A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game, typically to control an object or character in a game. A controller is usually connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire or cord, although, since the mid 2000's wireless controllers have become widespread. Input devices that have been classified as game controllers include keyboards, mice, gamepads, joysticks, etc. Special purpose devices such as steering wheels for driving games, light guns for shooting games, and dance pads for dancing games, even motion detection devices such as the Xbox 360's Kinect system which can track your movement and use it to move your character in-game.
One of the first video game controllers was a simple dial and single button used to control the game "Tennis for Two". Since then Controllers have evolved to include directional pads, multiple buttons, joysticks, motion detection, analog sticks, touch screens and a plethora of other features. They even have accessories you can add on to controllers to make gaming a bit easier like pads for analog sticks, or even add ons to make pushing triggers or buttons easier to access and push.
Game controllers have chamged from analog, to pads with buttons, to joysticks which were all wired up till the mid-2000's when wireless controllers were starting to appear. They had devices that you attach to the game console itself to read the controller's inputs, to having these devices put internally to read the inputs without the need of an accessory. Game consoles also have motion sensors like the Wii that reads to motion from the controller or "wand" to input the movements into the gameplay. This then evolved to a motion sensor that lets you the player be the controller to control the player in the game where your movement controls your character's motion. Some of these examples are the Xbox 360's Kinect system and the Xbox One's Kinect system as well. The Playstation also had a sensor system as well called the Playstation Move system which worked with a wand as well. Some wireless controllers can even sense movement in the controller to show some movement in-game.
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable video game console with a built-in screen, speakers, game controls in one unit, allowing people to carry them and play them at any time and place. Nintendo is credited with popularizing the handheld console concept with the releas of the Game Boy in 1989 and till today dominate the handheld market. When Nintendo introduced the Game Boy in 1989, it almost single handedly solidified and proceeded to dominate the previous handheld market for 15 years. While the Game Boy product line was being updated every few years until the Game Boy Micro and Nintendo DS, and partially the Game Boy Color. All Game Boy products were backwards compatible up until the Nintendo DS.
| Console | Year Released |
|---|---|
| Game Boy | 1989 |
| Game Boy Color | 1998 |
| Game Boy Advance | 2001 |
| PSP | 2004 |
| Nintendo DS | 2004 |
| Game Boy Micro | 2005 |
| Nintendo DS Lite | 2006 |
| Nintendo DSi | 2008 |
| PSP Go | 2009 |
| PS Vita | 2011 |
| Nintendo 3DS | 2011 |
| Nintendo 3DS XL | 2012 |
| Nintendo 2DS | 2013 |