Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer (CX2600)

Name: Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer (CX2600)
Brand: Atari
Availability: InStock

The heavy sixer is the Atari Video Computer System as it first left the Sunnyvale, California plant in 1977. Atari gave it a half-inch-thick plastic bottom to make what was mostly an empty shell feel substantial, and lined it with heavy aluminum RF shielding. Inside, two circuit boards are joined by a ribbon cable, a layout Atari replaced with a single board in 1980. AtariAge says this design was made for only one year before production moved overseas and the lighter sixer took over, which is why collectors look for the Sunnyvale tag underneath. It plays the same carts as the consoles that followed, and like them it puts out RF only. Buy one for the history and the heft. If you only want to play, a later 2600 does the same job.

Heavy sixer (Sunnyvale, 1977)Light sixer (1978, mostly made in Hong Kong)Sears Video Arcade (the Sears-branded version)

Spec at a glance

Platform: Atari 2600
Type: Console
Released in North America: 1977
Model number: CX2600 (sold as the Atari Video Computer System)
Made in: Sunnyvale, California, with a plant tag on the underside
Front switches: Six: power, TV type, left and right difficulty, select, reset
Inside: MOS 6507 processor, 128 bytes of RAM, TIA video and sound chip; two boards joined by a ribbon cable
Video out: RF only, channel 3 (channel 2 or 3 on units with the bottom switch)
Power: 9V DC, 500 mA, center positive
Also listed as: Heavy Sixer, Atari VCS CX2600, Sunnyvale Atari 2600, Atari 2600 6 switch
Typical eBay ask (Oct 15, 2026): $180–$420

Before you plug it in

The version, the region and what it needs

Which one is it: Count six silver switches across the front, then look underneath for the tag from the Sunnyvale, California plant. The heavy sixer has a half-inch-thick plastic bottom and heavy aluminum RF shielding inside, so it feels heavier than the 1978 light sixer, which has thinner, more sharply angled molding and was mostly made in Hong Kong. Sears sold the same hardware under its own name as the Video Arcade.
RegionNTSC-U (North America): This is the North American NTSC console. There's no lockout chip, so any 2600 cart fits and runs, but the TV standard still matters. AtariAge's FAQ says a PAL cart on an NTSC console and TV will roll the screen and show strange colors, and SECAM 2600s exist too.
Video out: RF only. Six-switch consoles were sold with or without a channel switch reached through a hole in the bottom, set to channel 2 or 3, and ones without it output on channel 3. You need a TV that can tune analog channel 3 on its antenna input, through a manual RF switchbox or an RCA-to-coax adapter. AtariAge says the automatic switchboxes from later consoles won't work, because the 2600's signal is too weak to trip them. A composite-modded console adds an RCA jack, and it should say so in the title.
Power: AtariAge's FAQ gives the 2600 supply as 9V DC at 500 mA, center positive, outer negative. Check for the Atari adapter in the photos, or match all three of those on a replacement, polarity included.
Fakes and mods: Light sixers get listed as heavy sixers, since both have six switches, so the Sunnyvale tag is the proof. The Atari 2600+ from 2023 is a new 80% scale replica of the later four-switch woodgrain model with HDMI, and it isn't a sixer at all.

Should come with it

The Atari 9V power supply
The RF switchbox, or an RCA-to-coax adapter
Two joysticks and a Combat cartridge, the launch bundle

Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.

What to check

No picture is the usual complaint, and iFixit lists a worn power switch or a bad connection among the causes. AtariAge adds that automatic RF switchboxes don't pass the 2600's weak signal, so rule out the hookup before blaming the console.

01Sunnyvale tag: Ask for a photo of the underside. You want the tag from the Sunnyvale, California plant.
02Six switches: Count the silver switches on the front in the photos. All six should be there and straight.
03Picture: Ask for a photo of a game running on a TV. A steady color picture means the RF output works.
04Power supply: Check the photos for the Atari adapter. Its label should read 9V DC, 500 mA.
05Hookup: Look for the RF switchbox or a coax adapter in the photos. A manual switchbox is what you want, since automatic ones won't work.
06Mods: Look for an added RCA jack on the case in the photos. A composite mod should be named in the title.
07Controllers: Check which joysticks and carts are in the photos. Two joysticks and Combat make it a full launch set.
08Switches: On arrival, flip each switch with a game running. Select and reset should change the game screen.

New to retro hardware? How to check a used retro console covers testing, yellowed plastic and opened shells, and regions and video out explains what will run on what, and on which TV.

Buying guide

Which one to buy

§ Oct 15, 2026

We'd buy the Sunnyvale heavy sixer titled working at $150 with free shipping, about $30 under the $180 to $420 band, since its photo shows a joystick, Combat, the power supply and an RF switchbox. There are at least 56 for sale, and boxed chess piece box copies ask $350 to $1,040 delivered. Light sixers get listed as heavy sixers, so ask for a photo of the underside showing the Sunnyvale, California tag. It's RF only, so you need a manual switchbox or an RCA-to-coax adapter and a TV that tunes channel 3, and a replacement supply has to match 9V DC, 500 mA, center positive. Skip the $2,500 boxed set from a zero-feedback account, and compare photos on the chess piece box title that a $1,000 listing on another account shares.

Listed now: 56
For parts: 0
Typical ask: $180–$420
Full range: $89–$2,500

Cheapest
$107.52est. delivered
The lowest ask on the page at $108 delivered, a Sears Tele-Games heavy sixer shown with a game running on a TV. The title doesn't claim tested or Sunnyvale and the photo shows the console alone, so ask for the underside tag and plan on a 9V supply and a switchbox.
Atari 2600, Heavy Sixer, Tele Games
View on eBay ↗: Atari 2600, Heavy Sixer, Tele Games$107.52 est. delivered
Best value
$150.00delivered
Titled Sunnyvale and working, and the photo shows a joystick, Combat, the power supply and an RF switchbox. That's a full setup for $150 delivered, under the band.
Atari CX2600 'Heavy Sixer' Six Switch Console Sunnyvale RARE 2600 WORKING
View on eBay ↗: Atari CX2600 'Heavy Sixer' Six Switch Console Sunnyvale RARE 2600 WORKING$150.00 delivered
Easiest to get working
$318.13est. delivered
The Sears Video Arcade version, titled Sunnyvale, serviced and tested, with two joysticks, paddles, the power supply and a switchbox in the photo. It costs more, but it's ready to hook up.
Atari 2600 Sears Video Arcade 'Heavy Sixer' Console Sunnyvale Serviced/Tested
View on eBay ↗: Atari 2600 Sears Video Arcade 'Heavy Sixer' Console Sunnyvale Serviced/Tested$318.13 est. delivered

Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 15, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.

Snapshot

For sale on eBay

8 of 56 listed

Checked Oct 15, 2026. Some may have sold.

Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 15, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.

Used
- Cheapest
Atari 2600, Heavy Sixer, Tele Games
$107.52est. delivered
$89.00 + $18.52 shipping
Buy It Now$89.00
Good buy
Sears Tele-Games version. Photo shows a game on a TV and the console alone. No test claim.
Seller: emrahu35
100% positive
View on eBay ↗: Atari 2600, Heavy Sixer, Tele Games
Used
- Best value
Atari CX2600 'Heavy Sixer' Six Switch Console Sunnyvale RARE 2600 WORKING
$150.00delivered
$150.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$150.00
Good buy
Titled Sunnyvale and working. Joystick, Combat, power supply and switchbox in the photo.
Seller: gameselectronicsrus
99.9% positive
View on eBay ↗: Atari CX2600 'Heavy Sixer' Six Switch Console Sunnyvale RARE 2600 WORKING
Serviced
- Easiest to get working
Atari 2600 Sears Video Arcade 'Heavy Sixer' Console Sunnyvale Serviced/Tested
$318.13est. delivered
$300.00 + $18.13 shipping
Buy It Now$300.00
Good buy
Sears Video Arcade, titled Sunnyvale, serviced and tested. Paddles, joysticks and switchbox shown.
Seller: jdlampron
99.9% positive
View on eBay ↗: Atari 2600 Sears Video Arcade 'Heavy Sixer' Console Sunnyvale Serviced/Tested
Used
Sears Tele-games Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer Console W/Original Box
$247.62est. delivered
$224.99 + $22.63 shipping
Buy It Now$224.99
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Sears Tele-Games with its original box and games. No test claim or Sunnyvale in the title.
Seller: cindle-44
100% positive
View on eBay ↗: Sears Tele-games Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer Console W/Original Box
Serviced
Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer AV Mod Composite Video Recapped + Joystick & Moon Patrol
$269.99delivered
$269.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$269.99
Our take
Titled AV mod and recapped, with a joystick, power supply and Moon Patrol. Plugs into composite.
Seller: cdawg4949
100% positive
View on eBay ↗: Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer AV Mod Composite Video Recapped + Joystick & Moon Patrol
Used
- Check the seller
Atari CX-2600 Heavy Sixer Video Console Sunnyvale USA Games & Controllers Tested
$194.98est. delivered
$174.99 + $19.99 shipping
Buy It Now$174.99
Check the seller
Titled Sunnyvale and tested, with games and controllers. Seller feedback is 97.3%.
Seller: laumicrya
97.3% positive
View on eBay ↗: Atari CX-2600 Heavy Sixer Video Console Sunnyvale USA Games & Controllers Tested
Used
- Check the seller
Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer Console In Box Chess Piece Box Tested Works Bundle
$350.00delivered
$350.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$350.00
Check the seller
Chess piece box, titled tested. A $1,000 listing on another account has the same title; compare photos.
Seller: gameselectronicsrus
99.9% positive
View on eBay ↗: Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer Console In Box Chess Piece Box Tested Works Bundle
Used
- Check the seller
- Priced high
1977 Atari VCS Heavy Sixer Console System in Original BOX + Gatefold Collection
$2,519.94est. delivered
$2,499.99 + $19.95 shipping
Buy It Now$2,499.99
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Priced high
Zero-feedback seller asking about ten times the median.
Seller: athomegamers
No feedback yet
View on eBay ↗: 1977 Atari VCS Heavy Sixer Console System in Original BOX + Gatefold Collection

Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 15, 2026.

See every listing on eBay ↗eBay search

Compare with

Keep exploring

Platform

Type

Read

Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer (CX2600)

Heavy sixer (Sunnyvale, 1977)Light sixer (1978, mostly made in Hong Kong)Sears Video Arcade (the Sears-branded version)

Spec at a glance

Platform

Atari 2600

Type

Console

Released in North America

1977

Model number

CX2600 (sold as the Atari Video Computer System)

Made in

Sunnyvale, California, with a plant tag on the underside

Front switches

Six: power, TV type, left and right difficulty, select, reset

Inside

MOS 6507 processor, 128 bytes of RAM, TIA video and sound chip; two boards joined by a ribbon cable

Video out

RF only, channel 3 (channel 2 or 3 on units with the bottom switch)

Power

9V DC, 500 mA, center positive

Also listed as

Heavy Sixer, Atari VCS CX2600, Sunnyvale Atari 2600, Atari 2600 6 switch

Typical eBay ask (Oct 15, 2026)

$180–$420

The version, the region and what it needs

Which one is it

Count six silver switches across the front, then look underneath for the tag from the Sunnyvale, California plant. The heavy sixer has a half-inch-thick plastic bottom and heavy aluminum RF shielding inside, so it feels heavier than the 1978 light sixer, which has thinner, more sharply angled molding and was mostly made in Hong Kong. Sears sold the same hardware under its own name as the Video Arcade.

RegionNTSC-U (North America)

This is the North American NTSC console. There's no lockout chip, so any 2600 cart fits and runs, but the TV standard still matters. AtariAge's FAQ says a PAL cart on an NTSC console and TV will roll the screen and show strange colors, and SECAM 2600s exist too.

Video out

RF only. Six-switch consoles were sold with or without a channel switch reached through a hole in the bottom, set to channel 2 or 3, and ones without it output on channel 3. You need a TV that can tune analog channel 3 on its antenna input, through a manual RF switchbox or an RCA-to-coax adapter. AtariAge says the automatic switchboxes from later consoles won't work, because the 2600's signal is too weak to trip them. A composite-modded console adds an RCA jack, and it should say so in the title.

Power

AtariAge's FAQ gives the 2600 supply as 9V DC at 500 mA, center positive, outer negative. Check for the Atari adapter in the photos, or match all three of those on a replacement, polarity included.

Fakes and mods

Light sixers get listed as heavy sixers, since both have six switches, so the Sunnyvale tag is the proof. The Atari 2600+ from 2023 is a new 80% scale replica of the later four-switch woodgrain model with HDMI, and it isn't a sixer at all.

Should come with it

The Atari 9V power supply

The RF switchbox, or an RCA-to-coax adapter

Two joysticks and a Combat cartridge, the launch bundle

Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.

What to check

01Sunnyvale tag: Ask for a photo of the underside. You want the tag from the Sunnyvale, California plant.

02Six switches: Count the silver switches on the front in the photos. All six should be there and straight.

03Picture: Ask for a photo of a game running on a TV. A steady color picture means the RF output works.

04Power supply: Check the photos for the Atari adapter. Its label should read 9V DC, 500 mA.

05Hookup: Look for the RF switchbox or a coax adapter in the photos. A manual switchbox is what you want, since automatic ones won't work.

06Mods: Look for an added RCA jack on the case in the photos. A composite mod should be named in the title.

07Controllers: Check which joysticks and carts are in the photos. Two joysticks and Combat make it a full launch set.

08Switches: On arrival, flip each switch with a game running. Select and reset should change the game screen.

New to retro hardware? How to check a used retro console covers testing, yellowed plastic and opened shells, and regions and video out explains what will run on what, and on which TV.

Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer (CX2600)

Spec at a glance

The version, the region and what it needs

What to check

Which one to buy

For sale on eBay

Atari 2600, Heavy Sixer, Tele Games

Atari CX2600 'Heavy Sixer' Six Switch Console Sunnyvale RARE 2600 WORKING

Atari 2600 Sears Video Arcade 'Heavy Sixer' Console Sunnyvale Serviced/Tested

Sears Tele-games Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer Console W/Original Box

Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer AV Mod Composite Video Recapped + Joystick & Moon Patrol

Atari CX-2600 Heavy Sixer Video Console Sunnyvale USA Games & Controllers Tested

Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer Console In Box Chess Piece Box Tested Works Bundle

1977 Atari VCS Heavy Sixer Console System in Original BOX + Gatefold Collection

Compare with

Atari 2600 4-Switch Woody (CX2600A)

Atari CX40 Joystick

Atari 2600 Paddle Controllers (CX30)

Keep exploring

Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer (CX2600)

Spec at a glance

The version, the region and what it needs

What to check

Which one to buy

For sale on eBay

Atari 2600, Heavy Sixer, Tele Games

Atari CX2600 'Heavy Sixer' Six Switch Console Sunnyvale RARE 2600 WORKING

Atari 2600 Sears Video Arcade 'Heavy Sixer' Console Sunnyvale Serviced/Tested

Sears Tele-games Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer Console W/Original Box

Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer AV Mod Composite Video Recapped + Joystick & Moon Patrol

Atari CX-2600 Heavy Sixer Video Console Sunnyvale USA Games & Controllers Tested

Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer Console In Box Chess Piece Box Tested Works Bundle

1977 Atari VCS Heavy Sixer Console System in Original BOX + Gatefold Collection

Compare with

Atari 2600 4-Switch Woody (CX2600A)

Atari CX40 Joystick

Atari 2600 Paddle Controllers (CX30)

Keep exploring