It is rarely known that game controllers are used in modern war, as compact, multi -button devices are used by armed forces for remote applications for years. However, with the rise of the use of drone strikes in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the British government has decided to impose further export sanctions on Russia, one of them is for wholesale from selling any game controllers to any game controllers.
About how many controllers of Russia purchase from the UK, it is not clear despite being asked RegisterWho reported the export ban. But the UK’s foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is clear what it will do: “Prevent them from using a pilot drone on the frontline, that is, gaming consoles will no longer be re -created to kill in Ukraine.”
I think we usually forgive the department to some extent to confuse the entire game console with the controller, but I am not fully convinced how effective the ban will be. As already mentioned, we do not know how the game controllers are directly exported from the UK to Russia, leaving how much of drone strikes are used then.
Then the question is whether the UK is on the list of countries that produce and export game controllers. Whatever the answer, I am quite confident that it is quite low in the list, and if the ranking is based on the number of exported units, China will update each country above some margin.
Another question that pops into my mind was about the controllers themselves. A wired Xbox pad will mean that the drone will have more than a few meters, or the pilot will have to ride on the drone. In this case, it is no longer a drone. Wireless game controllers use 2.4 GHz radio transmitters or Bluetooths, but none of them have a limit.
Of course, controllers can only be plugged into the drone control unit, which can be wireless for long distances, so export ban will prevent them from being driven. Well, at least with controllers from the UK.
🔴 Banned: The export of video game controllers used for Russian drones on the frontline in Ukraine will also reduce Russia’s combat machine to the modern British tech, world -renowned software, and the nearest drawbacks of exploitation by Putin’s Croonse. pic.twitter.com/an6l3rckv1April 24, 2025
The rest of the export restriction is a bit more sufficient, including various chemicals, electronics, metals and machinery, but it seems strange that the office felt the game controllers. Used to To add and need a specific comment about them.
Russia can almost certainly prepare its game controllers to use for drone strikes or, at least, it happens, such as the proposal to make a steam deck’s own version. Whether the UK’s export ban has a meaningful effect, it is a completely different debate, but the involvement of the game controllers (or instead, removal) is one, which means more and more people will now be aware of the ban.
