Joystick DirectoryMay 20, 2023
Mollie L Patterson

Here's your #SegaSaturn fun fact of the day!

When crafting the Saturn 3D Control Pad, Sega's design team decided to make the new controller's cord removable.

That way, when not in use playing games, owners could fly the pad around pretending it's a new prototype Starfleet vessel from their favorite #StarTrek series!

#Gaming #RetroGaming #Sega

May 19, 2023 at 6:38pmWeb
Show threadRebeccaMay 19, 2023

@mollipen 😂 Genuine LOL there!

I had no idea they made these in white though! Mine is black!

Show threadMollie L PattersonMay 19, 2023

@rebecca_meadows It looks like the white JP Saturn hit in March 1996, and the 3D Control Pad July 1996, so I assume they colored the Japanese version that way to go together with the new lower-cost white Saturn. While the US and EU versions were black.

I had imported the white Saturn, so I went for the Japanese pad to match.

Show threadRebeccaMay 19, 2023

@mollipen Ah OK, that makes sense!

I can't decide which colour I like more. The white Saturn/pad combo has Dreamcast vibes!

Show threadBenMay 19, 2023
@mollipen This is a great fun fact!
Show threadRonaldMay 19, 2023
@mollipen wow, today i learned. in my mind saturn is just this thing. (and daytonaaaaaaa!)
Show threadMollie L PattersonMay 19, 2023
@ronald Oh no, that's the worst way to think of the Saturn! Sega of America really made a mistake with that controller. The Japanese version, which finally came West later, was so, so much better.
Show threadQueenero89 May 20, 2023
@mollipen O lo hicieron pensando en conectarle accesorios que nunca llegaron a fabricar.
Show threadMollie L PattersonMay 20, 2023
@Queenero89 Por supuesto, lo que dijiste es la verdadera razón. Solo estaba bromeando sobre su forma. 😄
Show threadRob from Green Hill ZoneMay 21, 2023
@mollipen Kid me did this.
Show threadEmanuel Schleussinger 💾May 24, 2023
@mollipen @Joysticks I was curious about this too. I guess it was done to add an optional wireless / infrared + battery addon. Did something like this ever get released?
Show threadMollie L PattersonMay 24, 2023

@emanuel @Joysticks Patents never give a clear indication of what a company is ACTIVELY working on, but Sega had designs for things like a wireless adapter, memory card support, an extra joystick (?), trackball, a clock (lol), second display (perhaps inspiring Dreamcast’s VMU), motion controls, and more.

I assume that Sega thought/hoped the controller would be a bigger hit than it was, and when it wasn’t, any potential plans were scrapped.