What was the first controller to use the vibration function?

Vibration on the controls in the world of video games today is normal, we can see this function present in virtually all controls of consoles, becoming standard. Some people may or may not like the controller to vibrate, but it is something that from a certain point in history companies include in such peripherals.

The latest system controllers have some really interesting features with regard to vibration, the most notable being the Nintendo Switch which uses linear vibration motor technology. But getting to this point was not easy, many years had to pass since the first controller with vibration was created.

This is when many gamers wonder what was the first controller with a vibration function? To answer that question we must go to the mid-90s, when the 3D era was shining on game consoles, among them were the Sega Saturn, PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

Among these three consoles, the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation were the best sellers. Both had a control which could vibrate, but one of them was the one which brought this innovative function to the gamer's gameplay. Specifically in April 1997 Nintendo would launch the Rumble Pak, a device with an integrated electric motor that allowed the vibration in the controller of the Nintendo 64.

Connecting it was very simple, under the Nintendo 64 controller there was a port which you could insert various accessories, one of them was the Rumble Pak, in addition, you had to use two AAA batteries to power the electric motor.

The first video game that was designed to use the vibration function was Star Fox 64, demonstrating to those people who were able to experiment with such a device, an amazing feeling very similar to Arcade video games.

This makes the Nintendo 64 controller the first in history to use the vibration function in video games, however, another company would include it natively, that is, fully integrated, and it was thanks to the innovation shown by the Nintendo 64 with the Rumble Pak.

The company that would use the idea of creating a controller with integrated vibration was SONY, due to the revolution of the Rumble Pak they didn't want to be left behind, so their control should have that function, but without the need to have an additional accessory, that's how in November 1997 the Dual Shock Controller would be released.

This control revolutionized the way videogames are played on the PlayStation because its previous controller lacked an analog stick which was fundamental for playing 3D videogames, but additionally, it included two electric motors with which the player could experience certain actions of the videogame in his hands through vibration.

In conclusion, in 1997 the gaming world was introduced to the possibility of playing video games with the vibration function in a controller, being the first to use it the Nintendo 64 and the second the PlayStation.

Did you know that the first video game controller to use the vibration function? Tell me your opinion in the comments section.

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