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The United States Navy recently announced that they will use Xbox controllers to operate periscopes in their newest submarines.

U.S. Navy To Use Xbox Controllers To Operate Submarine Periscopes

The United States Navy recently announced that they will use Xbox controllers to operate periscopes in their newest submarines.
This article is over 7 years old and may contain outdated information

The United States Navy recently announced that they are planning to use Xbox 360 controllers to operate the periscopes installed in their newest Virginia-class submarines.

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USS John Warner’s assistant weapons officer Lt. j.g. Kyle Leonard told Military.com that “The Navy got together and they asked a bunch of [junior officers] and junior guys, ‘What can we do to make your life better?’… “And one of the things that came out is the controls for the scope. It’s kind of clunky in your hand; it’s real heavy.”

The advantage of using Xbox 360 controllers lies not just in accessibility, but also in price. On average, a new Xbox 360 controller in somewhere between $30 to $40 online, while the typical cost for the specially designed photonic mast handgrip and imaging control panel made for modern submarines is around $38,000.

This isn’t the first time that the U.S. Military has used video game paraphernalia in order to cut costs and simplify technology. Another instance of such technology crossover was when the U.S. Air Force created a supercomputer out of a large cluster of modified PS3s.

 

Image credit: didyouknowgaming.com

The integration of Xbox 360 controllers into Virginia-class Naval submarines will begin with the USS Colorado, which is commissioned for November. 

Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more video game and video game related news as it develops. 


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Greyson Ditzler
I'm just your average basement-dwelling eclectic and eccentric video gamer who does his best to make a point, share experiences, and talk to people without swallowing his own tongue. I'm mostly into Platformers and RPG's, but I'll try pretty much anything once, and I'm also trying to find something different and interesting to play, and then share with as many people as I can. I can also beat the entire first world in Super Meat Boy while wearing oven mitts.