As the world’s attention turns to the Titan, a lost submarine bringing five people to study the Titanic’s ruins, one particular aspect has piqued public interest: the submersible was controlled by a video game controller. The habit may cause amusement on social media, but it’s not as absurd as it appears.
Video game controllers have become prevalent in military equipment operations in the United States.
According to Vice, Xbox controllers, which are omnipresent in gaming, have also found a role in military applications. The US Navy and Army have both adopted these controllers, with the Navy using them for submarine operations and the Army using them to deploy bomb disposal robots.
And the usage of Xbox controllers is not limited to the United States: the British military has produced an all-terrain vehicle that can be directed using this gadget, and Israel drives a tank using the same technology.
While licensed game controllers are routinely used, the military creates its own specialized versions on occasion. The M-SHORAD assault vehicle of the United States Army has a controller that nearly resembles an N64 gamepad, and the Challenger 2’s firing controller is very similar to ordinary gaming controllers.
Militaries all across the world have turned to game controllers as operational tools for their machinery. They are not only less expensive, but they also provide the benefit of being familiar to new recruits.
Vice adds that it’s unlikely that the usage of a gaming controller played a part in the disappearance of the sub, even if searches for the missing Titan are still ongoing.
Given that the submarine had a 96-hour oxygen supply, it is possible that a hull breach, fuel loss, or oxygen container leak are more likely causes of the Titan’s bad situation.
