1976 in video gaming

Electro-Mechanical Game

 * Atari releases Namco's F-1, a first-person racing arcade game.

Video Games

 * January: SEGA releases Heavyweight Champ, the first video game to feature hand-to-hand fighting. It uses controls that simulate throwing actual punches.
 * February: SEGA releases Road Race, a racing game that introduces pseudo-3D, forward-scrolling, third-person graphics.
 * April: Taito releases Speed Race Twin, a sequel to Speed Race that allows simultaneous two-player competitive dual-screen gameplay and uses colour graphics.
 * April: Atari releases Breakout, which inspires a number of Breakout clones.
 * August: SEGA releases Man T.T., also known as Moto-Cross, an early motorbike racing game, using a pseudo-3D, forward-scrolling, third-person perspective, similar to Road Race. It also introduces haptic feedback, causing the handlebars to vibrate during collisions. SEGA-Gremlin re-brands it as Fonz.
 * October: Atari Inc. releases Night Driver, an early example of a first-person perspective racing video game.