Pac-Man
Released 22 May 1980 Developer Namco
You steer a yellow, round character through a maze, eating every dot while four ghosts chase you; a power pellet briefly lets you eat the ghosts instead. Each cleared maze gets a little faster. It is non-violent, easy to learn and aimed at everyone.
How it makes money
Watch: fine if you understand it
Pac-Man was a coin-operated arcade game: the money came from a coin for each game, and Wikipedia reports it was the highest-grossing arcade game in Japan in 1980 and in the US in 1981. Today the arcade original is sold again as Arcade Archives PAC-MAN (A$10.50 on Switch, A$10.45 on PlayStation 4), as the older ARCADE GAME SERIES: PAC-MAN (A$5.95 on PlayStation 4, A$5.35 on Xbox One), or as one of 14 games in PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ (A$29.95 to A$30.95). None of these has ads or timers; this entry covers the arcade original and its console re-releases, not mobile versions.
How you pay
- Pay per play
Namco's 1980 cabinet took a coin per game; about 400,000 cabinets had been sold by 1982, and Midway initially built 5,000 for North America.
- Pay once
Arcade Archives PAC-MAN is one purchase (A$10.50 Switch, A$10.45 PS4); ARCADE GAME SERIES: PAC-MAN costs A$5.95 on PS4 and A$5.35 on Xbox One.
- Editions
Sold again many times: Arcade Game Series (2016), Arcade Archives (2021) and the 14-game PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ collection (2022, A$29.95 to A$30.95).
minor part of the game - Cosmetics
Only in PAC-MAN MUSEUM+: an optional A$1.45 "Bonus Figure Set" of five virtual figures for the collection's arcade room; nothing is sold inside the Arcade Archives release.
minor part of the game
What it costs
Price: A$8.06 · everything A$10.50
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade Archives PAC-MAN | Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch ↗ | A$10.50 | Oct 2026 |
| Arcade Archives PAC-MAN | PlayStation Store (AU) · PS4 ↗ | A$10.45 | Oct 2026 |
| ARCADE GAME SERIES: PAC-MAN Bandai Namco's 2016 version of the arcade original. |
PlayStation Store (AU) · PS4 ↗ | A$5.95 | Oct 2026 |
| ARCADE GAME SERIES: PAC-MAN | Microsoft Store (AU) · Xbox One ↗ | A$5.35 | Oct 2026 |
| PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ (14 games, includes Pac-Man) | Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch ↗ | A$30.95 | Oct 2026 |
| PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ (14 games, includes Pac-Man) | PlayStation Store (AU) · PS4 ↗ | A$29.95 | Oct 2026 |
| PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ (14 games, includes Pac-Man) | Microsoft Store (AU) · Xbox Series ↗ | A$29.95 | Oct 2026 |
| PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ (14 games, includes Pac-Man) | Steam (AU) · PC ↗ | A$29.95 | Oct 2026 |
| PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ Bonus Figure Set (optional) Five virtual figures for the collection's arcade room. |
Steam (AU) · PC ↗ | A$1.45 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
8/ 10
Nintendo Life ↗
Reviewing the PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ collection, which contains the arcade original, the critic found it the most comprehensive Pac-Man round-up yet, despite a weak frame rate and one poor game.
-
7/ 10
Push Square ↗
The reviewer of the PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ collection liked the variety of games and mostly solid emulation but noted input lag in places and some real low points.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes). They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the badges above are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- No chat
- No contact with strangers
- No user-made content
- No account needed
No chat or player-made content. Arcade Archives has online high-score rankings (scores only); PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ offers local multiplayer in five of its games. Rated G in Australia.
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch Arcade Archives PAC-MAN; PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ is also on Switch. |
24 September 2021 | Store page ↗ |
| PlayStation 4 Arcade Archives PAC-MAN; ARCADE GAME SERIES: PAC-MAN (2016) and PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ are also on PS4. |
7 October 2021 | Store page ↗ |
| Xbox Series X|S PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ (14 games). |
— | Store page ↗ |
| Xbox One ARCADE GAME SERIES: PAC-MAN. |
20 April 2016 | Store page ↗ |
| Windows PC PAC-MAN MUSEUM+ (14 games). |
— | Store page ↗ |
| Arcade cabinet Japan location test from 22 May 1980 (as Puck Man); North America via Midway from late 1980. |
22 May 1980 | — |
Further reading
- Official website ↗
- Pac-Man on Wikipedia ↗
- Pac-Man in the World Video Game Hall of Fame (inducted 2015) ↗
- Official Pac-Man website ↗
- Arcade Archives PAC-MAN, Nintendo AU ↗
- Wikipedia ↗
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, www.nintendo.com, ec.nintendo.com, store.playstation.com, store.playstation.com, www.xbox.com, ec.nintendo.com, store.playstation.com, www.xbox.com, store.steampowered.com, api.ec.nintendo.com, store.steampowered.com, displaycatalog.mp.microsoft.com, www.nintendolife.com, www.pushsquare.com, www.museumofplay.org, pacman.com. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.