Editing Handheld TV game (section)

{{short description|Type of video game console}}
{{redirect|TV game|video games played on consoles that are usually attached to televisions|Console game}}
{{one source|date=March 2024}}
[[File:TVBoy (brighter sharper).jpg|thumb|A [[TV Boy]] with power and TV attached]]
A '''handheld TV game''' or '''plug and play game''' is an integrated [[home video game console]] and [[game controller]], usually [[Battery (electricity)|battery]] powered, which connects directly to a television. The game software is built directly into the unit, which is typically designed to look like a toy or classic game console controller with the addition of a composite video cable to connect the unit. These systems usually contain either a collection of classic games or original games based on licensed properties. Because the game software is integrated into the game unit and almost never designed to be changed by the user, these game systems are typically marketed as electronic toys or collectibles rather than game consoles.

Several manufacturers produced these devices beginning in the 1990s, though the concept became best known with the release in 2002 of [[Jakks Pacific]]'s [[Atari Joystick Controller TV Video Game System|Atari Classic 10-in-1 TV]]. Most manufacturers have their own trademarked names for these systems, such as Radica's Play TV or Majesco's TV Arcade; however, most retailers refer to them as "TV games" or "plug and play" games.