Atari 2600 Hardware - Controllers

Controllers

The Atari had a large number of input devices (such as joysticks, paddles, keyboards, etc...) as well as third-party components.

The console came packaged with two standard joysticks and a set of paddles. Joysticks, featuring a single button and 4-directional stick, were used by most Atari games and were the predominate input device. Also, the Atari joysticks could be used in MSX and several Japanese computers. It is possible to use the joysticks in Sega systems like the Sega Master System or Sega Genesis in games that only require one button.

The other main controller, the paddle, was used for games based on one-dimensional movement. These included Pong, Breakout, and Circus Atari, to name a few. The "driving controller" appeared similar in design to the paddle, but there was only one per DE-9 port rather than two paddles per port. The key difference in function between the paddle and driving controller was that the paddle's wheel had a finite amount it would turn before hitting a stop, while the driving controller's wheel could rotate continuously. This was essential for overhead-view driving games, for which you would have to turn the wheel a total of 360 degrees in one direction every lap. The Atari Mindlink was a proposed motion controller which measured the movement of the user's eyebrows via a fitted headband, which would replace the paddle controller; however, the Mindlink was cancelled early in its development.