Xbox Controller Plus

The humble Xbox controller has escaped the living room and now pilots everything from bomb-disposal robots to submarine periscopes. Why? Because Microsoft spent millions perfecting the ergonomics of something now purchased for the cost of a moderately ambitious lunch. Furthermore most soldiers and sailors show up already trained, courtesy of Halo and Mountain Dew. So naturally, governments keep buying Xbox controllers… and naturally, they keep destroying them with war. Because while the venerable gamepad is perfect for fragging aliens, it is somewhat less perfect for sandstorms, shock loads, vibrations, saltwater, and gloved hands.

Enter Xbox Controller Plus, a company dedicated to making slightly more grown-up versions of the Xbox controller by adding just the bits the military and industrial folks keep asking for. The version the American Navy is putting into submarines could use the ability to operate under water in a pinch, I'm sure. Any mounted vehicle design is better off with some vibration protection. Anything involving heavy guns or actual combat could stand some shock resistance. And so on.The key is not reinventing the controller. That would cost millions and break all the muscle memory humanity has already paid for. Instead: keep the beloved shape, the wiring, the interface, the brain… just wrap it in grown-up clothes. Charge a modest premium. Everyone is happy. Microsoft gets to pretend this is not happening. The military gets controllers that do not dissolve when exposed to reality. Gamers get to buy "MIL-SPEC thumbsticks." All for a tenth the usual cost of military hardware. Well, half the cost after the standard Voiceco markup.