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Magnavox Odyssey²
Magnavox Odyssey2 Logo
Magnavox-Odyssey-2
Basic Information
Type(s)
Home Console
Magnavox
Magnavox Odyssey
Fairchild Channel F, Atari 2600
Unit(s) sold
2 million
Technical Information
Supported Media
Cartridge
Input(s)
2 x Magnavox Odyssey 2 Controllers, Cartridge Input, Power Switch, Keyboard
Output(s)
RF Output
CanadaUnited StatesMexico North American Release
1978
Awards | Covers | Credits | Gallery | Help
Patches | Reviews | Screenshots | Videos

The Magnavox Odyssey 2 (stylized as Magnavox Odyssey²), also known as the Philips Odyssey 2, is a second generation home video game console released in 1978. It was one of the four major home consoles prior to the 1983 video game market crash, along with the Atari 2600, Intellivision, and ColecoVision.

In 2009, IGN named the Odyssey 2 the 21st greatest video game console, out of its list of 25.[1]

Technical Specifications[ | ]

  • CPU
    • Intel 8048 8-bit micro-controller running at 1.79 MHz
  • Memory:
  • Video:
    • Intel 8244 custom IC
    • 160 × 200 resolution (NTSC)
    • 16-color fixed palette; sprites may only use 8 of these colors
    • Four 8×8 single-color user-defined sprites; each sprite's color may be set independently
    • Twelve 8×8 single-color characters; must be one of the 64 shapes built into the ROM BIOS; can be freely positioned like sprites, but cannot overlap each other; each character's color may be set independently
    • Four quad characters; groups of four characters displayed in a row
    • 9×8 background grid; dots, lines, or solid blocks
  • Audio:
    • Intel 8244 custom IC
    • Mono
    • 24-bit shift register, clockable at 2 frequencies
    • Noise generator
    • NOTE: There is only one 8244 chip in the system, which performs both audio and video functions.
  • Input:
    • Two 8-way, one-button, digital joysticks. In the first production runs of the Magnavox Odyssey and the Philips Videopac G7000, these were permanently attached to the console; in later models, they were removable and replaceable.
    • QWERTY-layout membrane keyboard
  • Output:
    • RF Audio/Video connector
    • Péritel/SCART connector (France only)
  • Media:
    • ROM cartridges, typically 2 kB, 4 kB, or 8 kB in size.
  • Expansion modules:
    • The Voice - provides speech synthesis & enhanced sound effects
    • Chess Module - The Odyssey² didn't have enough memory and computing power for a decent implementation of chess on its own, so the C7010 chess module contained a secondary CPU with its own extra memory to run the chess program.

Gallery[ | ]

See also[ | ]

  • List of Magnavox Odyssey 2 video games
  • List of Magnavox Odyssey 2 peripherals

References[ | ]

  1. Magnavox Odyssey 2 is number 21. IGN. Retrieved on 12 September 2022
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