The PC-50x Family (also known as SD-050,[1]SD-070,[1]SD-090,[1]9015) is a series of home video game consoles belonging to the first generation prevalent in Europe between 1977 and the early 1980s, all produced in Asia. The designation PC-50x of the series derives from the name of the cartridges (PC-501, PC-502 ...).
The consoles do not have a central processor; all the games are implemented thanks to the individual chips in the cartridges, all based on the chip family AY-3-8xxx of General Instrument. The family also includes the so-called "9015" series in which it changes the name (9015-A, 9015-B ...) and changes the shape of the cartridges but uses the same AY-3-8xxx chips.
Common features
Some consoles produced colored screens while others were black and white. Of the color consoles some were marked with the initial letter S of SECAM, the French standard of the color coding, used for example in France (and colonies) and Russia.
Features common to all the consoles in the family are the 10 keys for choosing the game, a start/reset button, 4/5 switches for game settings and two joystick with one button on each.
For many models, in the name there are the SD letters, which stand for Soundic (Hong Kong), the real manufacturer of the console.
Consoles list
The consoles were produced in China, imported and rebranded by several companies and sold under different names.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of them.
The 10 game select keys were on one of the two controllers
Black Point FS 1003
S.H.G. GmbH
Colors
1978
West Germany
Black Point FS 2000
S.H.G. GmbH
Colors
1978
West Germany
Games
Format difference between Palson CX 336 "Supersport", Radofin Programmable Video System "1001 Superstar" and PC-501 "Supersportic", all with AY-3-8610 insidePrinztronic Superstar cartridge interior, based on the AY-3-8610 chip