Atari used the technology it employed in its 8-bit computers (available in 1979) to develop the 5200. At the time, the "original" TV gaming device, Odyssey, from Magnavox, as well as Colecovision and Mattel's Intellivision (also sold as Radio Shack's Tandyvision), were Atari's main competitors. Atari's computers were also competing against the 5200, because gamers had discovered the machine was suited to their hobby.
With Atari's 5200, 360-degree action was introduced, paving the way for the endless succession of Madden video football games to come. The 5200 featured the first automatic TV switchbox, to switch from regular TV viewing to the game system signal. It was first to have a 'pause' feature on its controller.
