Paddle Controller

Overview

Paddle controllers were among the first video game inputs - simple rotary devices that translated knob rotation into on-screen movement. From Pong (1972) to Breakout (1976) to Arkanoid (1986), paddles defined an era of gaming with their precise, analogue single-axis control.

Unlike joysticks, paddles had no centering - your on-screen position stayed exactly where you left it, enabling the precise positioning that bat-and-ball games required.

Fast Facts

Technology: Rotary potentiometer
First use: 1972 (Pong)
Key characteristic: Continuous rotation, no centering
Atari model: CX-30 (sold in pairs)
Arcade variant: Spinner (360° rotation)

How They Work

Paddles are mechanically simple:

A knob rotates a potentiometer
Potentiometer outputs variable resistance
Console reads this as position value
On-screen element moves accordingly

No springs, no centering - position is absolute.

Key Paddle Games

Paddles enabled specific game designs:

Game	Year	Platform	Why Paddles
Pong	1972	Arcade	Defining bat control
Breakout	1976	Arcade	Precise positioning
Video Olympics	1977	2600	Pong variants
Kaboom!	1981	2600	Required paddles
Warlords	1981	2600	4-player paddle
Arkanoid	1986	Arcade	Breakout evolution

Atari Paddle Controllers

Atari’s CX-30 paddles:

Sold in pairs (two paddles, one port)
Each included a fire button
Cables notoriously short
Required for certain games (Kaboom!)

Many 2600 owners only had joysticks - some games went unplayed.

Spinners

Spinners were continuous-rotation paddles:

360° rotation without stops
Used in Tempest, Tron, Arkanoid
Created “spinning” momentum effect
More complex mechanism

Decline

Paddles faded because:

Joysticks worked for more game types
Manufacturing complexity
Single-axis limitation
Games moved to multi-directional control

The original analogue input