Is Basic Programming on Steam?

No. Basic Programming 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 Basic Programming on?

Basic Programming is available on Atari 2600.

When did Basic Programming release?

Basic Programming was first released on December 31, 1979.

Basic Programming

Dec 31, 1979SimulatorAtari 2600

Basic Programming — frequently asked questions

Is Basic Programming on Steam?: No. Basic Programming 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 Basic Programming on?: Basic Programming is available on Atari 2600.
When did Basic Programming release?: Basic Programming was first released on December 31, 1979.

About Basic Programming

Basic Programming attempted to teach simple computer programming on the Atari 2600. It was released in 1979, and it was one of only a few non-gaming cartridges ever designed for the 2600. The programming language was superficially similar to dialects of BASIC, but differed in many important aspects. The extremely small RAM size of the Atari 2600, 128 bytes, severely restricted the possibilities of this cartridge for writing programs.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Atari
Publisher: Atari
Themes: Educational

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

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

Loose

$15

Complete

$81

Sealed

—

Label variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Text Label	$14	$38	—

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Atari	Picture	CX2620	Scarce
North America Atari	Text	CX2620	Scarce

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

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1980
Controller: Atari Keypad
Players: 1
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

Warren Robinett's BASIC interpreter in 128 bytes of RAM, more interesting as an object than as software.

BASIC Programming is one of the few non-game cartridges for the 2600. It teaches simple programming in a dialect of BASIC. Warren Robinett wrote it, and Atari released it in April 1980.

The console's 128 bytes of RAM sharply limit what you can write, so this is a curiosity rather than a usable tool. That is also why collectors like it: it shows how far Atari tried to stretch the hardware.

How it was made

Written by Warren Robinett, who also made Adventure. Released by Atari in April 1980, with a PAL release in 1981.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 4 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Worth knowing

Dropped from catalog, 1983. The Video Game Update reported in February 1983: "Several older games have been dropped out of the catalog. Among those are GOLF, HANGMAN, BASIC PROGRAMMING, HOME RUN, OTHELLO, OUTLAW" and Human Cannonball.
1981 dealer price. Atari's confidential retailer price list for January 1 to June 1, 1981 lists Basic Programming (CX2620) in its top tier: dealers paid $26.50 against a suggested retail price of $39.95.

Before you buy

Low risk. A text-label variant exists alongside the standard cart. The two are priced about the same loose, but boxed standard copies cost more. Check which label is in the photos, and confirm the manual is included, because a programming cartridge is much less useful without it.