Is Phaser Patrol on Steam?

No. Phaser Patrol 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 Phaser Patrol on?

Phaser Patrol is available on Atari 2600.

When did Phaser Patrol release?

Phaser Patrol was first released on December 31, 1982.

Phaser Patrol

Dec 31, 1982ShooterArcadeAtari 2600

Phaser Patrol — frequently asked questions

Is Phaser Patrol on Steam?: No. Phaser Patrol 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 Phaser Patrol on?: Phaser Patrol is available on Atari 2600.
When did Phaser Patrol release?: Phaser Patrol was first released on December 31, 1982.

About Phaser Patrol

Defeat the Dracon Armada in challenging, realistic battle action. Featuring a real-time clock, energy indicator, Alien proximity indicator, torpedo status indicator, combat-range scanner, torpedo target-lock, Dracon fighter ships, shield status indicator, message display.

Summary via IGDB.

Phaser Patrol on Wikipedia

Phaser Patrol,designed by Dennis Caswell, is the first numbered release by Arcadia for the Atari 2600 and the pack-in game for the Atari 2600 Supercharger accessory in 1982. The company changed its name to Starpath after launch, and the hardware was rebranded the Starpath Supercharger.

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

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Arcadia Corporation
Publisher: Arcadia Corporation
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action, Science fiction

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

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

Loose

$20

Complete

$65

Sealed

$115

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Starpath	Cassette	AR4000	Scarce+

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

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1982
Controller: Atari Joystick
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

The Supercharger's pack-in tape, a Star Raiders-style space combat game that shows off what the add-on could do.

Dennis Caswell designed Phaser Patrol, the first numbered release from Arcadia and the game packed in with the Supercharger in 1982. The company changed its name to Starpath after launch, and the hardware became the Starpath Supercharger.

You pilot a ship hunting Dracon invaders in a space combat simulation that is largely a clone of Star Raiders on the Atari 8-bit computers.

How it was made

Designed by Dennis Caswell. It was Arcadia's first numbered release and the Supercharger's pack-in game; the company renamed itself Starpath after launch.

What the press said at the time

Computer Entertainer Vol. 1 No. 7

October 1982

Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★½

“The real challenge is fighting the Dracons while keeping a watchful eye on the computer display which provides information on energy, shields, scanner, rangefinder, torpedos and lots more, including a radar screen.”
— Computer Entertainer, October 1982

“Your guided missiles home in on their targets (if your shooting is good) and then explode with realistic decay. It's almost like watching special effects in a movie.”
— Electronic Games, November 1982

“We applaud the high-resolution graphics and complex instrument panel — this is not a game for rookies.”
— JoyStik, December 1982

“Incredible graphics make Phaser Patrol something more than just another Sfar Raiders variant. … Challenging to play and stunning to watch.”
— JoyStik, January 1983

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 8.3 KB (8,448 bytes), measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Worth knowing

1983 Arkie Award. Electronic Games gave the Supercharger's Phaser Patrol a Certificate of Merit for Best Videogame Audio-Visual Effects in its 1983 Arkie Awards.

Before you buy

This is a cassette, not a cartridge. You need a Starpath Supercharger and a cassette player with an earphone output to play it. Ask the seller to confirm the tape loads, not just that it plays audio, and to try both sides (Side A is a quick load, Side B a standard load). Because it was the pack-in, a complete Supercharger should include it. Check that the label is printed on the cassette shell. Early Arcadia-branded and later Starpath-branded items are both genuine. No fraud cases are documented.

Authenticity & condition — Atari 2600

Specific to the format this title shipped in

Buying a Starpath Supercharger game

This game is an audio cassette, not a cartridge. It loads through the Starpath (originally "Arcadia") Supercharger, a long cartridge with extra RAM and a cable that plugs into a cassette player, so the tape on its own will not play on a 2600.

You need three things: the Supercharger, a cassette player with an earphone (or "ear"/"monitor") output, and the Supercharger's built-in cable.
Ask the seller to confirm the tape LOADS, not just that it plays audio. Side A is the quick-load side and Side B the standard load; Starpath's own manual warns some players will not load the quick side reliably, so a tape that loads from Side B only is normal. A tape that loads from neither side is the real failure.
Set the player's volume and tone near maximum and keep it away from the TV, as Starpath's manual advises. Expect the occasional reload.
The Supercharger works on the 2600, 2600 Jr. and Sears Video Arcade, but may fail on some later NTSC Atari 7800s. We found no confirmation that it works on the Atari 2600+, so assume it does not until you have tested it.
A cassette is trivially copied. On the higher-value tapes, check that the label is printed on the cassette shell itself and that both sides load, and be wary of a blank or home-labelled tape in an original box. (Our inference; we found no documented fraud case.)
Check the Supercharger's own cable for breaks near the strain relief — it is the single point of failure for every tape you own.

What a complete copy includes

Cassette
Instruction booklet
Retail box or sleeve
The Supercharger itself shipped with its attached cable, a manual and the Phaser Patrol tape. Early units are "Arcadia"-branded and later ones "Starpath"; both are genuine. The company had to drop the Arcadia name because Emerson's Arcadia 2001 console reached shelves first (Arcade Express, 26 September 1982).