The closest we get is a late strip about Calvin messing with the settings on his dad's computer, if you can even call that close.

Other 80s/90s technologies like VCRs and and cable TV get mentioned a number of times, but I wonder why video games never get brought up.

I feel like one reason might be because C&H launched in 1984 1985, during the middle of the industry crash, so Watterson might've seen video games as a passing fad, and left them out to keep things more timeless.

It's also possible that Watterson was just not familiar with them, given his technophobia, and the fact that after the crash, in the late 80s and early 90s, video games were largely marketed at children.

It could also be argued that mentioning video games wouldn't have added anything to the strip. Personally, I think it would've been interesting to see references to them, but I also didn't start reading C&H until close to half a decade after it had already ended.

Anyway, I know this topic has been brought up a few times, but I wanna see what people have to say.

EDIT: I didn't think I had to make this obvious, but no, I don't think Watterson would have anything positive to say about video games. I don't think this would've made it irrelevant to mention them though.

EDIT2: Fixed the year C&H launched, not that it really changes much.

EDIT3: No, I never tried to imply that Calvin's parents would be the type to buy him a console. (Spoiler alert: they obviously wouldn't.) Getting tired of hearing comments about this.

The strip establishes Calvin is a really smart kid. He’s artistically gifted, boasts a vocabulary most adults would envy, and yet he can’t figure out the one-digit problems his school gives him. Why?

It occurs to me maybe he’s extremely talented artistically but not logically, but the advanced philosophical discussions he has with Hobbes and others would seem to disprove this.

Is this just Watterson playing on the difficulties kids have at school for comedic effect? Or is there something else going on here?