AccessoryPaddle1977
Atari paddle controller
A paddle is a game controller with a round wheel or dial and one or more fire buttons, where the wheel is typically used to control movement of the player object along one axis of the video screen. A paddle controller rotates through a fixed arc (usually about 330 degrees); it has a stop at each end.
- First released
- 1977
- Made by
- Atari
- Type
- Paddle
Overview
A paddle is a game controller with a round wheel or dial and one or more fire buttons, where the wheel is typically used to control movement of the player object along one axis of the video screen. A paddle controller rotates through a fixed arc (usually about 330 degrees); it has a stop at each end.
The name paddle is derived from the first game that used it, Pong,, being a video game simulation of table tennis, whose racquets are commonly called paddles. Even though the simulated paddles appeared on-screen (as small line segments), it was the hand controllers used to move the line segments that actually came to bear the name.
Some famous video games using paddles are Pong, Breakout, and Night Driver.
Details
- Manufacturer
- Atari
- Works with
- Atari 2600
- Type
- Paddle
Works with
- Atari 2600
Sources
- Wikipedia overview and specifications
- Atari_Paddle.JPG
- Atari driving controller.JPG Malcolm Tyrrell CC BY-SA 3.0
- Puchi carat retro controller.jpg Malcolm Tyrrell CC BY-SA 3.0
The overview is adapted from Wikipedia and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.
Checked October 2026.
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