Games
Discover facts about games. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Games
The PlayStation 2 that could record live TV
The PSX combined a PlayStation 2 with a TV recorder, using a built-in hard drive to save live broadcasts. Its high price kept it from becoming a mainstream hit.
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Why the PS4 controller has a bright light
Sony designed the light bar so a PlayStation Camera could track the controller’s position, including for virtual reality. The trade-off was extra battery drain.
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The Wii sensor bar is basically two infrared lights
The bar only supplies infrared light; the Wii Remote tracks the two points. Two lit candles can even stand in for it.
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Xbox 360's movie add-on lost a format war without taking the games with it
Microsoft sold an external HD DVD drive while Sony put Blu-ray inside the PlayStation 3. When HD DVD lost the contest, the Xbox accessory was discontinued.…
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Switch Lite literally cannot connect to a television screen
Unlike the standard Switch, the Lite lacks the video-output hardware needed to send a picture to a TV, so it works only as a handheld.
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Microsoft dropped Xbox One's mandatory camera before launch
The announced design required Kinect to remain connected even if players weren't using motion controls. Microsoft reversed that requirement in August 2013,…
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The original PlayStation 3 borrowed Spider-Man's lettering
Designer Teiyu Goto said Ken Kutaragi insisted on the typeface used for Sony's Spider-Man films. The console therefore carried a visual link to a movie…
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Why Dreamcast memory cards screamed at startup
The Dreamcast's VMU memory card had its own screen and ran on watch batteries. When its batteries were dead, it could beep loudly at startup to warn you.
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PlayStation 2 required a bulky screw-on internet attachment
A chunky Network Adapter bolted onto the console's expansion bay, and you could tighten it with a coin. It gave the PS2 access to dial-up and broadband…
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Nintendo once sold a USB stick for handheld internet
Nintendo’s USB dongle plugged into a computer and created a local wireless connection for a handheld, letting it get online.
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PlayStation's Multitap let one controller socket host a crowd
The accessory expanded a controller port into several connections, letting supported games offer local matches with more than two players. The console could…
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Game Boy Advance SP finally added backlighting to handhelds
Its clamshell design and built-in screen light let kids play under the covers without an external worm light.
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Sony forced Vita owners to use exclusive memory cards
The Vita couldn't use standard SD cards, so owners had to buy Sony's proprietary memory cards, which cost a premium.
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Virtual Boy's red-and-black world came with a comfort problem
Nintendo's headset-style system presented a separate image to each eye, creating depth on red LED displays. Its warnings included breaks during play. The…
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Original Xbox shipped with a communicative headset default
Every Xbox came with a cheap microphone, making voice chat a standard part of online lobbies rather than an optional accessory.
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Why the Nintendo Switch kickstand pops off
The kickstand is designed to pop off its hinge under too much pressure, so it can be snapped back into place instead of breaking permanently.
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Why the Nintendo 2DS looked like a doorstop
Nintendo removed the 3D screen and folding hinge, making the 2DS a flat plastic wedge that cost less and had no hinge for toddlers to snap.
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Nintendo DS utilized resistive touch instead of capacitive
Its resistive screen registered pressure when two plastic layers touched, so the included stylus worked better than a light fingertip tap.
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Switch OLED upgraded the screen but kept the exact same chip
The upgrade was largely visual: it kept the original Switch's processor, so the more vibrant screen didn't bring a performance boost.
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Panasonic built the GameCube Nintendo would not: one that played DVDs
The Q combined GameCube games with full-size movie-disc playback in a shiny metal case. When production ended in 2003, it still cost 34,800 yen while…
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Microsoft sells a controller with interchangeable magnets
The Elite controller’s thumbsticks and rear paddles attach with magnets, so you can swap them without tools—but there are more small pieces to lose in the…
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Nintendo 3DS utilized cameras to project stereoscopic depth
The camera tracked your face so the screen could keep sending the right image to each eye as you moved; the effect could still make some players nauseous.
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Xbox turned a console joke into a real mini-fridge
After people joked that its black tower console looked like a kitchen appliance, the company leaned into the comparison by making working mini-fridges shaped…
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Why old Xbox controllers had memory-card slots
The slots let players carry their profiles to another house on a memory card, even though the console had a hard drive. The cards made an already bulky…
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