These DIY Paddle Game Controllers Are Perfect for Playing Emulated Retro Games

You may not know this if you’re a young gamer, but console manufacturers weren’t exactly in agreement about what a video game controller should look like in the early days. Vastly different controller designs were even released for the same consoles in order to accommodate different kinds of games. One style that used to be popular—but which is almost unheard of today — was the paddle controller. Those usually had a wheel-like knob and at least one fire button. If you’re emulating a game that is designed for those, then Arpruss has a tutorial on how to build a modern USB paddle controller.

This project utilizes the STM32F103C8T6-based “Blue Pill” development board. Each of the two paddle controllers, which are connected to a single development board, contains a potentiometer and a micro switch button. The potentiometer is used to determine how far you’ve twisted the wheel, and the micro switch is for the fire button. Those components are housed within a 3D-printed shell. Arpuss provides all of the code to make the controllers work. If you want to play a classic game like Breakout in an Atari 2600 emulator, these paddle controllers are ideal.