The First Ever Wireless Video Game Controller 

James momentarily stopping the video to calmly deal with a massive fucking spider is the most Australian thing I've ever seen.

You know the dude is Australian when he casually shows you a spider

4:50 "It's not quite the same, but I'll make it work" This is James summarised in 10 words or less

Atari originally wanted to create a new 2600 variant called the 2700 that utilized these. However they made the controllers unbelievably powerful. As they would mess with neighbours’ TVs, radios, and garage doors and the FCC told them they couldn’t sell it.

I watched a professionally made and broadcast repair programme here in the UK this week that was billed as fixing an Atari console. This 8 minute video was waaaay better than that hour long program (They only covered the Atari for about the same length of time!). You actually explained interesting stuff about how it works and how to fix it. Loved it mate. Great stuff

I haven’t been this unsurprised by someone owning both a Wii U and an Ouya since I discovered Scott the Woz.

As someone who is also Australian, that spider was huge. Either that was a lucky event, or Adelaide is wild 😂

Could you make anything that produces a radio frequency into a controller? It would be kinda fun seeing if a wallow talkie or something like that playing a game. Love the videos!

1:57 Australia moment

This is by far my favourite hot glue channel

I was about to comment about the Atari 2700 being prototyped with wireless controllers 1 year before these controllers came out, then my train of thought was immediately destroyed by being casually shown a large spider

James just revived an ancient lookin wireless controller receiver and god damn, good on ya, James.

I love so much how kindly you care for spiders, it's really refreshing to see on the internet. Far too many people are quick with the old "kill it with fire" line, it's nice to see someone treating them like the little buds that they are

I’m so happy that you upload while wade is on vacation.

Fucken spoiler warning on that spider. Holy shit had a heart attack.

Low key jealous you can deal with spiders that calmly 😂

When the PS4 got released I thought the controller was kinda weird and wondered why they didn't keep the old design. Now I can't go back to the older playstation controllers without wondering how tf I used them for hours on end lol Basically all I have to say about wireless controllers But next time less spiders and more cats please ;)

I love huntsman spiders, I’m American so I’ve never seen one in person, but something about them is real cute to me, which is weird because most spiders creep me out. Hope she’s ok.

Nice work James!! I actually have a slightly older version of this complete in the box. The controllers on mine use a pull out aerial antenna as opposed to the flexible rubber ones on your set. I was pleasantly surprised how well these worked! Also loved the more in depth view. Much appreciated :)

These videos on your channel are awesome! You do a great job of explaining this stuff and the in depth circuitry without getting too bogged in the weeds of details but also sharing your enthusiasm and passion! Super cool! keep it up!

Mate, I am so glad that Dank encouraged you to start your own youtube channel! Love your videos! Keep it up, lad!

I always used to love taking controllers apart and trying to figure out how they worked.

seeing that spider actually spooked me holy hell

bruh that huntsman was the calmest, most polite little spider ive ever god damn seen. its crazy how some of the scariest looking spiders are some of the most friendly

Great video, James. I think you would love the Master System Super Compact from Tectoy, it was a console that could use an RF antenna to send video to the TV, it had all the controller inputs and cartridge slot on it so it was basically a wireless controller AND console.

Seriously interesting stuff! I loved seeing your process, the explanations, and the little history nuggets thrown in there. I'm almost tempted to take apart some of my faulty controllers, but I'd probably do more harm than good 😂

Wavebird using radio blew my mind as a kid, it was definitely The Future™. I had absolutely no idea there were hidden giants upon whose shoulders Nintendo stood.

Just so you know, with casually goofing around with the tv and oscilloscope you actually teached me a lot about rf signal technology. How cool!

I remember being at friends' houses growing up where they had one of those IR NES controllers. They were always terrible, not just having to aim them all the time, but stiff or mushy buttons. I was reminded that Nintendo themselves released a wireless controller accessory for the NES that used IR: the Satellite. Granted it was something stationary that you plugged regular controllers into, so it stood a much higher chance of staying aimed properly. And not too be confused with the Satellaview for the Super Famicom.

My brother and I had a pair of these back in the 1970s. We didn't use them often because they did burn through batteries and you had to be close to the 13" TVs of the time to see what was going on anyway, so the cords weren't THAT much of a problem but we did occasionally use them in our bedroom because it meant we could sit on our beds and play without the controller cables blocking the path through the room (which the rest of the family frequently used to get to the bathroom ... our house layout was weird).

This is one of my favorite videos you've done, I love you just tearing down and fixing old video game stuff. The only comment would be if you got a high quality camera to see the PCB close up when you do those zoom ins, that'd be even better!

James is the kind of guy who would own an Ouya and somehow make it good

I ADORE seeing you crack open stuff and showing how to figure out how to repair it. So interesting watching the steps you take to get it working again.

These have been on my list for some time on my hunt to have a wireless controller for all my systems and this solidified my want for them just to have a cleaner setup with less wires.

Oh sweet, another video of James rescuing animals!

Always a good day when I wake up and find a new tech video from James. Excellent stuff as always

I wouldn't have given a second thought to squashing the biggest spider I've ever seen, missing leg or not. James' way nicer than me

I have one of these and it’s been dead since I bought it and I had no idea what I was looking at when I opened it. This video is now my inspiration to try and fix it again. I guess I’ll start with the 8v regulator. Cheers!

I had the Atari-branded version back in the day. I loved them and even used them on my 7800 for games that did not need the second button, (and some that did: Planet Smashers, anyone? I never used the bombs anyway) until it stopped working... probably had the same issue. I wish I had known how easy that was to fix back then. As you noted, I never noticed any difference between them and the wired controllers, except the FREEDOM from the tyranny of WIRES! I certainly noticed no appreciable lag.

I just came across your channel for the first time and I really like it I think you make some great little videos. Subscribed!!

You can tell he's from Australia because of how casually he picks up a giant as fuck spider

I love your videos man. Got so many consoles myself, so I can vibe with a lot of the stuff you cover here.

There is a controller that is a motion controlled for the 2600, it's super rare and uses actual mercury for the motion control switch.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw that spider

Every time I watch a video of yours I'm treated to a wonderful new thing to learn and each time I'm surprised by the beautiful cat at the end haha

Awwww, poor huntsman with a missing leg. Just waddling around slowly. Good on ya James. And also, my dad had a set of these for our atari 2600, but they had the Atari labeling on them. I remember being in awe of them as we frantically wiggled our way through Maze Kraze. The rubber was very stiff though, so we could only play for 15-20 minutes at a time before our little hands cramped up lol.

Great video - you have a new subscriber! I think the main downside of these would be getting up and down to press the "Game Reset" switch on the console constantly as the 2600 didn't have a start button on the controller itself 😁

Best outro to any video ever. Subbing just for that.

This video is right up my alley! Love it!

I have no idea what the heck you're ever talking about I become just entranced at learning how these electronics work. One of the best gaming channels out there honestly.

Skills man! Great work!

Love the triumphant "hyea-haa!" whenever you fix something. These videos are so wholesome 😊

These type of RF controllers probably weren't made anymore past the Atari because of FCC regulations - the fact that you can pick up the controller signal as a TV channel signal is a big no no in their books and I'm sure that with more and more video games coming out with the NES they were much more strict on laws and certification

Hi james

Love theses kinds of video James keep up the good work

This was a throwback to old Ashens videos I’d watch and I love it.

Would be cool to see these get modded with a lithium battery and a type c port for charging, although that might be a bit too sacrilegious.

love this channel, quality video

This kind of content is so cool and appealing to me, i love this video

If you can tune these in to show on a tv, could you broadcast images to get the receiver to play without the controller?

This channel is so good, looking forward to the next upload

This is all so good man, you're doing great; awesome video concept, well presented.

The tv getting the controller signal visually is amazing

Ahh Christmas 2003, i got the incredible hulk, the zelda anniversary disk, and the wave bird controllers. Those things hated having a blanket over them lol

Urban legend is that Atari was planning to release their own RF wireless controllers for the 2600, but they had to cancel the project at the last minute after discovering that the radio signals from the controllers were so strong they could interfere with other wireless-equipped 2600s SEVERAL HUNDRED METERS away.

I love these retro fix ups.

Make the spider a robot leg, she deserves it ❤

Things to note: Wireless controllers are cool, infrared ones are not cool, James has an Australian moment, voltage regulators can be weird, and cat goes “A”. Today is a good day. Hope you continue to have one as well, James!

So many possible hidden gems. Like this channel. Thanks for sharing it with us!

Love it! your videos are a very enjoyable part of the playlist I have going while working in my home lab and your videos are always chill, relaxed and knowledgable. Now, the real important question- What are your opinions on leaded solder? if it's smd, very delicate to heat/current and needs a really low temp I love using leaded solder. But SO many people treat it with the same kind of danger as if I was using a Soviet RTG to heat the lab 😂🤣 Stay awesome bud, all the best from the UK 🙂🤙

How to show that you're in Australia, just casually mention the massive f*****g spider on your desk

James saving a spider in the middle of the video is the most Aussie thing I’ve ever seen

Thanks for saving the spider. She was very beautiful.

POV: You are watching James Channel, because Wade is taking a break. Great channel James btw

Great video! Love old electronics

I really am glad James decided to make a channel :) Never misses

Excellent repair 👍

Great video as always.

lmao this autoplayed in my player and half way through I had a realisation that this guy might be the guy that inspired DankPods since they're so similar. Then I exited full screen and saw that it was james channel... didn't even know you had one mate, instantly subscribed

Back in the day I had an NES Satellite. It was a wireless 4-playet tap, and you would plug your controllers into it to use it. This solved the problem of having to always aim the controller toward a receiver, as once you got the transmitter placed properly, you didn't have to worry about it.

most australian thing i have seen all week - a man being calm with a spider

That Huntsman lives another day! Also great job fixing the controllers

I’ve watched so many Australian channels that I zoned out and completely forgot I was watching a man who knows the dank boi

The OUYA's about to take off, any day now

JAME IS BACK WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED

Thank you James.

Hahaha, I was just checking your channel to make sure I hadn't missed anything and BAM!

I remember PS2 have wireless controller too and IR but very expensive Happy see u review old tech❤

Ooooh, that acclaim controller is nice to have. I remember seeing them in NMS and wanting them

I love the meow at the end

I vaguely recall seeing ads for ultrasonic wireless joystick controllers that preceded IR controllers; but have never seen a physical unit. The only wireless devices that (I didn't build myself for some school assignment,) I've handled _and know_ used ultrasound to communicate were RCA (4-button) TV remotes, various (4-button) 1980's projector remotes, and the (some number of buttons) NES power-glove.

I'm sure someone else has already let you know, but don't worry about the hunty missing her leg, that happens when they get damaged, they'll chew it off so it isn't a burden and they'll regrow it within a moult or two =)

Had no idea the Atari controllers existed, that's really cool. Crazy how much tech we take for granted and think it's recent when companies were doing it way before, even if it was in a more janky manner. The Wavebird was also my first wireless controller, and as such I always got the number dials confused as they were so hard to see haha. Remember my dad being relieved too as that meant no controller wires to get chewed up by the dog.

This was awesome James keep it up :) I would say to zoom in your camera when you're working closely on the boards of things just because using software to zoom in the video kept it quite blurry and pixelated (i thought my quality dropped lol)

i did not see the arachnophobia warning crying rn

I'm just going to ignore the controllers for a second, how the hell did you pick up that spider and just be chill

this is the coolest guy on the internet

Instant thumbs up for spider rescue 🤙

"Red Dankpods isnt real he can't hurt you" red dankpods:

1:00 - Oh hey, my aunt had one of those controllers in the top drawer in her bedroom when I was a kid. Had rumble function too.