The First Video Game in the World (No, It’s Not Pong)

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The evolution of video games, despite its brief existence, is brimming with creative advancements and groundbreaking ideas. Since the inception of electronic gaming, pioneers have been striving to improve the experience, finding ways to make it more enjoyable, accessible, and intriguing. A well-known piece of game trivia might suggest that Pong or Spacewar! were the first video games, but technically, Tennis for Two holds the title as the very first video game ever created.

Tennis for Two is the First Video Game Ever

People well-versed in the history of early games wouldn’t find it astonishing to learn that “Tennis for Two” is an incredibly basic game. This game was ingeniously devised by American physicist William Higinbotham back in 1958, who leveraged an analog computer at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to simulate object trajectories while accounting for wind resistance. By employing the computer, an oscilloscope display, and two custom-made controllers, Higinbotham engineered a tennis-like game that bears resemblance to “Pong.

Gameplay footage from the replica game developed by BNL for the game’s 50th anniversary can be found on the YouTube channel “The Dot Eaters”. The video features a simulation of a tennis court viewed from the side with only one ball. Players control the game using a basic controller consisting of a dial and a single button, taking turns to hit the ball back and forth, mimicking a tennis rally. The dial adjusts the angle of the shot, enabling players to send the ball up or down, while the button is used for hitting the ball.

At a public exhibition organized by BNL, a game was particularly developed. The event was primarily filled with stationary displays. Seeking to add some excitement and amusement to the event, the creator, Higinbotham, found that the lab’s Doner Model 30 analog computer could simulate a bouncing ball with wind resistance. Leveraging this feature, he built his game on it. Over a three-week period, Higinbotham and technician Robert V. Dvorak designed and assembled the machine, resulting in the creation of Tennis for Two, marking the birth of video games as we know them today.

While some may point out that early games like Pong or NIMROD’s checkers program could be considered the first video games, Tennis for Two stands apart due to its primary purpose – entertainment. Most games developed during this period were designed either to showcase a computer’s processing capabilities when computers were still novel, or for training purposes. However, military simulations like those created by the American Air Force could technically be classified as video games, but their intent was primarily for training and equipping personnel. In contrast, Tennis for Two was developed exclusively with the aim of providing people an enjoyable experience, rather than serving any practical purpose.

Tennis for Two’s Legacy in Gaming History

The interactive tennis game named “Tennis for Two” made its public debut on October 18, 1958, during the BNL exhibition, and was well-received by visitors. Regrettably, the game lasted only about a year before it was taken apart in 1959 to repurpose its pieces within the lab. It wasn’t until the late 1970s, when discussions surrounding its invention resurfaced in a legal case, that “Tennis for Two” started being remembered once more.

In the 1970s, Magnavox, an American electronics company, took several arcade businesses to court for infringing on their patents regarding gaming displays. Engineer Ralph H. Baer from Magnavox was among those called to testify in this case. The lawyers representing the arcade companies argued that a game called “Tennis for Two,” created by Steve Russell and long preceding Baer’s work, demonstrated prior art which nullified Baer’s patent claims on gaming displays. Although unsuccessful in their argument, it resulted in extensive documentation of “Tennis for Two” since Higinbotham was summoned to testify multiple times throughout the lengthy legal proceedings that spanned several years.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve often found myself reminiscing about the lesser-known gems that paved the way for our current industry. One such game, which didn’t quite make it to the limelight despite its significance, is the “Table for Two.” This game, although not as influential as some others in shaping the overall landscape of gaming, still managed to catch the attention of notable publications like “Creative Computing” and “Video Replay” in the early 80s.

Despite not being a household name among early games, its lack of notoriety is what often makes it an intriguing subject in discussions about the humble beginnings of our beloved industry. The creator, Higinbotham, himself chose to focus on his work in nuclear non-proliferation post-World War II, but that doesn’t diminish the game’s importance or its impact on those who played it during its time.

Other Early Video Games (& Why Pong is Often Considered the First)

The early days of video games were marked by a historical challenge, as numerous “games” and software emerged during the developmental phase of both analog and digital computers. These creations were primarily confined to university, corporate, and governmental research facilities, making them hard to find, let alone play or distribute. This scarcity is why _Pong_ is frequently hailed as the first video game, despite _Tennis for Two_ being released more than a decade earlier.

As a gaming enthusiast, some of the early games that truly captivated me include “Computer Space”, a broader release based on the classic “Spacewar!”, “The Oregon Trail”, “Pong”, “Space Race”, and “Gotcha”. The reason why “Pong” is frequently referred to as the first real video game is due to its predecessor being one of the twelve games published on the Magnavox Odyssey, the world’s first home video game console. The association with ‘first’ that the Odyssey established in the public’s mind made it easy for people to confuse “Pong” with the earlier game when Atari released it a few months later. Regrettably, “Tennis for Two”, which was originally the first video game ever created, has been eclipsed by its more commercially successful ancestor.

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2025-08-23 17:17