“There’s a huge amount to be learned” - how the pioneering years of gaming are being preserved for a new generation in a corner of south London
The Archive of Retro Computing (ARC) has opened at Kingston University in south London as a free public exhibit showcasing the pioneering years of gaming and computing history. The collection features over 65 retro personal computers and gaming consoles spanning from the mid-1970s—when video game cartridges first emerged—through to contemporary systems, documenting approximately three decades of personal computing evolution.
Led by Paul Neve, course leader for undergraduate computing at the university, the initiative serves as a comprehensive preservation effort for gaming’s formative era. The exhibit demonstrates the rich technological development and design philosophy of early gaming and computing systems, offering both nostalgic appeal and significant educational value for visitors. By preserving these historical platforms and making them accessible to the public, the archive enables a new generation to understand how modern gaming and personal computing evolved from these foundational systems. The collection provides tangible examples of innovation and design thinking across the industry’s earliest chapters, offering valuable lessons for students and enthusiasts alike about the trajectory of technological progress in interactive entertainment.