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1970-1979 The 1970s

A handheld console takes interchangeable cartridges for the first time

Milton Bradley's handheld accepted plug-in cartridges, a decade before the idea worked properly. Fragile screens, a coarse display and a library of about a dozen games kept its life short.

Key facts and significance Hide details
Platform
Handheld systems
Region
North America
Period
The 1970s

Why it matters

One device, many games, in a pocket. That formula defines handheld gaming, and this was the first attempt to build it. The failure is instructive too, since it shows how much of the handheld's eventual success depended on display technology rather than on the design insight, which had been available all along.

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