The history of video game controllers is fascinating, tracing its origins through the first computers, medical applications, military operations, and aerospace technology. Joysticks, arcade pads, wheels, VR headsets, wireless controllers — all of these devices can be traced back to rudimentary devices that were developed to live, work, and play more efficiently. VR Space has created an extensive timeline of video game controllers so we can admire just how far we have come and daydream about where we are going:
The grandfather of video game controllers was created to play Spacewar!, a space combat game that many consider to be the very first video game. It was developed in 1962 by Steve Russell in collaboration with Bob Saunders, Wayne Wiitanen, Steve Piner, and Martin Graetz. It was developed for the DEC PDP-1 microcomputer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The game consisted of two human-controlled spaceships, “the needle” and “the wedge,” which were engaged in a dogfight while maneuvering the gravity well of a star. Each ship had limited weaponry and fuel, and the ships continued to move even when the player was not actively accelerating. The ships could be destroyed by colliding with the star, a torpedo, or each other. Players could also use a hyperspace feature that teleported them to a random location, but this could put them in harm’s way.
The game was initially controlled by switches on the PDP-1 until Saunders developed a detached game pad to help reduce the struggle and awkwardness of controlling the ships. This game pad featured a switch for turning left and right, a switch for forward thrust or hyperspace, and a torpedo launch button. The buttons were designed to be silent so the opposing player would not be warned if a torpedo was launched. This simple game pad became what many consider to be the first video game controller.
The first console joystick is considered to be the Atari standard joystick, developed for the Atari 2600 in 1977. It featured a single fire button and a navigational toggle. Prior to the use of joysticks for consoles and arcade games, the technology was initially developed for use in military and aerospace operations.
When was the joystick invented? The first electrical two-axis joystick was invented by C.B. Mirick at the United States Naval Research Laboratory and patented in 1926. The Naval Research Laboratory intended to use the joystick to control remote aircraft. In the patent, Mirick states: “My control system is particularly applicable in maneuvering aircraft without a pilot.” At the time, it was called an “Electrical Distant-Control System.”
By the 1960s, joysticks became prevalent in radio-controlled model aircraft systems such as the Kwik Fly. NASA also adopted the technology to use in the Apollo, Mercury, and Gemini space missions. Joysticks enabled astronauts to have manual control of yaw, pitch, and roll (the rotational capacity of aircraft). While we did not include these early non-gaming joysticks, it is fascinating to know about them as part of video game controller history.
The first VR headset that was connected to a computer and not a camera is considered to have been the Sword of Damocles, invented in 1968 by Ivan Sutherland and his student Bob Sproull. It was a large, cumbersome, uncomfortable headset that had to be suspended from the ceiling with the user strapped in. The computer-generated graphics were simple wireframe rooms and objects. Prior to that, other headsets such as the Telesphere Mask (1960) were created, but they did not offer any interaction or motion tracking.
Controller | Platform | Year |
Magnavox Odyssey controller
| Magnavox Odyssey
| 1972 |
Shooting Gallery
|
Magnavox Odyssey
| 1972 |
Paddle
| Atari 2600
| 1972 |
Fairchild Channel F controller
| Fairchild Channel F
| 1976 |
Atari CX40 Joystick
| Atari 2600
| 1978 |
Intellivision controller
| Intellivision | 1979 |
Commodore 64 Original Joystick
| Commodore 64
| 1982 |
Commodore 64 Joystick C-1342
| Commodore 64
| 1982 |
TAC-2
| Commodore 64
| 1982 |
ColecoVision Hand Controller
| ColecoVision
| 1982 |
Vectrex controller
| Vectrex | 1982 |
ColecoVision Super Action Controller
| ColecoVision | 1983 |
NES controller
| Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
| 1983 |
Famicom controller
| NES | 1983 |
NES Zapper
| NES | 1984 |
Master System controller
| Sega Master System
| 1986 |
NES Advantage
| NES | 1987 |
Sega Genesis controller
| Sega Genesis
| 1988 |
Nintendo Power Glove
| NES | 1989 |
Apollo Pro Joystick
| Sega Mega Drive, Neo Geo, PC Engine, Super NES
| Early 1990s |
SNES/Super Famicom controller
| Super NES (SNES)
| 1990 |
Gizmo | Sega Mega Drive
| 1990 |
Cheetah Annihilator
| Commodore 64GS
| 1990 |
Super NES Mouse
| SNES | 1991 |
Konami LaserScope
| NES | 1991 |
CD-i 910 controller
| CD-i
| 1991 |
Gravis PC GamePad
| IBM PC
| 1992 |
Aviator 3
| Sega Mega Drive
| 1992 |
Menacer | Sega Genesis
| 1992 |
Super Scope
| SNES | 1992 |
BatterUP
| SNES | 1992 |
6-Button Arcade Pad
| Sega Genesis
| 1993 |
Activator (first full-body motion controller)
| Sega Genesis
| 1993 |
SG Mega Star
| Sega Mega Drive
| 1993 |
Dual Turbo
| Sega Mega Drive
| 1993 |
Konami Justifier
| Sega Genesis
| 1993 |
LaserActive controller
| LaserActive LD PAC
| 1993 |
3DO Interactive Multiplayer controller
| 3DO Interactive Multiplayer
| 1993 |
Thrustmaster Formula T1
| PC | 1994 |
Sega Saturn controller
| Sega Saturn
| 1994 |
PlayStation Mouse
| Sony PlayStation
| 1994 |
PlayStation controller
| PlayStation
| 1994 |
Virtual Boy controller
| Virtual Boy
| 1995 |
Namco GunCon controller
| PlayStation | 1994 |
NeGcon | PlayStation
| 1995 |
Tiger R-Zone controller
| Tiger R-Zone
| 1995 |
Apple Pippin controller
| Apple Pippin
| 1996 |
Nintendo 64 controller
| Nintendo 64
| 1996 |
3D Pad
| Sega Saturn
| 1996 |
Dual Analog controller
| PlayStation
| 1997 |
DualShock
| PlayStation | 1997 |
Sidewinder FreeStyle Pro
| PC | 1998 |
Dreamcast controller
| Sega Dreamcast
| 1998 |
Sega Fishing Controller
| Dreamcast
| 1999 |
Wu Tang: Shaolin Style Controller
| PlayStation | 1999 |
Samba de Amigo Maracas
| Dreamcast | 1999 |
DualShock 2
| PlayStation 2
| 2000 |
Phantasy Star Online Keyboard Controller
| Nintendo GameCube
| 2000 |
Nintendo GameCube controller
| GameCube | 2001 |
Namco GunCon 2 controller
| PlayStation 2
| 2001 |
First-generation Xbox controller (“The Duke”)
| Microsoft Xbox
| 2001 |
Steel Battalion
| Xbox | 2002 |
WaveBird Wireless controller
| GameCube
| 2002 |
Xbox Controller 5
| Xbox | 2002 |
DK Bongo
| GameCube
| 2003 |
Katana the Soul Controller
| PlayStation 2
| 2004 |
Atari Flashback joysticks
| Atari Flashback
| 2004 |
NubyTech Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller
| PlayStation 2
| 2005 |
Xbox 360 controller
| Xbox 360
| 2005 |
Harmonix Guitar Hero Guitar Controller
| PlayStation 2
| 2005 |
Harmonix Guitar Hero II Guitar Controller (Gibson SG)
| PlayStation 2, Xbox 360
| 2006 |
Sixaxis | PlayStation 3
| 2006 |
Wii Remote
| Nintendo Wii
| 2006 |
Nunchuck | Wii | 2006 |
Classic Controller
| Wii | 2006 |
DualShock 3
| PlayStation 3
| 2007 |
Guitar Hero 3 Controller (Gibson Les Paul)
| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
| 2007 |
Namco GunCon 3
| PlayStation 3
| 2007 |
Rock Band guitar
| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
| 2007 |
Rock Band microphone
| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
| 2007 |
Rock Band drum set
| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
| 2007 |
Guitar Hero 4 controller (Fender Stratocaster)
| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
| 2008 |
Classic Controller Pro
| Wii | 2009 |
DJ Hero Turntable
| PlayStation 2/3, Wii, Xbox 360
| 2009 |
Tony Hawk: Ride Skateboard
| PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
| 2009 |
PlayStation Move
| PlayStation 3
| 2010 |
PlayStation Move Navigation controller
| PlayStation 3
| 2010 |
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock controller
| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
| 2010 |
Kinect for Xbox 360
| Xbox 360
| 2010 |
Wii U GamePad
| Wii U
| 2012 |
Wii U Pro Controller
| Wii U
| 2012 |
Ouya controller
| Ouya | 2013 |
DualShock 4
| PlayStation 4
| 2013 |
Xbox Wireless Controller
| Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
| 2013 |
Kinect for Xbox One
| Xbox One
| 2013 |
Wii Bowling Ball
| Wii | 2013 |
Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Spider Racing Wheel
| PC, Xbox One
| 2014 |
Samsung Gear VR
| Samsung phones
| 2015 |
Guitar Hero Live controller
| PlayStation 3/4, Wii U, Xbox 360/One
| 2015 |
Steam Controller
| Linux, macOS, Windows
| 2015 |
HTC Vive (1st Gen.)
| SteamVR
| 2016 |
Oculus Touch 1st Gen. (Prototype called Half Moon)
| Oculus Rift
| 2016 |
PlayStation VR
| PlayStation VR
| 2016 |
Joy-Con
| Nintendo Switch
| 2017 |
Joy-Con Wheel
| Nintendo Switch
| 2017 |
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
| Nintendo Switch
| 2017 |
Oculus Go
| Oculus VR
| 2018 |
HTC Vive Pro Controller
| SteamVR
| 2018 |
Xbox Adaptive Controller
| Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
| 2018 |
HTC Vive Focus
| Viveport | 2018 |
Poké Ball Plus
| Nintendo Switch
| 2018 |
Vive Pro Eye
| SteamVR, Viveport
| 2019 |
Xbox Elite Controller Series 2
| Windows, Xbox consoles
| 2019 |
Vive Focus Plus
| Vive Business
| 2019 |
Dragon Quest Slime Controller
| Nintendo Switch
| 2019 |
Google Stadia
| Google Stadia
| 2019 |
Valve Index
| PC | 2019 |
Vive Cosmos
| Vive Reality System
| 2019 |
Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe
| Nintendo Switch
| 2019 |
Oculus Touch (2nd Gen.)
| Oculus Rift S, Oculus Quest
| 2019 |
Razer Kishi
| iOS or Android
| 2020 |
DualSense
| PlayStation 5
| 2020 |
Oculus Touch (3rd Gen.)
| Oculus Quest 2 (now Meta Quest 2)
| 2020 |
Vive Cosmos Elite
| Vive Reality System
| 2020 |
Vive Cosmos Play
| Vive Reality System
| 2020 |
Vive Cosmos XR
| Vive Reality System
| 2020 |
Vive Pro 2
| SteamVR, Viveport
| 2021 |
Vive Focus 3
| Vive Business
| 2021 |
Vive Flow
| Viveport Infinity
| 2021 |
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