Editing Gamepad

{{short description|Type of video game controller}}
{{About||the TV show|Gamepad (TV series)|the Nintendo device|Wii U GamePad|the Android device|Archos GamePad}}
{{Redirect|Action button|the game development studio|Action Button Entertainment}}
{{Distinguish|Gaming keypad|Joystick}}
{{lead too short|date=February 2012}}
[[File:Nintendo-Switch-Pro-Controller-FL.jpg|thumb|A [[Nintendo Switch Pro Controller]], a typical modern gamepad]]A '''gamepad''' is a type of video [[game controller]] held in two hands, where the fingers (especially thumbs) are used to provide input. They are typically the main [[input device]] for [[video game console]]s.

== Features ==
[[File:Xbox360 controller white back.jpg|thumb|Shoulder buttons ("bumpers") and triggers on an [[Xbox 360]] controller]]
Some common additions to the standard pad include shoulder buttons (also called "bumpers") and triggers placed along the edges of the pad (shoulder buttons are usually digital, i.e. merely on/off; while triggers are usually [[Analog device|analog]]); centrally placed ''start'', ''select'', and ''home'' buttons{{what|date=February 2024}}, and an internal motor to provide [[Haptic technology#Video games|force feedback]].  Analog triggers, like that of the [[GameCube controller]], are pressure-sensitive and games can read in the amount of pressure applied to one to control the intensity of a certain action, such as how forceful water is to be sprayed in ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''.{{fact|date=January 2022}}

There are programmable joysticks that can emulate [[Keyboard technology|keyboard]] input. Generally they have been made to circumvent the lack of joystick support in some computer games, e.g. the [[Belkin]] [[Nostromo SpeedPad n52]]. There are several programs that emulate keyboard and mouse input with a gamepad such as the [[Free and open-source software|free and open-source]] [[cross-platform]] software antimicro,<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Schaaf|first=Tobiasa|title=Gamestation Turbo|url=https://magazine.odroid.com/wp-content/uploads/ODROID-Magazine-201407.pdf|magazine=ODROID Magazine|issue=7|date=July 2014|page=17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326041358/https://magazine.odroid.com/wp-content/uploads/ODROID-Magazine-201407.pdf|archive-date=March 26, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/AntiMicro/antimicro/releases|title=Graphical program used to map keyboard keys and mouse controls to a gamepad|author=Ryochan7|website=[[GitHub]] |access-date=July 6, 2016}}</ref> Enjoy2,<ref>{{citation|url=http://nongraphical.com/2013/05/enjoy2-v12-released-control-games-with-your-gamepad-on-osx/|title=Enjoy2 v1.2 released: control games with your gamepad on OSX|author=Yifeng Huang|date=May 6, 2013|access-date=May 19, 2017}}</ref> or proprietary commercial solutions such as JoyToKey, Xpadder, and Pinnacle Game Profiler.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}

One common issue with modern game controllers is stick drift, where the analog stick registers movement even when not being touched. This problem can affect gameplay accuracy and responsiveness. To diagnose stick drift, various online stick drift tester tools are available, allowing users to visualize stick movement and detect irregular inputs. These tools, often web-based, help determine whether recalibration, cleaning, or hardware repair is necessary.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gamepad Tester |url=https://www.hlplanet.com/gamepad-tester/ |website=HL Planet |access-date=3 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Gamepad Tester |url=https://hardwaretester.com/gamepad |website=Hardware Tester |access-date=3 March 2025}}</ref> Some platforms, like Steam, also include built-in calibration settings to mitigate minor drift issues.

== History ==
The 1962 video game ''[[Spacewar!]]'' initially used toggle switches built into the computer readout display to control the game. These switches were awkward and uncomfortable to use, so [[Alan Kotok]] and Bob Saunders built and wired in a detached control device for the game. This device has been called the earliest gamepad.<ref name="NGen17">{{cite magazine|date=May 1996|title=Get a Grip!!!: Joysticks Past, Present & Future|url=https://archive.org/details/Next-Generation-1996-05/page/n39|format=[[PDF]]|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|issue=17|pages=34–42|access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref>

===Entry into the mass market===
[[File:Nintendo-Entertainment-System-NES-Controller-FL.jpg|thumb|right|The [[NES controller]]]]It would take many years for the gamepad to rise to prominence, as during the 1970s and the early 1980s [[joystick]]s and [[paddle (game controller)|paddle]]s were the dominant video game controllers,<ref name="NGen17"/> though several [[Atari joystick port]]-compatible pushbutton controllers were also available.<ref>{{Citation | first1 = David H. | last1 = Ahl | author-link = David H. Ahl | first2 = Randi J. | last2 = Rost | author2-link = Randi J. Rost | title = Blisters And Frustration: Joysticks, Paddles, Buttons and Game Port Extenders for Apple, Atari and VIC | journal = Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | pages = 106ff | year = 1983 | url = http://www.atarimagazines.com/cva/v1n1/joysticks.php }}</ref> The [[third generation of video game consoles|third generation of video games]] saw many major changes, and the eminence of gamepads in the video game market.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

[[Nintendo]] developed a gamepad device for directional inputs, a D-pad with a "cross" design for their ''[[Donkey Kong (1981 video game)|Donkey Kong]]'' handheld game. This design would be incorporated into their "[[Game & Watch]]" series and console controllers such as the standard [[NES controller]]. Though developed because they were more compact than joysticks, and thus more appropriate for handheld games, D-pads were soon found by developers to be more comfortable to use than joysticks.<ref name="NGen17"/> The D-pad soon became a ubiquitous element on console gamepads, though to avoid infringing on Nintendo's patent, most controller manufacturers use a cross in a circle shape for the D-pad instead of a simple cross.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 1996|title=The Next Generation 1996 Lexicon A to Z: Joypad|url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-015/page/n35|format=[[PDF]]|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|issue=15|page=35|access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref>

===Continued refinements===
[[File:Sega-Genesis-6But-Cont.jpg|thumb|left|Six-button Genesis/Mega Drive controller that was released later]]The original [[Sega Genesis|Sega Genesis/Mega Drive]] control pad has three face buttons,<ref name="playstation's [https://www.gematsu.com/2010/08/playstations-iconic-face-buttons-explained face buttons] explained">{{cite web |title=face buttons |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2010/08/playstations-iconic-face-buttons-explained |website=Gematsu |date=26 August 2010 |publisher=sal romano |access-date=26 August 2010}}</ref> but a six-button pad was later released.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.segagagadomain.com/hardware-mega/megadrive-6button.htm|title=6 Button Controller|publisher=segagagadomain.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170435/http://www.segagagadomain.com/hardware-mega/megadrive-6button.htm|archive-date=March 3, 2016|access-date=1 August 2010}}</ref> The [[SNES controller]] also featured six action buttons, with four face buttons arranged in a diamond formation, and two shoulder buttons positioned to be used with the index fingers, a design which has been imitated by most controllers since. The inclusion of six action buttons was influenced by the popularity of the ''[[Street Fighter]]'' arcade series, which utilized six buttons.<ref>{{cite book| last=Ashcraft| first=Brian|title=Arcade Mania!: The Turbo-Charged World of Japan's Game Centers|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|year=2008|page=192|isbn=978-4-7700-3078-8}}</ref>[[File:Super-Famicom-Controller.jpg|thumb|The [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES/Super Famicom]] gamepad (Japanese Super Famicom version is shown), which popularized the layout used by most modern gamepads]]For most of the 1980s and early 1990s, [[Analog stick|analog joysticks]] were the predominant form of gaming controller for PCs, while console gaming controllers were mostly digital.<ref name="NGen17"/> This changed in 1996 when all three major consoles introduced an optional analog control. The Sony [[Dual Analog Controller]] had twin convex analog thumbsticks, the [[Sega Saturn]] 3D Control Pad had a single analog thumbstick, and the [[Nintendo 64 controller]] combined digital and analog controllers in a single body, starting a trend to have both an analog stick and a d-pad.

Despite these changes, gamepads essentially continued to follow the template set by the NES controller (a horizontally-oriented controller with two or more action buttons positioned for use with the right thumb, and a directional pad positioned for use with the left thumb).<ref name="NGen17"/>

===Three-dimensional control===
[[File:Wii Remote Image.jpg|thumb|[[Wii Remote]] can also be played with two hands like a gamepad controller.]]Though three-dimensional games rose to prominence in the mid-1990s, controllers continued to mostly operate on two-dimensional principles. Players would have to hold down a button to change the axes along which the controls operate rather than being able to control movement along all three axes at once. One of the first gaming consoles, the [[Fairchild Channel F]], did have a controller which provided [[six degrees of freedom]], but the processing limitations of the console itself prevented there from being any software to take advantage of this ability.<ref name="NGen17" /> In 1994, [[Logitech]] introduced the CyberMan, the first practical six-degrees-of-freedom controller; however, it sold poorly due to its high price, poor build quality, and limited software support. Industry insiders blame the CyberMan's high profile and costly failure for the gaming industry's lack of interest in developing 3D control over the next several years.<ref name="NGen17" />

The [[Wii Remote]] is shaped like a [[television]] [[remote control]] and contains [[tilt sensor]]s and three-[[dimension]]al pointing which the system uses to understand all [[Degrees of freedom (mechanics)|directions of movement]] and rotation (back and forth around the [[Flight dynamics|pitch, roll, and yaw axes]]). The controller is also multifunctional and has an expansion port which can be used for a variety of peripherals. An analog stick peripheral, called "Nunchuk," also contains an [[accelerometer]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://revolution.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=6601|title=Nintendo Revolution ::: Advanced Media Network - Mario, Zelda, Revolution Controller, Innovation|last=Levin|first=Phillip|date=April 25, 2006|website=Revolution Advanced|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427212400/http://revolution.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=6601|archive-date=April 27, 2006|access-date=2019-11-20}}</ref> but unlike the Wii Remote, it lacks any pointer functionality.{{clear}}

== Usage across platforms ==
Gamepads are also available for [[personal computer]]s. Examples of PC gamepads include the [[Asus Eee Stick]], the [[Gravis PC GamePad|Gravis PC]], the [[Microsoft SideWinder]] and [[Saitek|Saitek Cyborg]] range, and the [[Steam Controller]]. Third-party USB adapters and software can be employed to utilize console gamepads on PCs; the [[DualShock|DualShock 3, DualShock 4]], [[DualShock#DualSense|DualSense]], [[Wii Remote]] and [[Joy-Con]] can be used with third-party software on systems with [[Bluetooth]] functionality, with [[USB]] additionally usable on DualShock 3, DualShock 4 and DualSense. [[Xbox 360]], [[Xbox One]] and [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]] controllers are officially supported on [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] with Microsoft-supplied drivers; a [[dongle]] can be used to connect them wirelessly, or the controller can be connected directly to the computer over USB (wired versions of Xbox 360 controllers were marketed by Microsoft as PC gamepads, while the Xbox One/Series X/S controllers can be connected to a PC via its Micro USB/USB-C slot).<ref name="RemoteHomebrew">Jamin Brophy-Warren, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117772630151685703 Magic Wand: How Hackers Make Use Of Their Wii-motes], ''[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]'', April 28, 2007</ref><ref name="tc-ds4win">{{cite web|url=https://www.techradar.com/how-to/gaming/how-to-use-the-ps4-dualshock-4-controller-on-a-pc-1309014|title=How to use the PS4 DualShock 4 controller on a PC|last=Hanson|first=Matt|website=[[TechRadar]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119100213/http://www.techradar.com/us/how-to/gaming/how-to-use-the-ps4-dualshock-4-controller-on-a-pc-1309014|archive-date=January 19, 2016|access-date=4 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="kotaku-howtouse">{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/how-to-use-a-console-controller-on-your-pc-889800353|title=How To Use A Console Controller On Your PC|last=Plunkett|first=Luke|date=July 23, 2013|website=[[Kotaku]]|access-date=4 June 2016}}</ref>

== Non-gaming use ==

[[File:Trent Tresch Submarine Research Dive.jpg|thumb|upright|Trent Tresch piloting the [[OceanGate]] ''Cyclops 1'' using a modified [[List of Logitech products#F710|Logitech F710 Game Controller]].]]
Gamepads or devices closely modelled on them are sometimes used for controlling real machinery and vehicles, as they are familiar to users and (in the case of actual gamepads) provide an off-the-shelf solution. The [[US Army]] and [[US Navy]] use Xbox controllers<ref>
{{cite web
 | title= From Joysticks to Warfare: Military's Rising Use of Video Game Controllers in Submarines, Tanks
 | date= 20 June 2023
 | url= https://themessenger.com/news/from-joysticks-to-warfare-militarys-rising-use-of-video-game-controllers-in-submarines-tanks
 | url-status= dead
 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230620230215/https://themessenger.com/news/from-joysticks-to-warfare-militarys-rising-use-of-video-game-controllers-in-submarines-tanks
 | archive-date= June 20, 2023
}}
</ref>
for operating devices, and the [[British Army]] uses a device modelled on gamepads to operate systems on the [[Challenger 2]] [[main battle tank]].<ref>
{{cite web
 | title= Real life gaming: How the British Army modelled tank controls on a gamepad
 | date= 14 October 2016
 | url= https://www.techradar.com/news/real-life-gaming-how-the-british-army-modelled-tank-simulation-on-a-games-controller#:~:text=The%20firing%20controls%20inside%20the,grown%20up%20playing%20video%20games
}}
</ref>
The [[Titan (submersible)|''Titan'' submersible]] notoriously used a gamepad for control.<ref>
{{cite web
 | url= https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/21/us/inside-missing-titan-submersible-titanic-tour/index.html
 | title= What it was like inside the lost Titanic-touring submersible
 | date= 22 June 2023
}}
</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Computer keyboard]]
* [[Computer mouse]]
* [[Game port]]
* [[Sim racing wheel]]

== References ==
{{Wiktionary|gamepad|joypad|control pad}}
{{reflist}}

{{Game controllers}}

[[Category:Game controllers]]