History MediaNotes / GeneralGamingGamepads

* '''UsefulNotes/{{Arcade Game}}s''': Many arcade games use dedicated controllers that have no home equivalent, in order to attract people to come to the arcade to play them because either [[NoPortForYou they're not available for consoles]] or they are but are quite expensive. {{Rhythm game}}s in particular often use dedicated controllers, and when they aren't, they typically use an optical or capacitive touchscreen.

** ''VideoGame/{{ONGEKI}}'' allows the player to print out character cards they win from the ''Card Maker'' companion cabinet and slot them into the ''O.N.G.E.K.I.'' cabinet to use them for gameplay. The cards are registered to the player's profile, so players can't just borrow others' gacha cards; the physical cards effectively serve as shortcuts so that the player doesn't have to shufffle around their inventory to pick the cards they want.

** ''VideoGame/{{ONGEKI}}'' allows the player to print out character cards they win from the ''Card Maker'' companion cabinet and slot them into the ''O.N.G.E.K.I.'' cabinet to use them for gameplay. The cards are registered to the player's profile, so players can't just borrow others' gacha cards.

** From a low-level electrical standpoint, joysticks can be fundamentally divided into digital and analog varieties. Digital joysticks have one contact switch for each of the four cardinal directions, exactly like D-Pads; these were the standard in arcade games and for several classic home systems that used DE-9 type connectors (not all of which were directly compatible). Analog joysticks, on the other hand, produce a continuous range of values for each of their axes, which may require calibration; these were favored by the standard game controller interfaces of the Platform/AppleII, Platform/{{Atari 5200}}, Platform/BBCMicro, UsefulNotes/ColorComputer, Dragon 32/64 and Platform/IBMPersonalComputer.

** '''Trackball''': A spherical ball set in a frame, which can be freely rotated in any direction. Sometimes used on computers as a mouse substitute, though less suited to precision movement. In arcades, trackballs are most common with golf or bowling games, with most of the famous exceptions being made by UsefulNotes/{{Atari}} (''VideoGame/{{Centipede}}'', ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'', ''VideoGame/{{Crystal Castles|1983}}'', ''VideoGame/MarbleMadness'', ''VideoGame/{{Rampart}}''). Trackballs were available as optional input devices for the Platform/{{Atari 2600}}, Platform/{{Atari 5200}} (set in an enormous box including ''two'' keypads), Platform/{{Colecovision}} and Phillips CD-i.

* '''R.O.B.''': After UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, nobody was willing to buy a home game console in the United States, so Creator/{{Nintendo}} originally released the NES bundled with a robot (and [[KillerApp a game]] called ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1''), who would be the original focus of marketing. Needless to say, it worked. R.O.B. was rather gimmicky and unnecessary in practice, but he did his duty.

An enthusiast going by the name Sock Master has made a handy family tree up to and including UsefulNotes/{{the seventh generation|OfConsoleVideoGames}}. The original site is done, but can be found mirrored [[https://www.6809.org.uk/twilight/console/ here]] and archived [[http://web.archive.org/web/20120804064952/http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/index.html here]].

* '''Card Readers''': Originally used to transfer character or item data from [[RevenueEnhancingDevices collectible cards]] to arcade cabinets, with other systems used for actual control. These can be further subclassed into barcode, QR, NFC and RFID scanners, the former being deployed as early as 1991 with Epoch's '' Barcode Battler'' toy and the latter being the central mechanic of the infamous ''UsefulNotes/HyperScan''. Improvements in technology have resulted in cabinets with a large reading surface upon which cards can be placed and moved to control in-game entities. The ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEAJKx5Adsk Sangokushi Taisen]]'' series is one of the more notable users of this system.

** '''Analog''' Same as above, but there is an analog '''Joystick''' near the D-Pad (either above or below it). This was also when rumble feedback became popular. Used with the Platform/{{Nintendo 64}}, the Platform/SegaSaturn analog pad (most commonly featured with [=NiGHTS=]), Dreamcast, [[Platform/PlayStationPortable PSP]], and Platform/Nintendo3DS. The Wii's Nunchuck attachment is an unconventional version, and so are individual Platform/NintendoSwitch joycons. (If you count a more basic gamepad and a more TV remote-esque design, the UsefulNotes/{{Vectrex}} and Philips CD-i had analog thumbsticks [[OlderThanTheyThink prior to the N64.]])

* '''Joystick''': The classic. Simply a small stick (typically sans buttons) with the base's surface bearing any number of buttons, held with one to three digits, and generally digital microswitch-based. Seen as early as the first arcades and the early game systems. Most European computer games were designed around single-button joystick controls until the commercial abandonment of the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} in the mid-1990s. Still seen today as optional controllers for all three seventh-generation home systems and several modern PC games, in both digital and analog varieties. The UsefulNotes/NeoGeo AES was probably the last major home system to use it as a standard.

** From a low-level electrical standpoint, joysticks can be fundamentally divided into digital and analog varieties. Digital joysticks have one contact switch for each of the four cardinal directions, exactly like D-Pads; these were the standard in arcade games and for several classic home systems that used DE-9 type connectors (not all of which were directly compatible). Analog joysticks, on the other hand, produce a continuous range of values for each of their axes, which may require calibration; these were favored by the standard game controller interfaces of the UsefulNotes/AppleII, UsefulNotes/{{Atari 5200}}, UsefulNotes/BBCMicro, UsefulNotes/ColorComputer, Dragon 32/64 and UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer.

* '''Keyboard''': It was natural for PC gaming to use the keyboard as a controller, since it was already the standard input device. Many PC games still just require the '''Keyboard'''; keyboards for consoles are typically add-ons supported by few to no games, though the UsefulNotes/{{Odyssey 2}} actually had a built-in keyboard. ''[[VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead The Typing of the Dead]]'' is one of the very few instances of an arcade cabinet with a keyboard. The UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} allows [=USB=] keyboards for use with the Wii channels while the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3's USB ports easily accept them, and the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/XBox360 have mini keyboard attachments for their gamepads, not to mention a number of hideous monstrosities designed for ''Videogame/PhantasyStarOnline'' (one of which is basically an official UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube pad stretched apart to fit a full-size keyboard in the middle).

** '''Keypad''' A numeric calculator/telephone layout on the bottom half of the controller. Used mainly on the UsefulNotes/{{Intellivision}}, UsefulNotes/{{Colecovision}}, UsefulNotes/{{Atari 5200}} and UsefulNotes/AtariJaguar. Not seen since on home consoles, due to its bulk and unnecessary complexity for games at the time (or insufficient complexity compared to a '''Keyboard'''.) Yet it has had a resurgence in the field of mobile gaming, since cell phones of course have keypads.

* '''Mouse''' Once mice came along, and allowed precision movement, this became the standard controller requirement for almost every PC game made since. Many old UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh games were controlled primarily or exclusively with the single-button mouse. Combined with a keyboard, this immediately found its blood and essence as the default controller scheme for {{First Person Shooter}}s and RealTimeStrategy, to the extent that people who play [=FPSs=] with '''Gamepads''' are all but incapable of beating mouse & keyboard gamers. Some set-top consoles allowed one or the other for certain games. The [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom/SNES]], [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Mega Drive/Genesis]], and UsefulNotes/PlayStation had a mouse. The UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast had a mouse and keyboard. The UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 3]] allow PC units to be hooked up through their [=USB=] connectors to play some PC ports.

** '''Trackball''': A spherical ball set in a frame, which can be freely rotated in any direction. Sometimes used on computers as a mouse substitute, though less suited to precision movement. In arcades, trackballs are most common with golf or bowling games, with most of the famous exceptions being made by UsefulNotes/{{Atari}} (''VideoGame/{{Centipede}}'', ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'', ''VideoGame/{{Crystal Castles|1983}}'', ''VideoGame/MarbleMadness'', ''VideoGame/{{Rampart}}''). Trackballs were available as optional input devices for the UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}}, UsefulNotes/{{Atari 5200}} (set in an enormous box including ''two'' keypads), UsefulNotes/{{Colecovision}} and Phillips CD-i.
** '''Motion Controller''': First well known attempt for home consoles was the infamous Power Glove. Used successfully so far with the UsefulNotes/NintendoWii, UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 (though the Sixaxis, [=DualShock=] 3, or Move), smartphones and tablets, Xbox Kinect. ''VideoGame/KirbyTiltNTumble'', ''VideoGame/YoshisUniversalGravitation'' and ''VideoGame/WarioWare: Twisted!'' incorporated the tilt sensor into the game cartridge itself. Some third-party Atari VCS/2600 joysticks had a mercury-based tilt sensor and no base.

* '''Touch Screen''' (or stylus): Similar to a touchpad on a laptop, this allows greater precision than an analog stick for pointing, but can be cumbersome for movement. Can also function as a '''Keypad'''. Used with [=PDAs=], the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, and the [=iPod/iPhone=] and Android. Comes in multiple varieties:
** '''Resistive''': thin film pressed inward creates a signal. Very precise and supports any reasonably pointy object for input, but easy to scratch and usually not multi-touch capable. Most older devices use resistive digitizers, as do the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS and UsefulNotes/WiiU [=GamePad=].
** '''Capacitive''': a conductive object pressed against glass that disrupts an electrical grid. Often capable of multi-touch. Requires a bare finger or a special capacitive stylus to use, the latter of which requires a thicker, fatter tip than a resistive stylus by necessity. Popularized by trackpads and especially the iPhone. The UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita also uses one. Unlike resistive touchscreens, capacitive touchscreens can detect multiple touches at once.

** '''Electro-Magnetic Resonance''': Not a touchscreen in the typical sense, for it relies on generating an electromagnetic field that is used to communicate and get positional information from a specialized pen, as well as powering the pen in some instances. Contact is registered by a sensor behind the pen nib, which is also [[PressureSensitiveInterface pressure-sensitive for controlling brush width and/or opacity]]. Some advanced models can even sense the pen's tilt and rotation. The digitizer board that generates the EMR field sits ''behind'' the screen as opposed to the aforementioned digitizer types sitting in front, allowing a resistive or capacitive digitizer to handle finger input until the pen comes into range and disables the touch digitizer for palm rejection purposes. Wacom drawing tablets and Cintiq monitors are the most prevalent example, along with most Windows Tablet [=PCs=] and all Samsung Galaxy Note devices based on their technology. The [[UsefulNotes/OtherSegaSystems Sega Pico]] used an earlier version of this technology.
* '''Gamepad''' All of your controls in one piece of plastic, tends to [[FollowTheLeader evolve uniformly across the entire industry]]. And not just the button layout: Nearly every controller released after the UsefulNotes/PlayStation inherited its pair of "legs".
** '''D-Pad Controller''' A Direction-Pad (or similar pattern of four buttons) on the left and at least two face buttons on the right (or center and right). Simple, yet still allowing for a fair bit of control, this became the standard for years. Started with Creator/{{Nintendo}} "Game & Watch" series, popularized with the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom/NES]], and used notably with the Platform/SG1000 Mark II & Mark III / UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem (although the pause was left on the console for some reason), UsefulNotes/GameBoy, UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor, UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy (with a second D-Pad next to the face buttons), Mega Drive / UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, UsefulNotes/GameGear, UsefulNotes/AtariLynx, Commodore CDTV (with many additional buttons for its alternate function as a TV remote), PC-Engine / UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16, PC-FX, UsefulNotes/NeoGeoPocket (and color), UsefulNotes/WonderSwan (two or four face buttons depending on how you hold it), and the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} if you turn the Wiimote sideways.

** '''Shoulder Buttons & D-Pad''' Perhaps the most common controller type. It consists of the D-Pad on the left, at least two shoulder buttons or triggers, and (usually) a start button (or more) plus four face buttons in the shape of a cross. Popularized with the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]], used with the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} [=CD32=], UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, first UsefulNotes/PlayStation controller, UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance, and UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. Beginning with the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, many were given analog buttons.
** '''Analog''' Same as above, but there is an analog '''Joystick''' near the D-Pad (either above or below it). This was also when rumble feedback became popular. Used with the UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}}, the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn analog pad (most commonly featured with [=NiGHTS=]), Dreamcast, [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]], and UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS. The Wii's Nunchuck attachment is an unconventional version, and so are individual UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch joycons. (If you count a more basic gamepad and a more TV remote-esque design, the UsefulNotes/{{Vectrex}} and Philips CD-i had analog thumbsticks [[OlderThanTheyThink prior to the N64.]])
** '''Dual Analog''' (symmetrical) Same as above, but with a second analog stick just below the face buttons. Used first with the UsefulNotes/PlayStation [[OlderThanTheyThink Dual Analog]], then used with the [=DualShock=] 1/[[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 2]]/[[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 3]]/[[UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 4]], [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 Sixaxis]], [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 DualSense]], the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} Classic Controller, Google Stadia Controller, and the Wii U [=GamePad=] and Pro Controller.[[note]]With the Wii U being a unique example where the analog sticks are above the D-pad and face buttons.[[/note]]
** '''Dual Analog''' (asymmetrical) Swaps the D-Pad with the analog stick directly below it. This variant appears on the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube, Switch, and all the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} system pads from the OG console to [[UsefulNotes/Xbox360 the 360]] to the Xbox Wireless Controller(s) (and their Elite variants) of UsefulNotes/XboxOne and UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS.
** Special mention also goes to the two major face button layouts: the diamond layout established by the Super NES, and the six-button layout from the SEGA Genesis' second controller design, with the former being the standard today. The only major attempt to divert from these layouts since the mid-90s was the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube, which featured a "spoke" layout: a large central A button with the B, X and Y buttons placed on its edges, allowing for more quick button combo possibilities.

* '''Camera''' A camera that can be used for gaming. While the Gameboy, [=PlayStation=] 2, [=PlayStation=] 3, Xbox 360, and even [=DSi=] have them, the [=PS2's EyeToy=] was probably the first to be used as a controller in the mainstream (although Intel played around with it years before). Microsoft aimed to make this input method mainstream with Project Natal/Kinect and the UsefulNotes/XboxOne, but failed, and abandoned the idea for the console's successors.
* '''Paddle/Spinner''': Not the D-Pad in the form of a flat nub, this is a dial you simply spin from side to side. Used as early as the ''Etch-a-Sketch'', this became popular in gaming with ''VideoGame/{{Pong}}'', shipped alongside the joystick in many Atari 2600 bundles, and available as an attachment for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS for playing modern versions of ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' and ''VideoGame/{{Arkanoid}}''. Comes in two major versions: potentiometer-based like the Atari 2600 paddle controllers, which provide an absolute position but have a limited turning range of 330 degrees or so, and quadrature-encoded like the ones used for ''Arkanoid'' or ''VideoGame/{{Tempest}}'', which give relative direction changes but can spin indefinitely in either direction.

*** Console gamers got a taste with the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} game ''VideoGame/SteelBattalion'', which required a ludicrous, dedicated two-flight stick controller (the left one moving only left and right to steer, the right one not centering and used to aim and fire weapons) with a sliding manual gear shifter to simulate the cockpit of a [[RealRobotGenre Real Robot]], complete with an [[EjectionSeat eject button]] with a flip-open cover. (The original plan required the player to ''break glass'' to activate it.)

* '''Super Action Controller''': An innovative controller for the UsefulNotes/{{Colecovision}}, adding a four-button pistol-style grip to the typical joystick and keypad of the time, as well as a "Speed Roller" wheel.

* '''Wii U [=GamePad=]''', another NinjaPirateZombieRobot controller by {{Creator/Nintendo}}, taken up to eleven. Its most prominent feature is its 6.2 inch resistive touchscreen, which can display a video stream sent from the console itself with minimal lag. It also features 3 different types of motion sensors: an accelerometer, a gyroscope (as with the Wii Remote Plus) and a magnetic sensor. Other features include dual analog controls (symmetrical, except the sticks are above the buttons and D-pad), a microphone, camera, headphone jack and stereo speakers (similar to the features found on the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS). It can also function as a universal TV remote and has a NFC reader for {{Toys/amiibo}} and other things that use it.

** '''D-Pad Controller''' A Direction-Pad (or similar pattern of four buttons) on the left and at least two face buttons on the right (or center and right). Simple, yet still allowing for a fair bit of control, this became the standard for years. Started with Creator/{{Nintendo}} "Game & Watch" series, popularized with the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom/NES]], and used notably with the UsefulNotes/SG1000 Mark II & Mark III / UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem (although the pause was left on the console for some reason), UsefulNotes/GameBoy, UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor, UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy (with a second D-Pad next to the face buttons), Mega Drive / UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, UsefulNotes/GameGear, UsefulNotes/AtariLynx, Commodore CDTV (with many additional buttons for its alternate function as a TV remote), PC-Engine / UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16, PC-FX, UsefulNotes/NeoGeoPocket (and color), UsefulNotes/WonderSwan (two or four face buttons depending on how you hold it), and the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} if you turn the Wiimote sideways.

** '''Trackball''': A spherical ball set in a frame, which can be freely rotated in any direction. Sometimes used on computers as a mouse substitute, though less suited to precision movement. In arcades, trackballs are most common with golf or bowling games, with most of the famous exceptions being made by UsefulNotes/{{Atari}} (''VideoGame/{{Centipede}}'', ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'', ''VideoGame/CrystalCastles'', ''VideoGame/MarbleMadness'', ''VideoGame/{{Rampart}}''). Trackballs were available as optional input devices for the UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}}, UsefulNotes/{{Atari 5200}} (set in an enormous box including ''two'' keypads), UsefulNotes/{{Colecovision}} and Phillips CD-i.

** '''Electro-Magnetic Resonance''': Not a touchscreen in the typical sense, for it relies on generating an electromagnetic field that is used to communicate and get positional information from a specialized pen, as well as powering the pen in some instances. Contact is registered by a sensor behind the pen nib, which is also pressure-sensitive for controlling brush width and/or opacity. Some advanced models can even sense the pen's tilt and rotation. The digitizer board that generates the EMR field sits ''behind'' the screen as opposed to the aforementioned digitizer types sitting in front, allowing a resistive or capacitive digitizer to handle finger input until the pen comes into range and disables the touch digitizer for palm rejection purposes. Wacom drawing tablets and Cintiq monitors are the most prevalent example, along with most Windows Tablet [=PCs=] and all Samsung Galaxy Note devices based on their technology. The [[UsefulNotes/OtherSegaSystems Sega Pico]] used an earlier version of this technology.

** '''Motion Controller''': First well known attempt for home consoles was the infamous Power Glove. Used successfully so far with the UsefulNotes/NintendoWii, UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 (though the Sixaxis, [=DualShock=] 3, or Move), smartphones and tablets, Xbox Kinect. ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}} Tilt 'n Tumble'', ''VideoGame/YoshisUniversalGravitation'' and ''VideoGame/WarioWare: Twisted!'' incorporated the tilt sensor into the game cartridge itself. Some third-party Atari VCS/2600 joysticks had a mercury-based tilt sensor and no base.

* '''R.O.B.''': After UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, nobody was willing to buy a home game console in the United States, so Creator/{{Nintendo}} originally released the NES bundled with a robot (and [[KillerApp a game]] called ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros''), who would be the original focus of marketing. Needless to say, it worked. R.O.B. was rather gimmicky and unnecessary in practice, but he did his duty.

* '''Punch Pads''': Used in the UsefulNotes/{{Arcade Game}}s ''VideoGame/SonicBlastMan'' and some models of the original ''VideoGame/StreetFighter''. Not seen too often in arcades due to the potential for players to injure themselves and/or damage the cabinets. The "bongos" in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongJungleBeat'' work on a similar principle.

An enthusiast going by the name Sock Master has made a handy family tree up to the Wii classic controller. The original site is done, but can be found mirrored [[https://www.6809.org.uk/twilight/console/ here]] and archived [[http://web.archive.org/web/20120804064952/http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/index.html here]].

* '''Camera''' A camera that can be used for gaming. While the Gameboy, [=PlayStation=] 2, [=PlayStation=] 3, Xbox 360, and even [=DSi=] have them, the [=PS2's EyeToy=] was probably the first to be used as a controller in the mainstream (although Intel played around with it years before). Microsoft aims to make this input method mainstream with Project Natal/Kinect.

* '''Motion Capture''': Uses a camera and specialized image recognition software to track selected parts of a player's body, eliminating the need for ''any'' controller and theoretically allowing better interaction. In practice, however, more calibration is required than for other motion sensing systems and a certain type of environment is required for optimal function. Earlier implementations were one-off gimmicks or neat little distractions but the technology arguably caught on (though not in a terribly big way) with Sony's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EyeToy Eye Toy]], which had it as one of the device's capabilities. Microsoft's Kinect uses this system in lieu of a handheld motion sensor.

** '''Shoulder Buttons & D-Pad''' Perhaps the most common controller type. It consists of the D-Pad on the left, at least two shoulder buttons or triggers, and (usually) a start button (or more) plus four face buttons in the shape of a cross. Popularized with the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]], used with the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} [=CD32=], UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, first UsefulNotes/PlayStation controller, UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance, UsefulNotes/NintendoDS and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch joycons. Beginning with the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, many were given analog buttons.
** '''Analog''' Same as above, but there is an analog '''Joystick''' near the D-Pad (either above or below it). This was also when rumble feedback became popular. Used with the UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}}, the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn analog pad (most commonly featured with [=NiGHTS=]), Dreamcast, [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]], and UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS. The Wii's Nunchuck attachment is an unconventional version. (If you count a more basic gamepad and a more TV remote-esque design, the UsefulNotes/{{Vectrex}} and Philips CD-i had analog thumbsticks [[OlderThanTheyThink prior to the N64.]])

** '''Shoulder Buttons & D-Pad''' Perhaps the most common controller type. It consists of the D-Pad on the left, at least two shoulder buttons or triggers, and (usually) a start button (or more) plus four face buttons in the shape of a cross. Popularized with the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]], used with the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} [=CD32=], UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, first UsefulNotes/PlayStation controller, UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance, and UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. Beginning with the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, many were given analog buttons.

See also [[http://web.archive.org/web/20120804064952/http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/index.html here]].

** From a low-level electrical standpoint, joysticks can be fundamentally divided into digital and analog varieties. Digital joysticks have one contact switch for each of the four cardinal directions, exactly like D-Pads; they were the standard in arcade games and for some classic home systems. Analog joysticks, on the other hand, produce a continuous range of values for each of their axes; these were favored by the standard game controller interfaces of the UsefulNotes/AppleII, UsefulNotes/{{Atari 5200}}, UsefulNotes/BBCMicro, UsefulNotes/ColorComputer, Dragon 32/64 and UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer.

** '''Keypad-Gamepad''' (Gaming Keypad) Auxiliary controllers for keyboard+mouse or keyboard+joystick schemes -- a non-flightsim counterpart of left hand throttle. Not many keys beyond WASD or QWER and fire, but superior ergonomy and extra controls give reasons to use it instead of the good old keyboard. May have mode switch and/or software macro programming and profile loading. Varies wildly, from hand-fitting piece with buttons (Terratec Mystify Claw) to rich keypad + hat switch (Saitek Cyborg Command Unit) and keypads with D-Pad and mouse wheel (Nostromo [=SpeedPad=] N52 or Belkin n52te, [[http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.221675100/categoryId.35156900 Razer Nostromo]] and Genius [=ErgoMedia=] 500--the latter has a built-in ''sound card'' for headsets). A number of them are referenced [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaming_keypad there]] on Wiki/TheOtherWiki.

*** Japanese arcade sticks typically come with a "restrictor gate" that dictates the movement range of the stick. Square gates allow the stick to move in all eight directions, octagonal gates allow the same but also have notches in the four cardinal directions to make it easier to press them, while diamond gates either reduce the chance of or prevent the stick from inputting diagonals. There are also clover-shaped gates that further enforce four-way movement.

* '''Wii U [=GamePad=]''', another NinjaPirateZombieRobot controller by {{Creator/Nintendo}}, taken UpToEleven. Its most prominent feature is its 6.2 inch resistive touchscreen, which can display a video stream sent from the console itself with minimal lag. It also features 3 different types of motion sensors: an accelerometer, a gyroscope (as with the Wii Remote Plus) and a magnetic sensor. Other features include dual analog controls (symmetrical, except the sticks are above the buttons and D-pad), a microphone, camera, headphone jack and stereo speakers (similar to the features found on the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS). It can also function as a universal TV remote and has a NFC reader for {{Toys/amiibo}} and other things that use it.

** '''Optical''': a grid of lasers surrounds the screen, and their obstruction creates input. Can be activated by anything that can block said lasers, not just human skin. Most notably featured on some models of HP [=TouchSmart=] all-in-one desktops. Like capacitive touchscreens, optical ones can detect multiple touches.

** '''Sensor Guns''' Uses other methods to detect where the gun is pointing, notably a sensor near the TV. Seen in the SNES (the Super Scope), [=GunCon=] 3, the IR sensor of the Wii Remote (which can become a zapper with an attachment, and technically is the reverse -- it uses a sensor in the remote to see two IR lights in the misleadingly named “sensor bar.”), and even the [=PlayStation=] Move with the addition of a gun-shaped housing. More modern arcade games, typically ones from the early [=2000s=] onward, use these as they are compatible with non-CRT screens, including modern progressive-scan plasma and LED [=TVs=]. Also of note are some guns that are actually giant joysticks with no light sensors of any kind that instead use the physical position of the fixed gun to determine where it's being aimed (like for ''Crossbow'' and ''Silent Scope'').

* '''Paddle/Spinner''': Not the D-Pad in the form of a flat nub, this is a dial you simply spin from side to side. Used as early as the ''Etch-a-Sketch'', this became popular in gaming with ''VideoGame/{{Pong}}'', shipped alongside the joystick in many Atari 2600 bundles, and available as an attachment for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS for playing modern versions of ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' and ''VideoGame/{{Arkanoid}}''.
* '''Steering Wheel''' An overgrown paddle, used for racing, [[IncrediblyLamePun of course]]. Seen as soon as {{Driving Game}}s hit arcades and for many game systems since, and it almost always comes with pedals (sometimes even with gear shift, usually sequential via paddles or stick, [[DrivingStick sometimes an H-gate stick shift]]). More advanced models have proper force-feedback to help convey the feeling of traction, as well as greater degrees of rotation (cheaper wheels are generally 180, 240, or 270 degrees, while the higher-end wheels have 900 or even 1080 degrees). The Wiimote counts to some degree, as it can be placed on a steering wheel, as highlighted with ''VideoGame/MarioKart Wii''.
* '''Musical Instruments''' Just that, musical instruments, ranging from simple toys to professional MIDI gear. Most famously used in ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' and ''Rock Band'', though featured earlier in various VideoGame/{{Bemani}} games. Used for almost any game system for the 7th gen, and earlier for the [=PlayStation=] 1, [=PS2=] and [=GameCube=].
* '''Flight Stick''' Similar to a '''Joystick''' in function, but shaped for [[InnocentInnuendo a firm grip with the whole hand]]. Early examples had only one button (and sometimes a thumb button too, not even a trigger!), but nowadays they can come with four or five ''plus'' trigger. Other additions include a hat switch in four directions, a throttle lever on the base, ''more'' buttons on the base, and mechanisms that allow the player to twist the joystick itself clockwise and counterclockwise on the base, adding a third axis to "front-and-back" and "left-and-right". It's used mainly to simulate flying an aircraft, although it can be used for other games (e.g. ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier''). Very advanced examples may support force-feedback for more realism in older aircraft and for helicopter trim, or use a force-sensing transducer with a very rigid stick that doesn't budge much to better simulate the one used in the F-16 and later jet fighters.
** '''Yoke''' Looks sort of like a steering wheel, except that it can also be [[InnocentInnuendo slid up and down its shaft]], just like the yokes in really big aircraft.
** '''Flight Control System / Hands-On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS)''' Consists of a joystick/yoke/cyclic, rudder pedals (like car pedals, only with toe brake axes and the main pedals sliding forward and back inverse to each other for the actual rudder control) and an independent throttle/collective with one or more big sliders/rotaries, a miniature analog stick or [=TrackPoint=] for mouse or targeting system control, and even ''more'' buttons. Can get very expensive, especially if it's a licensed replica of military aircraft components (see:Thrustmaster).

* '''Head Tracker''' Usually in the form of a head-worn marker clip and a camera, as popularized by the [=NaturalPoint TrackIR=] and Johnny Chung Lee's famous Wiimote hack, such a setup allows the user to simply look around in-game without having to reach for the mouse or a joystick hat switch, improving immersion and situational awareness. They're also essential for using a HelmetMountedSight in combat flight simulators. Later takes on the idea, such as the [=EDtracker=], ditch the camera in favor of a head-worn IMU not much unlike what you'd find in a modern motion controller.