The object of Alpha Beam is to help Sesame Street's Ernie pilot a small shuttle, collect fuel tanks (marked by a letter of the alphabet), and return them to his space ship so that he can return to Earth. The game was marketed as a family-friendly game that could teach children pre-reading skills such as identifying and matching letters. Alpha Beam was compatible with the Atari Kid's Controller, which was sold separately, although the regular keyboard controller is also compatible

The object of Alpha Beam is to help Sesame Street's Ernie pilot a small shuttle, collect fuel tanks (marked by a letter of the alphabet), and return them to his space ship so that he can return to Earth. The game was marketed as a family-friendly game that could teach children pre-reading skills such as identifying and matching letters. Alpha Beam was compatible with the Atari Kid's Controller, which was sold separately, although the regular keyboard controller is also compatible