The Atari Lynx was the first handheld video game system to have color graphics. It was also the first to have a backlit display, which allows it to be played in a dark room.
The system failed due to low sales. It did not sell as well as Nintendo's Game Boy and Sega's Game Gear. The Atari Lynx had a new design model called the Atari Lynx 2 which was a smaller version of the Atari Lynx.