How Much Did the Fairchild Channel F Cost in 1976?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The Fairchild Channel F price was $169.95 when it was released across North America in November 1976. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $987.29 in September 2026 money, roughly 5.8 times the original price.
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Fairchild Channel F at a glance
- US launch price
- $169.95
- In today’s money
- ≈ $987.29November 1976 to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US release date
- November 1, 1976
- Where it was invented
- Stamford, United StatesThe first prototype, called RAVEN, was invented by Alpex Computer Corporation in Stamford, Connecticut, before Fairchild took it on.
- Category
- Gaming & tech
- Price source
- en.wikipedia.org
Today’s price is the US launch price adjusted for US inflation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, comparing the launch month with the latest published month. It updates automatically as new figures come out.
The first console with game cartridges
The Channel F, short for “Channel Fun”, was the first home games console to be based on a microprocessor and the first to use swappable ROM cartridges, called Videocarts, instead of having its games built in. It was first sold as the Video Entertainment System (VES) and renamed Channel F the next year.
The Fairchild Channel F price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 1976. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the original Fairchild Channel F price of $169.95 works out at about $987.29 in September 2026 money, around 5.8 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what the Fairchild Channel F sells for second-hand.
Where was the Channel F invented?
It began as RAVEN, a prototype made by Alpex Computer Corporation, a small research firm in Stamford, Connecticut. Alpex engineer Wallace Kirschner planned it, joined by Lawrence Haskel, whose first game was a version of Pong as ice hockey. Alpex could not make the console itself and was turned down by RCA and Motorola before meeting Fairchild.
Jerry Lawson and the Fairchild redesign
Fairchild sent engineer Jerry Lawson to Connecticut to look at RAVEN. He was impressed and suggested Fairchild license it, which it did in January 1976. Lawson then led a new video game division that rebuilt the prototype around Fairchild’s own F8 processor, with industrial designer Nick Talesfore and engineer Ron Smith turning its complicated controls into a single control stick.
Why the Channel F faded
It could not compete with the Atari 2600, which arrived soon after. The Channel F had only 22 games, against Atari’s 187.
Channel F facts you might not know
- Before the Channel F, Lawson had made his own arcade game, Demolition Derby, in 1975.
- It was also sold in Germany and Italy as the Saba Videoplay.
Frequently asked questions
How much did the Fairchild Channel F cost?
It cost $169.95 when it was released in North America in November 1976.
How much is $169.95 from 1976 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, the Channel F’s $169.95 price is about $987.29 in September 2026 money.
Was the Channel F the first console with cartridges?
Yes. It was the first home console to use ROM cartridges and the first based on a microprocessor.
Who was Jerry Lawson?
The Fairchild engineer who evaluated the prototype, recommended licensing it and led the division that turned it into the Channel F.
Want to compare the Fairchild Channel F price with other launch prices? See what the Amazon Fire Phone cost, browse more famous launch prices, or play this question in Price Time Machine.
Sources
Launch prices and dates are checked against the sources below. Today’s price is calculated from official US inflation data and updates automatically when new figures are published.