Before they were famous: 5 early game console prototypes that shaped gaming

Gaming’s history is full of unexpected turns. Before consoles like the PlayStation, NES, or Genesis became cultural landmarks, they started as rough prototypes—unpolished hardware built to test ideas and push the limits of what was possible at the time.

Some of these early systems laid the foundation for the entire industry, like the first home console designed by an engineer who saw potential in television screens. Others reshaped gaming history entirely, like the fallout from a failed collaboration between Nintendo and Sony, which led directly to the creation of the PlayStation and one of gaming’s biggest rivalries. And a few were simply ahead of their time, offering features that wouldn’t be fully realized until decades later.

This article looks at five prototypes that didn’t just lead to iconic consoles—they helped define the direction of gaming itself. You might know the systems they became, but the stories behind these early experiments might surprise you.

Magnavox Brown Box

The console that launched home gaming

Before Nintendo, Sony, or Sega entered the picture, there was the Magnavox Brown Box—the prototype that effectively invented home gaming. Developed in 1968 by engineer Ralph H. Baer, it wasn’t much to look at: a plain wooden box with a few switches and dials. But it held a groundbreaking idea—the first real attempt to turn a television into an interactive device.

Baer first had the concept in 1951 while working as an engineer for a television company. His idea was simple but radical for the time: TVs didn’t have to be passive—they could be something you played with. The idea went nowhere back then, but years later, while working with military contractor Sanders Associates, Baer revisited the concept and started building a prototype with his team.

By 1967, they had a working model that supported multiple games, including ping pong, a chase game, and even a light gun shooter. It wasn’t flashy, but it worked—and it was fun. The prototype, nicknamed the Brown Box for its wood-paneled casing, eventually evolved into the Magnavox Odyssey, released in 1972 as the world’s first commercial home video game console.

The Odyssey didn’t just bring games into living rooms—it proved that video games could be more than a passing novelty. Without Baer’s experiments, the idea of interactive entertainment on a screen might never have caught on. In a very real sense, the Brown Box didn’t just start an industry—it created an entirely new way for people to engage with the technology of the time.

Atari Video System X

Atari’s bold experiment in console design

In the early 1980s, Atari set out to create a worthy successor to its groundbreaking 2600 console. The result was the Atari Video System X (VSX) prototype—a system designed to push home gaming forward with better graphics, richer audio, and innovative new controls. Atari’s Industrial Design Group took inspiration from high-end Bang & Olufsen products of the era, giving the prototype a sleek, minimalist look that stood out from the chunkier consoles of the time.

Built on the same architecture as Atari’s 8-bit computers, like the Atari 400 and 800, the VSX was technically advanced for its time. It featured analog controllers with 360-degree movement—an upgrade over the digital controls of its predecessor—and included a numeric keypad along with start, pause, and reset buttons. It also came with four controller ports (unusual for the era) and an automatic TV switchbox that eliminated the need for manual input switching, making gameplay smoother and more convenient.

As the system neared release, Atari rebranded it as the Atari 5200, following the naming convention set by the 2600. Despite its technical advancements, the 5200 stumbled by cutting key features from the prototype stage, including backward compatibility with the 2600’s game library. The console struggled to live up to expectations and couldn’t replicate the runaway success of its predecessor.

Only a handful of VSX prototypes are known to exist today, making them highly sought-after collector’s items. One surfaced in Northern California in the late 1990s, while another sold at auction in 2023, described as “museum-worthy.” While the system ultimately launched as the Atari 5200, the VSX represents a fascinating snapshot of Atari’s ambition at its peak—a moment when the company was still pushing boundaries and aiming to bring cutting-edge design and technology into players’ homes.

Sega Genesis Venus

The portable console that aimed too high

In the mid-1990s, Sega aimed to bring the full home console experience into gamers’ hands with the Sega Venus, a prototype that eventually launched as the Sega Nomad in October 1995. This handheld console stood out by allowing players to use their existing Genesis cartridges on the go, a feature that was quite innovative at the time.

The Nomad featured a 3.25-inch backlit color LCD screen and offered AV output for TV connectivity, effectively bridging the gap between portable and home gaming. It also included a port for a second controller, enabling multiplayer experiences—a rarity among handhelds of that era. However, its high power consumption, requiring six AA batteries for approximately two to three hours of gameplay, and its release late in the Genesis’s lifecycle limited its commercial success.

Despite its challenges, the Nomad’s concept of a hybrid gaming system prefigured modern consoles like the Nintendo Switch, which seamlessly blend portable and home gaming experiences. While the Nomad didn’t achieve widespread popularity, it remains a testament to Sega’s innovative spirit during a transformative period in the gaming industry.

Nintendo Advanced Video System (AVS)

Nintendo’s first attempt at cracking the U.S. market

When Nintendo launched the Famicom in Japan in 1983, it became a massive success almost overnight. But bringing that success to the United States wouldn’t be as straightforward. American retailers were still cautious after the 1983 video game crash, and the Famicom’s bright, toy-like design didn’t seem like it would resonate with U.S. consumers. Nintendo needed a fresh approach.

Enter the Advanced Video System (AVS), a prototype designed specifically for the North American market. Unveiled at the 1984 Consumer Electronics Show, the AVS was the brainchild of designer Lance Barr, who was tasked with reimagining the Famicom for Western audiences. His design went beyond simple cosmetic changes—this was Nintendo’s attempt to position the system as a full-fledged home entertainment hub.

The AVS featured:

Wireless infrared controllers

A light gun

A joystick

A keyboard for educational programs

A cassette player for saving and loading game data.

It looked more like a high-tech computer system than a toy, aiming to appeal to both gamers and tech-savvy adults. Despite its innovations, the market wasn’t ready for such an advanced—and expensive—system so soon after the crash.

Recognizing this, Nintendo pivoted. They stripped back the extra features, simplified the design, and focused entirely on what had made the Famicom successful: great games and solid hardware. The result was the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), released in 1985, which revived the U.S. gaming industry and became a cultural phenomenon.

Nintendo PlayStation prototype

The retro gaming legend that created an industry rivalry

Few prototypes are as legendary—or as important to gaming history—as the Nintendo PlayStation. A favorite among retro gaming enthusiasts, this rare console was the result of a brief but ambitious partnership between two giants: Nintendo and Sony. Had it gone as planned, the collaboration could have combined the cartridge-based power of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) with Sony’s cutting-edge CD-ROM technology.

The prototype was designed to play both SNES cartridges and CD-based games, opening the door for larger, more complex titles with richer audio and expanded storage. It also featured enhanced audio capabilities thanks to Sony’s expertise, making it a technically superior machine that could have positioned Nintendo years ahead of the competition.

But behind the scenes, disagreements over licensing and control of the CD format soured the partnership. In a shocking move, Nintendo backed out of the deal and instead partnered with Philips—without notifying Sony beforehand. The fallout wasn’t just a failed collaboration; it set the stage for one of gaming’s greatest rivalries. Sony, using the knowledge and experience gained from the project, launched the PlayStation as a standalone console in 1994, which would go on to dominate the industry and challenge Nintendo’s long-held market lead.

For years, the original Nintendo PlayStation prototype was thought to be lost, until a working unit was discovered in 2009 in a Pennsylvania attic. Verified by Dan and Terry Diebold and later restored by hardware expert Ben Heck, the console quickly became a prized artifact in retro gaming circles. In 2020, the prototype sold at auction for $360,000—a price worthy of what is arguably gaming’s greatest “what if” story.

The prototypes that shaped gaming’s future

These five prototypes aren’t just obscure relics—they’re milestones that helped define the evolution of modern gaming. From Ralph Baer’s Brown Box, which laid the foundation for home consoles, to the failed partnership behind the Nintendo PlayStation, each of these systems tells a story of ambition, experimentation, and sometimes, missed opportunities.

Some of these prototypes evolved into commercial successes, like the Atari Video System X, which eventually became the 5200, or Sega’s Venus, which brought console-quality games to a handheld, even if it was too ahead of its time. Others, like the Nintendo Advanced Video System, never made it past the prototype stage but still influenced the consoles we know today.

For retro gaming fans and collectors, these systems represent more than just technical milestones—they’re windows into a different era of creativity and risk-taking. There’s a certain magic in stories of rare items or forgotten prototypes turning up in attics or garage sales, like the discovery of the Nintendo PlayStation. It’s that sense of nostalgia, the love for vintage electronics, and the thrill of unearthing a piece of gaming history that keeps these early experiments alive in the hearts of enthusiasts. They’re reminders of how far gaming has come—and how much of its future is still shaped by the bold ideas of the past.