Here's What The Ultra-Rare RDI Halcyon Is Worth Today

In the early 1980s, LaserDisc video games started to sweep the market, with games like Astron Belt bringing interactive movie magic to arcades in 1983. Developers looked to bring this technology to home systems as well, although maybe a little too soon. One early attempt was the RDI Halcyon, a voice-controlled console created by RDI Video Systems.

Unfortunately, the RDI Halcyon didn't receive a wide commercial release before the company shut down, making the console rare and valuable. A second-hand RDI Halcyon in working condition sold at auction for $22,800 at the end of 2023, including a buyer's premium. The bundle also included copies of the system's only two games: "NFL Football: L.A. Raiders vs. SD Chargers" and "Thayer's Quest," alongside a few accessories, peripherals, manuals, and a copy of "Return of the Jedi" on LaserDisc.

Incomplete and partial setups of the system sell for substantially less, while still costing a significant amount of money. An untested part of the RDI Halcyon was sold for $3,500 by the San Diego Air and Space Museum on eBay in February 2025. Prior to the sale, the console was in the museum's archives, having been donated more than two decades ago.

On paper, the RDI Halcyon had a lot going for it. It promised high-tech features — especially for its time — including voice-activated gameplay and text-to-speech synthesis integrated directly into its operating system. However, technological innovation comes at a price, and so did the RDI Halcyon.

Even before the console's scarcity made prices skyrocket, the RDI Halcyon wasn't cheap. It was anticipated to launch at $2,500 in 1985, which is roughly $7,430 now when accounting for inflation. Considering the average household income was $23,620 in 1985, this wasn't going to be a feasible purchase for most consumers. Because of its steep price tag, the console failed to get many preorders, and RDI Video Systems ultimately went under prior to the console releasing. As a result, they're rarely available on the second-hand market, and the models that are tend to be prototypes.

The competition that the RDI Halcyon faced was also pretty tough: Throughout the early and mid-1980s, Sega, Nintendo, and Atari all released home consoles as well, each with a lighter price attached to them. If someone picked up an Atari 5200 for less than $300, would they really be all that likely to pick up a Halcyon for nearly 10 times the price a couple of years later? Probably not.

RDI Video Systems developed the first "Dragon's Lair" game for LaserDisc, which was released in 1983 — a couple of years before the attempted launch of the RDI Halcyon. The game was launched as an arcade machine, unlike the RDI Halcyon, which was intended for use in the home. It was immensely popular, becoming the third-highest-grossing arcade game of the year. From there, the "Dragon's Lair" series was born, spanning nine games (including remakes) over a 19-year period.

"Dragon's Lair" was directed, designed, and produced by Don Bluth, an animator and filmmaker best known for his work with Disney and Steven Spielberg. He and RDI Video Systems collaborated again on another LaserDisc arcade video game, "Space Ace," which released in 1984 — around when the Halcyon was being promoted.

Despite "Dragon's Lair" and "Space Ace's" successes, they weren't either of the games ultimately made for the system, and it's not known if they ever would have been released for it. A total of six games were planned for the console, but the remaining four were cancelled before they came out. However, considering the Halcyon's lofty goals of being mostly voice-operated, the game would have been significantly redesigned to be playable on the console at all.