From Tetris to StarCraft 2: Five Times Astronauts Brought Video Games Into Orbit

May 31, 2026 - 03:03

Playing video games in space is not just a fun distraction for astronauts. It has become a small but meaningful part of life aboard the International Space Station and earlier missions. Here are five notable examples of gaming beyond Earth's atmosphere.

The first video game in space was actually a hidden one. During a 1993 Space Shuttle mission, Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Serebrov smuggled a Game Boy loaded with Tetris onto the Mir space station. He played the falling-block puzzle game during downtime, making it the first handheld console to reach orbit.

In 1999, NASA astronaut Daniel Barry brought a Nintendo 64 to the ISS. He played Star Fox 64 and other titles, but the real highlight came when he used the controller to operate a robotic arm. This showed that gaming hardware could serve practical purposes in zero gravity.

During Expedition 12 in 2005, NASA astronaut Bill McArthur and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev played a round of chess against each other. While not a video game, it was a strategic game played in microgravity using a Velcro board to keep pieces from floating away.

In 2011, NASA astronaut Mike Fossum brought a PlayStation Portable to the ISS. He played various games, including StarCraft 2, though the real-time strategy game was challenging due to the lack of a mouse. Fossum adapted by using the PSP's joystick and buttons, proving that even complex PC games could be played in space with some creativity.

More recently, in 2021, the crew of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission played a custom version of the game Among Us during their three-day orbit. The social deduction game, where players identify an impostor among the crew, felt especially fitting for a real space mission. The crew livestreamed their gameplay, connecting with audiences on Earth.

These moments show that whether for relaxation, problem-solving, or pure fun, video games have become a small but enduring part of human spaceflight.