Computer and video game hardware Computer and video game hardware An analog stick, sometimes called thumbstick, often mistakenly referred to as a joystick, is an input device for a controller, often a game controller, that is used for two-dimensional input. It consists of some sort of protrusion from the controller, and the input is based on the position of this protrusion. While a digital joystick relies on single electrical connections for movement (with contacts for up, down, left and right), an analog stick uses continous electrical activity running through potentiometers. The analog stick has greatly overtaken the D-pad in prominence and usage in console video games. ...more on Wikipedia about "Analog stick"
An arcade cabinet, also known as an arcade machine or coin-op, is the housing within which an arcade game's hardware resides. Most conform to the JAMMA standard, a way of wiring the machine. ...more on Wikipedia about "Arcade cabinet"
A cheat cartridge (or game enhancer) is a device that connects to a video game system that allows a user to input special cheat codes to manipulate a game in a way not permitted in its original programming. Usually the effect is to gain infinite lives, ammunition, unlock secret, or do things that would otherwise allow an unfair advantage. For more recent systems, many "cheat cartridges" are not actually cartridges, but rather some form of optical disc (such as CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs). ...more on Wikipedia about "Cheat cartridge"
A D-pad (short for directional pad) is a plus sign–shaped control found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads and game controllers, with one button on each point. Like early video game joysticks, the vast majority of D-pads are digital; in other words, only the directions provided on the D-pad buttons can be used, with no intermediate values. ...more on Wikipedia about "D-pad"
The DexDrive is a hardware tool created by InterAct used for importing and exporting console game data from a memory card to a personal computer or PC to memory card. It comes with a power cable, install software, and a PC port plugin. Saves exported to PC could be used as saves in emulator programs and saves made in emulator programs could be imported to the memory card. The device is useful if the owner wanted to have a large number of saves but didn't want to buy multiple memory cards or wanted to download saves from the internet. There are two versions, one for the Nintendo 64 memory cards and one for the PlayStation One memory cards. ...more on Wikipedia about "DexDrive"
The Emotion Engine is the name of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) used in Sony PlayStation 2 video game consoles. It was jointly designed by Toshiba and Sony and began mass production in 1999. According to MicroDesign Resources, it is two times faster than a 733 MHz Pentium III and 15 times faster than a 400 MHz Celeron at handling tasks like full-motion video. Despite the name and Sony's initial marketing of the PlayStation 2, this processor is not specifically designed to render realistic "emotions" for game characters. ...more on Wikipedia about "Emotion Engine"
A game controller is an input device used to control a video game. A controller is typically connected to a video game console or a personal computer. A game controller can be a keyboard, mouse, gamepad, joystick, paddle, or any other device designed for gaming that can receive input. Special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting games, may also exist for a platform. Some devices, such as keyboards and mice, are actually generic input devices and their use is not strictly limited to that of a game controller. ...more on Wikipedia about "Game controller"
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The Gravis PC GamePad is a game port game controller produced by Advanced Gravis Computer Technology. It is probably the first gamepad for the IBM PC compatible on a market then dominated by joysticks. Included with the gamepad was a shareware Commander Keen game, episode 1, Marooned on Mars, which was later replaced with the shareware episode 4, Secret of the Oracle which supported all 4 buttons. The gamepad is no longer sold by Gravis. ...more on Wikipedia about "Gravis PC GamePad"
The J-Cart was a special cartridge developed by Codemasters for the Mega Drive/ Sega Genesis console, and increased SEGA's 16-bit console from two joypad ports to four. ...more on Wikipedia about "J-Cart"
The kick harness, also known as the extra harness or plus harness, is a set of additional connectors that allow arcade PCBs to have extra controls beyond what the JAMMA wiring standard allows. A JAMMA PCB supports up to 1 joystick and 4 buttons for 2 separate players. JAMMA boards that require this extra harness are called JAMMA+ or, alternatively, JAMMA plus. ...more on Wikipedia about "Kick harness"
The Konix Multisystem was an unreleased game console by Konix, which was intended to follow the success of the Konix joystick. It promised advanced features such as a hydraulic chair and force feeback steering wheel. Development work was done in the late 1980s by Flare Technology based in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. Unfortunately the system never saw its final release and Konix eventually folded. Konix was based on Flare One computer, and after it folded, development began on Flare Two which was bought by Atari and it became the Atari Jaguar game console. ...more on Wikipedia about "Konix Multisystem"
In a general sense, a lock-out chip is a chip within an electronic device to prevent other manufacturers from using a company's device to perform certain functions. ...more on Wikipedia about "Lock-out chip"
Mad Catz, Inc. is the leading 3rd party video game hardware manufacturing company in North America. This company started in 1989. ...more on Wikipedia about "Mad Catz"
A memory card or flash memory card is a solid-state electronic flash memory data storage devices used with digital cameras, handheld and laptop computers, telephones, music players, video game consoles, and other electronics. They offer high re-recordability, power-free storage, small form factor, and rugged environmental specifications. There are also non-solid state memory cards that do not use flash memory, and there are different types of flash memory. ...more on Wikipedia about "Memory card"
Microsoft Sidewinder is the general name given to the family of digital game controllers developed by Microsoft for PCs. Although intended only for use with Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Sidewinder game controllers can also be used with Apple's Mac OS X and Linux (or any Unix with an x86 version of X11 version 2.1.xx or newer). ...more on Wikipedia about "Microsoft Sidewinder"
The Miracle Piano teaching system was a MIDI keyboard/teaching tool created by The Software Toolworks for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Mac and PC. It consisted of a keyboard, connecting cables, and either software on 3.5" floppies or an NES cartridge. When connected to the console or computer, a user followed the on-screen notes. Its marketed value was as a tool to teach kids and to play the piano. It provided hundreds of lessons, and was advertised as the perfect adjunct to formal lessons. Due to its prohibitive price($500) and low sales, the keyboard and NES cartridge together are a rare find. Some of the NES Miracle keyboards were later converted for PC use - the Nintendo Seal of Quality on these boards was covered up with a piece of plastic. ...more on Wikipedia about "Miracle Piano"
A modification chip or modchip is a device used to play import, backup, or homebrew games and/or circumvent the digital rights management of many popular game consoles, including the Xbox and PlayStation. Almost all modern console gaming systems have hardware-based schemes which ensure that only officially sanctioned games may be used with the system and implement regional lockout similar to the scheme used in DVD movies. The specific technical nature of these DRM systems varies by system, and may include cryptographic signing ( Xbox), intentionally unreadable sectors ( PlayStation), custom optical media ( GameCube, Dreamcast), or some combination thereof. Modchips are available also for some DVD players, to defeat region code enforcement and user operation prohibitions. ...more on Wikipedia about "Modchip"
A multitap is a video game console peripheral that expands the number of controller ports available to the player, thus allowing additional controllers to be used in play. A multitap often takes the form of a box with three or more controller ports which is then connected to a spare port on the console itself. ...more on Wikipedia about "Multitap"
The R-360 is an arcade cabinet produced by Sega. The arcade cabinet has three axles of freedom alowing the player to rotate freely as the cabinet mimics the ingame action. Sega used the acronym SDME (Servo Drive Movement System) for the cabinet's system. ...more on Wikipedia about "R-360"
R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) was a short-lived accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in 1984 in Japan as the "Family Robot" and in 1985 in the United States. ...more on Wikipedia about "R.O.B."
A regional converter is a hardware device used to bypass regional lockout, especially on a video game console, allowing imported media units to be played on domestic devices. Unlike mod chips, regional converters do not circumvent copy protection. For example, a Super Famicom converter allows Super Famicom games to be played on American Super NES consoles and vice versa. Super Famicom converters come in several styles. One third-party SNES hardware device, GameSaver+, which emulates the save state feature used in console emulation to be done on the SNES console, is also used as a Super Famicom converter. ...more on Wikipedia about "Regional converter"
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Reset button can also refer to the plot device known as the Reset button technique. ...more on Wikipedia about "Reset button"
The Starpath Supercharger was an add-on module created by Starpath to expand the game capabilities of the Atari 2600 video game console. The device resembled a long game cartridge with a handle on one end. The Supercharger interface multiplied the Atari 2600's RAM 49-fold, from its meager built-in 128 bytes to 6,272 bytes, i.e. giving it an extra 6 KB, allowing for larger games with higher resolution graphics. A cord coming out of the side of the cartridge plugged into the earphone jack of any standard cassette player. Games for the Supercharger were stored on normal audio cassettes. ...more on Wikipedia about "Starpath Supercharger"
Treamcast is a third-party developed Dreamcast clone from China. This small system with its fold-down display resembled the revised PS One. The Treamcast can read CD-Rs and play MP3s and VCDs. It also contains pirated Dreamcast firmware, enabling it to play Dreamcast games. Sega accused the company of copyright violations and was able to halt production of the system. ...more on Wikipedia about "Treamcast"
The Tremor Pak is a third-party version of the Nintendo 64's official Rumble Pak, a device designed to vibrate the N64 controller during selected games to enhance realism. For example the Tremor Pak might cause the controller to vibrate when a gun is fired or when the player takes damage. ...more on Wikipedia about "Tremor Pak"
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