Overview
The Atari Lynx was the first handheld with a backlit colour display, released in 1989 alongside the Game Boy. Featuring hardware sprite scaling and impressive graphics, it was technically superior but its size, battery consumption, and price prevented success against Nintendo’s simpler, cheaper device.
Fast Facts
- Released: 1989
- CPU: 65C02 @ 4 MHz + custom chips
- Screen: 160×102, 4096 colours
- Innovation: First colour handheld, hardware scaling
- Price: $179
Specifications
| Component | Detail |
|---|
| Display | Backlit colour LCD |
| Resolution | 160×102 |
| Colours | 4096 |
| Sprites | Hardware scaling/rotation |
| Battery | 4-5 hours (6 AA) |
Technical Innovations
| Feature | Significance |
|---|
| Hardware scaling | First handheld with this |
| Rotation | Screen flip for left-handed |
| ComLynx | Up to 18-player networking |
| Ambidextrous | Left or right-handed play |
Why It Failed
| Lynx | Game Boy |
|---|
| 4-5 hour battery | 30+ hour battery |
| $179 price | $89 price |
| Large and heavy | Pocket-sized |
| Late software | Tetris at launch |
Notable Games
| Game | Notes |
|---|
| California Games | Excellent port |
| Chip’s Challenge | Puzzle classic |
| Blue Lightning | Flight action |
| Klax | Puzzle game |
Legacy
The Lynx demonstrated that technical excellence doesn’t win markets. However, its hardware innovations—scaling, rotation, networking—influenced future handheld design.
See Also