Home›Open Questions›Which computer game is properly the first video game: OXO (1952), Tennis for Two (1958), Spacewar! (1962), or a later commercially released title such as the Magnavox Odyssey games (1972)?Open QuestionsWhich computer game is properly the first video game: OXO (1952), Tennis for Two (1958), Spacewar! (1962), or a later commercially released title such as the Magnavox Odyssey games (1972)?Citation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextFilm and Media Atlas. "Which computer game is properly the first video game: OXO (1952), Tennis for Two (1958), Spacewar! (1962), or a later commercially released title such as the Magnavox Odyssey games (1972)?." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://media.interactiveatlas.org/open-questions-index/first-video-game-definition.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextFilm and Media Atlas. (n.d.). Which computer game is properly the first video game: OXO (1952), Tennis for Two (1958), Spacewar! (1962), or a later commercially released title such as the Magnavox Odyssey games (1972)?. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://media.interactiveatlas.org/open-questions-index/first-video-game-definitionCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{filmandmediaatlas-which-computer-game-is-properly-the-firs, author = {Film and Media Atlas}, title = {Which computer game is properly the first video game: OXO (1952), Tennis for Two (1958), Spacewar! (1962), or a later commercially released title such as the Magnavox Odyssey games (1972)?}, year = {2026}, url = {https://media.interactiveatlas.org/open-questions-index/first-video-game-definition}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXReference and ClassificationDevelopingFactsOpen QuestionCross-Tradition ConnectionsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)FactsWhy It Is OpenWell-attestedHistorians disagree because the answer turns on a contested definition rather than a missing fact. OXO ran on a specific vacuum-tube computer for a single university event; Tennis for Two used an oscilloscope display built for a lab open house; Spacewar! was the first game widely copied among research institutions on a raster-style display; and the Magnavox Odyssey (1972) was the first to reach ordinary homes commercially. Each is a genuine first by a different, defensible definition of what counts as a video game, and no consensus definition has settled which definition governs the title. 1What Would Resolve ThisWell-attestedA scholarly consensus definition of video game (display technology required, degree of interactivity, public versus laboratory intent) that the video game history field has not settled on. 1Discipline NeededWell-attestedVideo game history, computing history 1Question KindWell-attestedDating 1Question StatusWell-attestedOpen 1Reader FacingWell-attestedYes 1Open QuestionHistorians disagree because the answer turns on a contested definition rather than a missing fact. OXO ran on a specific vacuum-tube computer for a single university event; Tennis for Two used an oscilloscope display built for a lab open house; Spacewar! was the first game widely copied among research institutions on a raster-style display; and the Magnavox Odyssey (1972) was the first to reach ordinary homes commercially. Each is a genuine first by a different, defensible definition of what counts as a video game, and no consensus definition has settled which definition governs the title.What would resolve this A scholarly consensus definition of video game (display technology required, degree of interactivity, public versus laboratory intent) that the video game history field has not settled on.OpenVideo game history, computing historyWikipediaCross-Tradition ConnectionsQuestion OnVideo Games, Media Forms Well-attested Source WikipediaSources1. WikipediaWikimedia FoundationHistory of video games, early history sectionView the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year