Peripheral Vision: 3D Control Pad

» Platform: Saturn » released: 1996 » Cost: £24.99 (launch), £25+ (now, unboxed), £35+ (now, boxed)

Sega’s attempt to design an analogue controller for the Saturn barely resembles the controllers of today, and was quite different to many of its time. The main feature of this bulky, circular controller is an analogue thumb pad, which utilises a slightly raised concave disc instead of the now-traditional stick that you’d see with a Playstation or Xbox controller. The controller also features a digital directional pad of the same type used on regular Saturn controllers and the six standard face buttons, as well as a switch to choose between analogue and digital modes to mitigate problems with older software that failed to recognise the new controller.

However, the 3D Control Pad (called the

Sega Multi Controller in Japan) did prove to be influential. The controller was designed with a break-away cable, which patents show was in order to allow for additional sub-peripherals to be plugged in. Although this functionality was never utilised on the Saturn, the Dreamcast controller included two slots dedicated to sub-peripherals such as memory cards and microphones. That controller also owes its shape and layout to the 3D Control Pad, as well as its analogue triggers. These proved excellent for racing games and more, and were the one aspect of the 3D Control Pad that would become widely accepted within the videogames business.

» It might look like an atrocity compared to today’s controller designs but the 3D Control Pad was ergonomic and nice to hold.