ZX Spectrum

ZX Spectrum 16K and 48K The Spectrum arrived in April 1982 at £125 for the 16K model and £175 for the 48K, later cut to £99 and £129, and more than five million were sold. That low price helped pave the way for home computer games as we know them, and it is why the software library is so deep. The original rubber keyboard is the defining feel and a long-standing complaint; the later Spectrum+ was built to answer it. Loading from cassette is part of the ritual, but SD card interfaces can now replace the recorder entirely. For a no-fuss alternative, Retro Games' recreation, The Spectrum, launched in November 2024 with a working replica of the rubber keyboard and HDMI output.