Is Alpha Beam With Ernie on Steam?

No. Alpha Beam With Ernie is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Alpha Beam With Ernie on?

Alpha Beam With Ernie is available on Atari 2600.

When did Alpha Beam With Ernie release?

Alpha Beam With Ernie was first released on December 1, 1983.

Alpha Beam With Ernie

Dec 1, 1983PuzzleAtari 2600

Alpha Beam With Ernie — frequently asked questions

Is Alpha Beam With Ernie on Steam?: No. Alpha Beam With Ernie is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Alpha Beam With Ernie on?: Alpha Beam With Ernie is available on Atari 2600.
When did Alpha Beam With Ernie release?: Alpha Beam With Ernie was first released on December 1, 1983.

About Alpha Beam With Ernie

The object of Alpha Beam is to help Sesame Street's Ernie pilot a small shuttle, collect fuel tanks (marked by a letter of the alphabet), and return them to his space ship so that he can return to Earth. The game was marketed as a family-friendly game that could teach children pre-reading skills such as identifying and matching letters. Alpha Beam was compatible with the Atari Kid's Controller, which was sold separately, although the regular keyboard controller is also compatible

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Children's Computer Workshop
Publisher: Atari
Game modes: Multiplayer
Themes: Educational
Series: Sesame Street

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

Complete

$39

Sealed

$43

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Atari	Children's	CX26103	Scarce+

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1983
Controller: Kid's Controller
Players: 1 - 2
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A Sesame Street learning cartridge for small children, cheap loose and of interest mainly to completists.

Alpha Beam with Ernie is an edutainment game that Atari released for the 2600 in 1983, developed together with the Children's Computer Workshop. Michael Callahan and Preston Stuart programmed it.

It was made to teach young children, not to entertain adult players, and it was released only on the 2600. Little else is documented about it.

How it was made

Programmed by Michael Callahan and Preston Stuart, developed by Atari with the Children's Computer Workshop, and released in November 1983.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 8 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Worth knowing

Announced in early 1983. Atari Age's January/February 1983 issue listed the tentative Sesame Street titles: "Grover's Music Maker, Alpha Beam, Oscar's Trash Race, Big Bird's Egg Catch, and Cookie Monster Munch".

Before you buy

Low risk, with no documented reproductions. Loose carts are inexpensive. Boxed and sealed copies cost several times as much, so if you are paying for a complete copy, check that the box, manual and any inserts are present and in the condition shown.