“There’s A Deep Connection Between You And Your Controller”: New Book Explores The History Of Video Game Controllers
In conversations about gaming, we tend to focus on the games and the consoles we play them on. The controllers we use are a vehicle for the experiences we have, but our eyes are always centred on what’s happening on the screen. Using the controller becomes muscle memory. We don’t really take the time to think about or value the part it plays in the experience. As long as the controller works, that’s enough for most people.
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Lost In Cult tells us about the research that went into its book, The Console Chronicles, and the difficulties the team faced.
I spoke with Lost in Cult’s senior business development manager, Abram Buehner, who handled editorial direction for Joysticks to Haptics, to discuss how controllers impact our experiences when playing games.
“I think there’s a deep connection between you and your controller,” he says. “It is the conduit through which you experience these amazing digital worlds — interactivity is the core tenet of video gaming; there is no interaction without the controller.”
Gaming Controllers And Us
This is the core of what Joysticks to Haptics is about. Just like Lost in Cult’s previous publications – A Handheld History and The Console Chronicles – the book weaves together research (with help from Embracer Games Archive) and personal experiences that paint a broader picture of how gaming controllers have influenced our culture and us as individuals. It doesn’t just tell you that the Quadstick and JoyBall were made specifically for disabled gamers – it tells you about them from the perspective of someone who lost movement in their fingers and wanted a way back into their favourite hobby.
Interactivity is the core tenet of video gaming; there is no interaction without the controller.
Buehner tells me that our connection with controllers starts from the very beginning of our experiences with them. “I think the type of controller you first encountered the world of video games with leaves a mark on you as a player.”
I certainly feel like there’s a truth to this. I grew up playing my dad’s PS1 and retro (even for the time) computer games, but the very first console of my own was a Nintendo DS. Today, I still prefer PlayStation and playing handheld consoles. Like many others, I also have fond memories of using the Wii remote – it was completely different from any other controller I’d used, other than a literal TV remote. While I’m not exactly hankering to play games with motion controls now, the Wii remote’s distinct style of play is something most of us won’t forget.
The Wii remote is definitely on the mainstream side of unusual controllers, but Buehner also tells me about a more uncommon controller he’s fond of. “Nintendo’s Donkey Kong-themed controller for the GameCube is perhaps my favourite quirky controller. I love the Bongos because they’re so niche — only the Donkey Konga trilogy of rhythm party games and the Nintendo EAD Tokyo (now Nintendo EPD Group 8)-developed platformer, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, officially supported them.”
How Gaming Controllers Have Changed
Stories like this, about the unsung heroes of gaming controllers, are included throughout Joysticks to Haptics, but there’s also time spent on how controllers have evolved and adapted over the years, before settling to a more consistent standard without so much experimentation as we enter a new generation. Buehner tells me more about how gaming controllers have reached this point, and whether or not it’s a boon for the industry, “From a development perspective, there’s a lot of benefit to standardising our controllers. This creates a common design language that developers can lean on, knowing that their audience is tuned to expect that a gun is fired with the right trigger or that their character is moved with the left analogue stick.”
It’s something we’ve all become attuned to as we play, but also part of the reason why controllers now tend to fall into the background of our gaming experiences. The only time I really notice my controller nowadays is when I move from PS5 to Switch or vice versa, and end up pressing the wrong buttons because I spent so long with the other console. Controllers have become familiar and expected, but there is still some creativity lingering, of course, from Nintendo. On this, Buehner tells me, “I hope that Nintendo in particular continues to prioritise controller innovation. The Joy-Con 2 seem to be holding the line in this regard, the new Mouse mode being a particularly interesting (if unessential) feature.”
I hope that Nintendo in particular continues to prioritise controller innovation.
The Switch 2’s Joy-Con are almost functionally the same as the original Joy-Con, and they definitely don’t hinge on the Mouse mode, which is a completely different story from the likes of the Wii controllers and Wii U pad. Times have changed since then, and gamers have a solidified image of what a good controller should look, feel, and be like. Looking forward, Buehner tells me the future of gaming controllers will need to focus on finding a balance between expectations and innovation. “I think there’s a good reason why Nintendo backed away from such radical control gimmicks with the Switch. They can alienate development partners. The route forward is to balance experimentation with expected functionality.”
While we probably can’t expect a set of Switch 2-compatible bongos for Donkey Kong: Bananza, I anticipate Nintendo is the most likely manufacturer to usher in the next revolutionary controller. Until it does so, I’ll be browsing both the iconic and the forgotten controllers featured in Joysticks to Haptics’ heavy pages and yearning for the original DualShock. Joysticks to Hapsticks releases on July 3, 2025, and explores much more of video game controller history with commentary from professionals across the gaming industry.
