Pong
NEWWorks on both desktop and mobile. Tap or click to play.
About This Game
Play the original arcade classic Pong free online. Beat the computer to 7 points. Drag, mouse, or arrow keys to move your paddle. Works on mobile and desktop.
How to play Pong
Objective: Be the first to reach 7 points by getting the ball past the computer's paddle on the right side of the board.
You control the cyan paddle on the left; the computer controls the amber paddle on the right. Move up and down with the Arrow keys or the W and S keys, or drag your finger or mouse anywhere on the board to snap the paddle to that height. A point is scored when the ball crosses an edge: past your left edge the CPU scores, past the right edge you score. First to 7 points wins the match.
The ball serves from the center with a fixed horizontal speed and a random vertical angle, then re-serves toward the side that just scored the point. It bounces off the top and bottom walls on its own, so only the left and right edges matter. There are no lives or timer, just the running score to 7. Your paddle moves at speed 6 while the CPU's moves at 4.6.
Where the ball hits your paddle sets its return angle. A dead-center hit sends it back nearly flat; a hit near the top or bottom edge fires it at a steep angle. This contact point is your only aiming tool. Every paddle hit also speeds the ball up about four percent horizontally, so rallies get faster the longer they run.
Tips and strategy
Aim with the edges
The return angle comes only from where the ball touches your paddle. Meet it with the top or bottom portion to fire it sharply cross-court and force the CPU to travel farther. A dead-center hit sends it straight back where the computer sits.
Exploit the deadzone
The CPU only reacts once the ball is more than 8 pixels off its paddle's center, and it moves at 4.6 versus your 6. Steep shots that keep changing height make it chase and fall behind.
Win in long rallies
Each hit makes the ball four percent faster horizontally, but the CPU's speed stays fixed at 4.6. Extending a rally with edge returns tilts fast exchanges your way, since only paddle hits speed the ball up and the computer at 4.6 cannot keep up once several exchanges have accelerated it.
Drag for fast recovery
On touch or mouse, dragging snaps the paddle straight to your pointer's height instead of sliding at speed 6. When the ball races back after several wall bounces, a drag repositions instantly where the keys arrive too late.
The history of Pong
Pong was released by Atari in 1972 and became one of the first commercially successful video games. It was built by engineer Allan Alcorn as a training exercise assigned by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, and its table-tennis premise of two paddles and a bouncing ball made it easy for anyone to pick up. The arcade cabinet was a hit and helped launch the arcade industry. This version keeps the core intact: a first-to-7 duel against a computer with a ball that speeds up as the rally continues.
Frequently asked questions
How many points do I need to win?
You need 7 points. The score at the top shows You and CPU counts, and the moment either side reaches 7 the game ends with a You Win or CPU Wins message. There are no sets or best-of rounds; one race to 7 decides the match.
What are the paddle controls?
Move your paddle with the Arrow Up and Arrow Down keys or the W and S keys, which glide it at a set speed. You can also drag with your finger or mouse anywhere on the board to snap the paddle directly to that height.
Does the ball get faster during a game?
Yes. Every time the ball hits either paddle, its horizontal speed increases by about four percent. Bouncing off the top and bottom walls does not change its speed. Long rallies steadily accelerate the ball, so the later stages are much harder to track than the opening serve.
Are my Pong wins saved?
Your total number of wins is stored in your browser and shown as the green Wins counter beside the score. It goes up by one only when you win a game and persists between visits on the same browser. Match scores reset to zero each time you start a new game.