Unlike other video game consoles which connected to TVs to display raster graphics, the Vectrex included its own monitor which displayed vector graphics. The monochrome Vectrex used screen overlays to give the illusion of color, and also to reduce the severity of the inherent flickering caused by the vector monitor. At the time many of the most popular arcade games used vector displays, and GCE was looking to set themselves apart from the pack by selling high-quality versions of games like Space Wars and Armor Attack. The system even contained a built in game, the Asteroids-like Minestorm.

The cathode ray tube was a Samsung model 240RB40 monochrome unit measuring 9 x 11 inches, displaying a picture of 240mm diagonal. A vector display such as the Vectrex does not require a special tube, and differs only in the control circuits. Rather than use sawtooth waves to divert the internal electron beam in a raster pattern, digital-to-analog converters drove the horizontal and vertical deflection magnets. The high-voltage transformers and tube remained the same as a television. Such technology was already established by arcade games such as Asteroids.

The Vectrex did not have any luminance control, but rather brightness was adjusted by drawing some lines more frequently than others. Screen upgrades were hindered by the cost of redesigning the analog circuits. Likewise it was impossible to connect the Vectrex to a home television.

The two peripherals for the Vectrex were a light pen and 3D imager. Even today there are new games in development by homebrew video game programmers. Also new hardware (for example VecVox, a speech synthesizer) is available.