Space Invaders
Released July 1978 Developer Taito
You slide a laser cannon left and right along the bottom of the screen and shoot rows of descending aliens before they reach you, ducking behind crumbling shields as they speed up. It is a short, score-chasing arcade classic that suits any age.
How it makes money
Watch: fine if you understand it
Space Invaders was a coin-operated arcade game: you paid for each game and played until you ran out of lives or the aliens landed, and it is reported to have grossed more than US$1 billion by 1979. Today the original is sold again by Hamster as Arcade Archives SPACE INVADERS (December 2025) for A$10.50 on Switch and A$10.45 on PlayStation 4 (it also runs on PS5), or as Arcade Archives 2 for Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series at A$13.45 to A$13.50. These editions have no ads, timers or in-game purchases, and add online high-score rankings.
How you pay
- Pay per play
Taito's 1978 cabinet charged by the game; about 750,000 machines were installed worldwide by the end of 1979, and Taito had reportedly grossed $670 million in Japan alone by the end of 1978.
- Pay once
Arcade Archives SPACE INVADERS is a single purchase of A$10.50 on Switch or A$10.45 on PlayStation 4; it includes both the black-and-white and the colour versions of the original.
- Editions
The same game was re-sold in December 2025 as Arcade Archives 2 SPACE INVADERS for Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series (A$13.45 to A$13.50), with a discount for owners of the earlier release on the same platform family.
minor part of the game
What it costs
Price: A$10.48 · everything A$10.50
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade Archives SPACE INVADERS | Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch ↗ | A$10.50 | Oct 2026 |
| Arcade Archives SPACE INVADERS PS4 version, also playable on PS5. |
PlayStation Store (AU) · PS4 ↗ | A$10.45 | Oct 2026 |
| Arcade Archives 2 SPACE INVADERS Adds Time Attack mode and variable refresh rate support. |
Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch 2 ↗ | A$13.50 | Oct 2026 |
| Arcade Archives 2 SPACE INVADERS | PlayStation Store (AU) · PS5 ↗ | A$13.45 | Oct 2026 |
| Arcade Archives 2 SPACE INVADERS | Microsoft Store (AU) · Xbox Series ↗ | A$13.45 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Age ratings
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes). They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the badges above are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- No chat
- No contact with strangers
- No user-made content
- No account needed
No chat or player-made content. The Arcade Archives release has online high-score rankings, which show scores only. It is rated G in Australia (very mild violence: shooting cartoon-like aliens).
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 Arcade Archives 2 SPACE INVADERS (Switch 2 only). |
25 December 2025 | Store page ↗ |
| Nintendo Switch Arcade Archives SPACE INVADERS (Hamster). |
25 December 2025 | Store page ↗ |
| PlayStation 5 Arcade Archives 2 SPACE INVADERS. |
25 December 2025 | Store page ↗ |
| PlayStation 4 Arcade Archives SPACE INVADERS; also playable on PS5. |
25 December 2025 | Store page ↗ |
| Xbox Series X|S Arcade Archives 2 SPACE INVADERS. |
25 December 2025 | Store page ↗ |
| Arcade cabinet Japan, July 1978; North America via Midway from November 1978. |
July 1978 | — |
Further reading
- Space Invaders on Wikipedia ↗
- Space Invaders in the World Video Game Hall of Fame (inducted 2016) ↗
- Hamster: Arcade Archives SPACE INVADERS ↗
- Arcade Archives SPACE INVADERS, PlayStation Store AU ↗
- Wikipedia ↗
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, www.hamster.co.jp, ec.nintendo.com, ec.nintendo.com, store.playstation.com, store.playstation.com, www.xbox.com, api.ec.nintendo.com, displaycatalog.mp.microsoft.com, www.nintendo.com, www.museumofplay.org. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.