Turbo Touch 360

The Turbo Touch 360 is a series of aftermarket third-party controllers made by Triax for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Sega Genesis (the latter version also being compatible with Atari and Commodore systems).

Whereas most controllers used a D-pad with mechanical switches, the Turbo Touch had an octagonal plate with eight capacitive touch sensors arranged in the cardinal directions; contrary to the "360" name, the controller only provided digital input along the cardinal directions. The idea was that the controller could be operated with less physical force, reducing thumb injuries and "numb thumb", thereby improving player comfort and health. The controller was endorsed by Dr. Robert Grossman, an orthopaedic surgeon specialising in sports injuries (Gamesmaster magazine issue 1, 1993).

Other than the touchpad, the controllers have a standard set of features typical for controllers of the time, with turbo support.

Reception

The controller was ranked the ninth worst video game controller by IGN editor Craig Harris.^[1]

References