RCA Studio II
A black-and-white cartridge console that struggled against color rivals.
The RCA Studio II is a home video game console released by RCA in January 1977. It is notable for being one of the earliest cartridge-based consoles, though its black-and-white graphics and built-in keypad controllers made it resemble earlier Pong-era machines. The console was designed around the COSMAC 1802 CPU and included five built-in games.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- RCA
- Generation
- Second generation
- Price
- 149 · 1977
- Discontinued
- 1978
- Units Sold
- 53,000-64,000
- Cpu
- RCA 1802 microprocessor, 1.78 MHz
- Memory
- 512 bytes (normally used as 256 bytes display RAM + 256 bytes program RAM)
- Memory Card
- ROM cartridge
- Display
- 64x32, monochrome graphics
- Graphics
- RCA CDP1861 "Pixie"
- Controllers
- Ten-button keypads
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The RCA Studio II was developed by RCA engineer Joseph Weisbecker, who had been building his own home computer since the late 1960s and pushed the company to enter the small-computer market. The console used Weisbecker's COSMAC 1802 CPU. Joyce Weisbecker, the designer's daughter, learned programming on her father's homemade computer as a child and after graduating high school in 1976 created two games for the Studio II—School House I and Speedway/Tag—making her the first woman to develop a commercial video game.
The console lacked joysticks; instead it had two ten-button keypads built into the console itself. Its graphics were black and white and its sound was limited to simple beeps with slight variations in tone and length. The Studio II was released after the superior Fairchild Channel F, and the Atari 2600—superior to both—arrived ten months later. After poor Christmas sales in 1977, RCA discontinued the console in February 1978, laying off 120 workers at its North Carolina plant. Some analysts attributed the failure to the lack of color graphics. The remaining inventory was purchased by Radio Shack in 1978 and sold for $59.95 with a game unit and three cartridges.
Reader's Guide
The RCA Studio II holds a minor but distinct place in video game history as an early cartridge-based console that was quickly overshadowed. Its most significant legacy may be the involvement of Joyce Weisbecker, recognized as the first woman to develop a commercial video game. The console's failure led to the cancellation of its planned successor, the Studio III, which could display color but was never released; however, the Studio III was licensed and marketed through cheap Asian clones. A Studio IV was planned but never created. The Studio II itself was licensed and sold under many other names worldwide, including Mustang 9016 Telespiel-Computer, Conic M-1200, Toshiba Visicom COM-100, Hanimex MPT-02, and Academy Apollo 80, among others. Its game library included built-in titles and cartridge releases such as TV Arcade series games, TV School House titles, and casino games. A very limited release of TV Bingo (18V601) is known to have only three copies in existence as of January 2018. The console's black-and-white graphics and keypad controls, while dated even at launch, represent a transitional moment between dedicated Pong consoles and the more advanced programmable systems that followed.
Did You Know?
- The RCA Studio II used two ten-button keypads built into the console itself instead of joysticks.
- Joyce Weisbecker, daughter of the console's designer, created two games for the Studio II and became the first woman to develop a commercial video game.
- The console was sold under at least ten different names worldwide, including Toshiba Visicom COM-100 and Hanimex MPT-02.
- Only three copies of the TV Bingo cartridge are known to exist as of January 2018.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RCA Studio II?
It is a home video game console that RCA shipped in January 1977, making it one of the first systems to use removable game cartridges. Despite that innovation, its monochrome display and built-in keypad controllers gave it a look more reminiscent of Pong-era hardware than of the color cartridge machines that followed.
What games came built into the RCA Studio II?
The console shipped with five titles programmed directly into its ROM: Addition, Bowling, Doodle, Freeway, and Patterns. These were simple, single-player experiences that reflected the limited 64×32-pixel resolution the CDP1861 video chip could produce.
What hardware powered the RCA Studio II?
At its core sat an RCA 1802 microprocessor running at 1.78 MHz, paired with just 2 KB of ROM and 512 bytes of RAM. The CDP1861 'Pixie' chip handled all video output in black and white at a 64×32 resolution.
How many RCA Studio II units actually sold?
Estimates place lifetime sales somewhere between 53,000 and 64,000 units over roughly a twelve-month window from February 1977 to January 1978. The console lost ground quickly to color competitors like the Atari 2600, and RCA pulled it from the market by early 1978.
Why is the RCA Studio II considered important in console history?
It proved that cartridge-based home gaming was commercially viable in the United States, arriving just months after the Fairchild Channel F and before the Atari 2600's explosive growth. Its brief run highlighted both the promise and the limitations of early cartridge design, serving as a stepping stone toward the fully color, controller-based systems that defined the next wave.
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