🎮 Live countdown
National Video Games Day2030 Countdown
Thursday, September 12, 2030
Date shown in UTC · Your timezone: —
About National Video Games Day
National Video Games Day is the gaming community's mid-September excuse to do the one thing it loves most: play. Observed every year on September 12 in the United States, the day honors an art form that has grown from two-paddle tennis experiments in physics labs into the world's largest entertainment industry, one that now out-earns movies and recorded music combined.
The holiday is a celebration of the medium's whole history. It embraces the arcade golden age of Pac-Man and Space Invaders, the 8-bit console wars, the rise of PC gaming, online multiplayer worlds, and today's blockbusters, indie gems, and mobile time-killers. It also recognizes the people behind the pixels, from programmers and artists to composers, voice actors, and the modders who keep old games alive.
Marking the day takes little effort. Gamers replay a childhood favorite, finally start an unplayed backlog title, or introduce a family member to couch co-op. Museums, esports venues, and developers often run sales, tournaments, and retrospectives, while social media fills with screenshots, speedruns, and warm arguments about the best game ever made.
History of National Video Games Day
Video games trace their lineage to October 1958, when physicist William Higinbotham built Tennis for Two on an oscilloscope at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and to Spacewar!, developed at MIT in 1962. Nolan Bushnell's Pong in 1972 turned the curiosity into a business, and the industry rocketed through arcades and home consoles, survived the famous crash of 1983, and rebounded with the Nintendo Entertainment System. Somewhere in the 1990s, gaming publications began claiming a Video Games Day, with some calendars listing July 8 and others September 12, both tied loosely to early Atari milestones. September 12 became the date most widely observed in the United States, and it has since evolved into an annual fixture celebrated by fans, streamers, and the industry itself.
2030 vs 2031 dates
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is National Video Games Day?
- National Video Games Day is observed every year on September 12 in the United States, though some calendars also list a Video Games Day on July 8.
- Is National Video Games Day a public holiday?
- No, it is not a public holiday. It is a fun observance for gamers, so schools and workplaces stay open, though stores often run sales and gaming venues host events.
- How do people celebrate National Video Games Day?
- People celebrate by playing favorites, trying new releases, joining tournaments, streaming marathons, and sharing gaming memories online.
- What was the first video game?
- Tennis for Two, built by physicist William Higinbotham in 1958 on an oscilloscope, is often cited, though Spacewar! in 1962 was the first widely influential computer game.