: the microprocessor inside each cartridge lacked protection and was directly connected to exposed copper pins. Static discharges could destroy the cartridge's integrated circuit, a phenomenon that caused up to 60% of units to be returned as defective during the 1979 holiday season. Keypad destruction also occurred because the printed plastic overlays that identified button functions stretched and tore with use, a problem worsened by the lack of tactile feedback in the production keypad.

Reader's Guide

The Microvision holds a significant place in video game history as the first handheld console to use interchangeable cartridges, a concept that would become standard for portable gaming. Its design directly influenced later systems: Satoru Okada, former head of Nintendo's R&D1 Department, stated that the Microvision inspired the Game Boy after Nintendo designed around the Microvision's limitations. The console's technical approach—placing the processor in the cartridge rather than the base unit—was unique and foreshadowed later smart-card and module-based systems, though it also introduced fragility. The high rate of ESD-related returns during its first holiday season prompted engineering changes that improved later units. Despite its short lifespan and small library, the Microvision demonstrated that a portable, cartridge-based gaming system was viable, paving the way for the handheld market that would explode in the 1990s. Its legacy is also marked by the problems that plagued it: screen rot, ESD vulnerability, and keypad wear are now defining characteristics of surviving units, making them both rare and historically important artifacts.

Did You Know?

• Up to 60% of Microvision units were returned as defective during the 1979 holiday season due to ESD damage.
• The console had no onboard CPU; each game cartridge contained its own processor.
• The Microvision inspired Nintendo's Game Boy after Nintendo designed around its limitations.