Game controller
A game controller is a device used to play video games.
Types of game controllers
Gamepad
A gamepad, also known as a joypad, is a common type of game controller. They are held in both hands with thumbs and fingers used to press buttons on the gamepad. Gamepads can have a number of action buttons with one or more control sticks. Gamepads is part of playing a video game console. A player must use a gamepad in order to play any video game. Gamepads were first used on early computers.
On a Nintendo gamepad, the action buttons are colored with letters (A, B, X, Y). There is a start and a select option on the gamepad. On the left of the gamepad, there are arrows which the player uses to move in the video game.
Paddle
A paddle is a game controller with a round wheel and one or more fire buttons. The wheel is used to control movement in a video game. The paddle was not liked by many gamers. This type of controller was used on the Atari 2600 and Indy 500.
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks are often used to control video games and usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer. A popular variation of the joystick used on modern video game consoles is the analog stick.
The joystick has been the principal flight control in the cockpit of many aircraft, particularly military fast jets, where centre stick or side-stick location may be employed. Joysticks are also used for controlling machines such as cranes, trucks, underwater unmanned vehicles and zero turning radius lawn mowers. Miniature finger-operated joysticks have been adopted as input devices for smaller electronic equipment such as mobile phones.
Game Controller Media
A player holding a North American SNES controller
A Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, a typical modern two-stick gamepad
Paddle controllers were popular early in the 2nd console generation for Pong games.
A dual-joystick controller for the original PlayStation
An arcade style controller for the Sega Dreamcast.
A Logitech steering wheel for the PlayStation 3
A Logitech Driving Force GT combo of a sim steering wheel and pedals (2011)
The WASD keyboard setup is used widely, but by no means universally.
Nintendo DS touchscreen (bottom) with stylus
An image of the Wii remote (with wrist strap) taken by myself with a Canon A610 camera and given minor edits in Adobe Photoshop.
Other websites
- An article about pioneering games and controllers designed for disabled gamers
- Simulation game controller comparison. Archived 2009-06-10 at the Wayback Machine