Is Beamrider on Steam?

No. Beamrider 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.

When did Beamrider release?

Beamrider was first released on September 1, 1983.

Beamrider

Sep 1, 1983ShooterArcadeColecoVision Atari 2600Atari 8-bitCommodore C64/128/MAXZX Spectrum

Beamrider — frequently asked questions

Is Beamrider on Steam?: No. Beamrider 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 Beamrider on?: Beamrider is available on ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Intellivision, Atari 5200, MSX, Commodore 64.
When did Beamrider release?: Beamrider was first released on September 1, 1983.

About Beamrider

A web of iridescent blue beams engulfs Earth-Space. You stand watching. Mesmerized at first, you now realize the beams support weapons, frightening creations in different forms. Will you just watch or will you take action? Action??!! Then roll up your sleeves, mount these beams and... ride! Animated graphics create a 3D perspective that virtually pulls you into the screen. Pulsating sound effects intensify the action as a dizzying array of objects zips from beam to beam.

Summary via IGDB.

Beamrider on Wikipedia

Beamrider is a fixed shooter video game written for the Intellivision by David Rolfe and published by Activision in 1983. The game was ported to the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit computers, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and MSX.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Platforms: ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Intellivision, Atari 5200, MSX, Commodore 64
Developer: Cheshire Engineering
Publisher: Activision
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer
Themes: Action, Science fiction

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

59/100

from 7 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Built by
Atari 2600	1984	$70	$178	$296	Graphics ★★★ · Play-Action ★★★½	Cheshire Engineering (designed by David Rolfe)

Also released on: ColecoVision · Atari 8-bit · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Intellivision · Atari 5200 · MSX · Commodore 64. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

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

Loose

$70

Complete

$178

Sealed

$296

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Activision	Special	AZ-037	Rare
Europe Activision	White	EAZ-037-04I	—
Australia HES	—	—	—

Also released in South America by Polygram, Polyvox.

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

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1984
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1
Authenticity: Med

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

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

Activision's Intellivision shooter in a slightly reduced 2600 form, a mid-1984 release.

David Rolfe wrote Beamrider for the Intellivision, and Activision published it in 1983. The 2600 port, developed by Cheshire Engineering, followed in July 1984 with a slightly reduced feature set compared with the original.

How it was made

What the press said at the time

Computer Entertainer Vol. 3 No. 1

April 1984

Graphics ★★★ · Play-Action ★★★½

“This version for Atari 2600 is every bit as addictive as the earlier games for Intellivision and ColecoVision. The graphics have a clean look, and the designer has done a great job of simulating three-dimensional space with the use of perspective.”
— Computer Entertainer, April 1984

Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 8 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

How the Atari 2600 version differs

Beamrider began on the Intellivision. The 2600 version is a port with a slightly reduced feature set.

Also on other platforms

Intellivision · ColecoVision · Commodore 64 · Atari 8-bit · Atari 5200 · ZX Spectrum · MSX

Atari 2600	Cheshire Engineering (designed by David Rolfe)
Intellivision	David Rolfe; published by Activision

ColecoVision. The Deseret News gave it three stars in 1984 and called it basically a slide-and-shoot space game.
Commodore 64. Your Commodore called it a really good, wholesome arcade zapping game.

Worth knowing

Sold as "rare" in 1986. By spring 1986 the 2600 market had moved on far enough that Computer Entertainer's mail-order list sold brand-new copies under the heading "RARE GAMES — THESE ARE YOUR SPECIAL PRICES", at $16.00 (good through 10 May 1986).

Before you buy

Medium risk. No fakes are documented. The box and manual carry much of a complete copy's value, so check that both are present. From November 2026 Atari is reissuing Activision games as new cartridges, so confirm you are buying a vintage cart.