We fondly remember and love the oldest video games, including any of the Australian-distributed Pong consoles from the late 1970s. Nowadays there are just a few console manufacturers, but several decades ago, hundreds of these Pong consoles were released; other Australian distributors were Hanimex, Concord and Dick Smith.

Here we have gameplay of a first-generation home Sheen Color TV Sports TVG-406-6 console, which contained a General Instruments AY-3-8500 integrated circuit chip. This console includes four Pong game variants: tennis, practice, squash and hockey. Due to the limited technology of the time, the game is simple to play and yet mesmerising, a far cry from more sophisticated modern offerings.

While rapid technology advancements can make both hardware and software obsolete, our active and ongoing preservation ensures digital collections persist and remain accessible as cultural history.