The humble gamepad hasn’t changed much in the last decade or so – and whatever format you're playing on, analog sticks, direction buttons and action buttons all make an appearance in some way or another.
But that could all be about to change. We're living in an age of unprecedented innovation in controller technology – and whatever games you're into, the consequences could be massive!
But first, let's take a look at a brief history of the gamepad – and then take a closer look at some of the upcoming innovations hoping to change the market.
The Gamepad: a history
The gamepad as we know it today first made its way to consumers’ hands bundled with the legendaryNintendo Entertainment Systemin 1986.
This was the first controller to feature the directional buttons – or 'D-pad' – on the left, the now-ubiquitous 'Select' and 'Start' buttons in the centre and two action buttons, 'A' and 'B', on the right. Sega soon followed suit in the same year with their Master System controller – an almost identical design.
This was it for a while: the only real change that came with newer systems was the addition of more action buttons. The Sega Mega Drive had three in 1988, and the Super Nintendohad four, plus two 'shoulder buttons' or triggers in 1992.
It wasn’t until 1996 before we saw the first analog stick on a home console. The Nintendo 64 launched with the much-loved platformer Super Mario 64 and showed the home console crowd how fine analog control could benefit them. The simple 'on or off' of digital buttons were no longer enough – especially when dealing with games set in 3D worlds, which were very much the norm by this point.
Most consoles since then – Nintendo Wii excluded – have launched with the same tried-and-true formula of D-pad on the left, two analog sticks, four face buttons and four triggers. The PlayStation 3 introduced motion sensing with 'SixAxis' and the PS4 featured the addition of a touchpad in the centre – but for the most part, they remain unchanged from the original 'DualShock' controller. This was introduced part way through the first PlayStation's lifespan – something I suspect was a direct response to the N64’s controller.
When it comes to the PC, there has never been an officially recognised controller. For first-person shooters or real-time strategy games, most (me included!) swear by the keyboard and mouse – although I do remember some truly weird PC controllers from the 1990s!
More recently, the Xbox 360 and now the Xbox One controller seem to be the go-to for PC gamers, due to their easy integration with Microsoft Windows.
At this point, the gamepad is well established – but for a while now, various companies have been hoping to turn the current status quo on its head and change the way we interact with games completely.
Most fade away into oblivion – and the Microsoft Kinect is a good example. Once heralded as the next revolution in video game interaction, it has now simply been abandoned by Microsoft. Others, though – like the aforementioned Wii remote – have helped bring video games to the masses. From care homes to family homes, Wii Tennis and Bowling swept the world with their simplicity and intuitive gameplay.
And that's the story so far. Right now, a new wave of innovations is ready to try their luck and pull us away from our trusty controllers – let's find out what they are!
Steam Controller
At a glance, you might be forgiven for thinking this was just another gamepad. But what Valve is trying to do with their Steam Controller is bring mouse and keyboard precision to the living room – and if you’ve ever tried to play a game with a mouse and keyboard on your sofa, you’ll understand the struggle!
The Steam Controller ditches the traditional D-pad and one of the analog sticks, and replaces them with touch sensors. Indeed, these sensors offer – to quote the Steam website – “the high-fidelity input required for precise PC gaming in the living room”. Other features include the usual slew of haptic feedback motors, gyroscope and accelerometer for tilt and motion control, and wired or wireless functionality.
I think it’s exciting because it’s different – but not too different. It looks like a device you could pick up and get used to rather quickly, and if it offers the precision Valve claims, then it could actually work.
With this controller and their Steam Link device, Valve are aiming to take their PC gaming dominance from bedrooms and offices into the living room. The Steam Controller is available now from the Steam website for £39.99.
Oculus Touch
Oculus – if you haven’t heard of them before – is the company making the Rift, a VR headset aimed at the high end of PC gaming.
Of course, a new way of viewing games calls for a new way to interact with them. If you’re going for full immersion in the environment, then putting a standard controller in the player's hands somewhat breaks the illusion.
With the Touch, Oculus are putting a small controller in each hand – similar to the “nunchuk” attachment for the Wii remote with a big loop on the front. Each controller has three buttons on the face, an analog stick and two triggers. They are also wireless, and come bundled with a sensor to ensure accurate tracking.
One thing that’s immediately clear is that these controllers are best suited to VR games or applications. They are able to replicate 1:1 movement of your hand position and rotation, and offer intuitive and natural interactions, even if you can't see what your hands are doing. All of that sounds great – but you probably wouldn’t want to play a non-VR game with them.
The Oculus Rift headset is scheduled to begin shipping on 28th March – but the Touch controller has seen no such announcement. At this time, release info and pricing details are not available, but looking at the technology in use – and the Rift’s own premium pricing – I would expect it to land in the £100 range.
Myo Gesture Control Armband
Up until now, all devices in this article have still relied on buttons or sticks to receive input from the user – but the Myo Gesture Control Armband is a bit different.
As the name suggests, it is literally an armband, made up of interlinked sensors that go around the forearm. As you perform gestures with your hand, the Armband picks up the movement of muscles in your arm and interprets that as input data. Opening and closing your hand; gesturing to the left or right, up or down; even touching different fingers to your thumb: the Armband is able to detect all of these.
The applications are many, from controlling a presentation or media playback to piloting radio-controlled devices such as drones. Gaming is also a possibility, but the controls are simplistic: there are no buttons or sticks, just the motion of your hand.
For that reason, as a gaming device I don’t see the potential here, but as a device that allows you to control a PC while keeping your hands free, I think it’s very promising – and unique.
An instructional video shows someone fixing a bike while viewing, pausing, rewinding and playing a YouTube video showing the repair procedure – a truly practical use for the technology. And let’s also not forget, it’s a step closer to letting us be Tony Stark!
You can buy the Myo Armband now from their website, with prices starting from $199.
Agent’s Verdict
I’ve used gaming controllers since Nintendo introduced us to the D-pad in the 80s. I’ve witnessed the evolution of the gamepad from these humble beginnings to the multi-button, twin-stick, motion-sensing, touch-capable controller of my PlayStation 4 – and I honestly believe it to be perfect.
Sure, the Myo Armband looks cool and the Oculus Touch controller will offer a level of immersion not possible with current controllers – but I feel these are specialised solutions. The Touch only really works in VR from what we’ve seen, and the Myo Armband is an input device that's certainly unique – but with limited range of control inputs.
The Steam Controller is different: it's trying to bridge the gap between mouse and gamepad for games that require that kind of input, but it could also be used as a traditional controller with a few settings tweaks. Of the devices we’ve looked at here, this is definitely my favourite. But perhaps that's because it’s the one that looks most like a traditional controller!
To paraphrase Han Solo, hokey gestures and fancy wands are no match for a good controller at your side!
What do you reckon – has the gamepad had its day? Let us know what you reckon in the comments!