Gamepad design has changed with each generation bringing advancement in technology and improvements in function. It all started with the Atari 2600 in 1977, then Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, Sony PlayStation in 1994 and Xbox in 2001. Since then, Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox have had a three-way battle for supremacy.
Gaming controllers and gamepads have been in the mix of things all this time, and bringing gamers the most ergonomic and function-laden gamepad has been an unending quest. This adventure continues with these thoughtful gamepad concepts sparking my imagination wild.
Designer: Evolution Lab
Things start off with this dreamy AI-crafted gamepad collection in the form of a ceramic-coated controller with buttons comparable to that on a Formula-1 steering wheel. The gamepad gets a creamy colored texture and the Xbox-inspired analog sticks, D-pad and buttons. The concept gamepad has a fat character to it, and I imagine how it would feel ultra-secure while annihilating my opponents playing open-world titles.
Then comes the very cheesy furniture-inspired gamepad that feels like a Lincoln Continental’s interior dabbed onto a themed NES controller. The button layout has not been tampered with much, and hitting the trigger buttons during intense zombie-firing action will injure a nail or two… ouch! That wooden finished back panel on the controller is too close to comfort for slamming the trigger buttons and holding this one is going to give anyone sweaty palms… yuk!
Next up is a downsized gamepad ideal for carrying along for quick portable gaming skirmishes on a capable gaming device. Yes, I imagine this controller to be a holy grail accessory in a purist gamer’s bag. Nintendo SNES Controller influence is spilled all over here, as the AI picks the minimalistic elements of the classic controller in its logically evolved form.
This Xbox 360-inspired gamepad is a luxe version of the original, and I can’t walk away from staring, it’s that classy. The D-pad and the shoulder trigger buttons have the definitive chrome treatment, something that you would do on a Supra for aftermarket drifting modification. Just pondering over the thought of smoking up the rubber in a Dirt rally or a Car X drifting game gets me high enough, already…
A gamepad with overemphasized shoulder buttons is perfect for battle royale action as you hit the fire and aim buttons in tandem like a pro shooter. Again the Xbox 360 is the canvas on which this caped gamepad builds on, keeping things to basics and colors muted. A no-nonsense gamepad nobody will go wrong with.
Then comes the flashiest of them all. A Nintendo 64 controller getting the animated treatment it seems. Jumping right out of a Pixar animated title like The Incredibles, this concept gamepad will be so much fun to have. To hit those bubbly buttons and maneuver that warship-like analog button is going to be such a blissful feeling.
Last but not least, a gamepad that would ideally go with a modern portable gaming console. Built for a demanding and sophisticated gamer who likes to flaunt those collectible Nike Air Jordan sneakers, the gamepad is one of the most eye-candy iterations of the Nintendo Super NES you would ever see. Everything right from the D-pad to the buttons are so cleanly crafteded. This one I would choose for life out of them all!