Pringles Celebrates ZX Spectrum’s 40th Birthday

Last Updated on June 3, 2023

Ever thought a tube of crisps would get into celebrating a retro computer’s birthday?

No, nor did we. But, it has finally happened. The team behind Pringles’ UK Twitter account started their march towards retro relevancy with a surprising post that boasts a secret feature…

SOUND ON 🔊 This is a tribute to the original gamers, the OGs, who have stayed in the game since gaming began. Those who know, know.* 🟥🟨🟩🟦 Those who don’t, well, we get it if you opted for ‘Sound off’…  but watch this space. 😉 #PringlesStayInTheGame pic.twitter.com/rGkhGiGhXy

— Pringles UK & Ireland (@Pringles_UK) April 13, 2022

That’s right: it’s a tribute to the greatest British computer (prior to the Raspberry Pi, at least), the ZX Spectrum, brainchild of the late Sir Clive Sinclair.

Released in 1982, the ZX Spectrum was a hugely popular system in the UK, with only the Commodore 64 (released in the same year) coming close to its popularity.

Games for the ZX Spectrum game on cassette at first. Unlike the Commodore 64, which required a very specific cassette player, a ZX Spectrum could load games from any standalone cassette player with an audio output.

Did you watch with the sound on or off? If you took the latter option, you might have found the audio a bit uncomfortable, especially if your retro gaming interest is in consoles or 1990s systems.

But it seems that audio is for more than just effect. That’s right – it’s a program!

More importantly, it is an Easter egg that yielded a special prize for the first person to recapture the audio, load it up in a ZX Spectrum, and send a photo of the screen.

It’s not clear if this is a general approach by Pringles towards retro systems celebrating an anniversary this year, or just the ZX Spectrum. Either way, thanks Pringles!