GoKawiilInterim Computer Museum begins restoring Galaxy Game arcade PDP-11 system
The Interim Computer Museum has taken on a new restoration of Galaxy Game, the 1971 Stanford coin-op version of Spacewar! built by Bill Pitts and Hugh Tuck on a PDP-11/20. The project, prompted by Pitts along with Josh Dersch and Robert Schmuck, has already rebuilt the machine's power supply and gotten the PDP-11 running again, with work now shifting to refurbishing its HP 1300A electrostatic X-Y displays.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Galaxy Game predates Computer Space and is often cited as the first coin-operated video game, so preserving its original hardware helps document the earliest transition of computer gaming into public, paid settings. The 20 kV electrostatic display tubes are specialized and increasingly rare, which suggests their refurbishment could be the hardest and most consequential part of keeping this artifact operational for future display.
- Galaxy Game, built in 1971 by Bill Pitts and Hugh Tuck, ran a faithful PDP-11 port of Spacewar! rather than dedicated arcade circuitry.
- The Interim Computer Museum has restored the system's power supply and gotten its PDP-11 running again.
- Remaining work focuses on refurbishing the HP 1300A electrostatic-deflection displays, which operate at 20 kV.
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See MAME Arcade1Up Cabinet on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: icm.museum, 2026-09-29
Published there as: “Galaxy Game – Interim Computer Museum”
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