Fairchild Channel F
Developer: Fairchild Semiconductor
Year Released: 1976
Generation: 2nd
Fairchild Channel F was not a popular system with only 26 game cartridges released over its lifespan. Nonetheless it is important to gaming history for having a number of original features. It was the first programmable cartridge based video game console, the first to use a microprocessor, and the first to feature a pause button.
It was launched as the Video Entertainment System (VES). When Atari released their Video Computer System (VCS)- which would later be known as the Atari 2600- Fairchild changed the systems name to the Fairchild Channel F. The âFâ in the name was meant to stand for fun.