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{{short description|Input device for a video game controller}}
{{Redirect|Digital pad|the anatomical feature|Paw}}
[[File:NES D-pad.jpg|thumb|D-pad on the original [[NES]] controller, which was recognized with an Emmy award]]
The '''D-pad''' (short for '''directional pad''') is a compact input method developed for [[video games]], designed to translate thumb movement into directional control through a flat, cross-shaped surface that rests on four internal [[switches]]. Each switch corresponds to a cardinal direction (up, down, left, and right), while diagonal inputs engage two switches simultaneously, enabling eight-directional control at 45-degree intervals. Beneath the center, a pivot mechanism tilts the pad, preventing all four switches from being pressed at once and enhancing tactile feedback.

When introduced, the D-pad offered a space-saving, precise input method at a time when bulky [[joystick]]s dominated the market. Although [[analog stick]]s have largely superseded D-pads as the primary directional input in modern [[gamepad]]s, the D-pad's compact, intuitive, and versatile design has led to its adoption in a wide range of devices, including [[remote control]]s, [[calculator]]s, [[personal digital assistant|PDAs]], [[mobile phone]]s, and [[car stereo]]s.

== History ==
[[File:Gremlin - Hustle - May 1977 Play Meter advert.jpg|thumb|alt=Advertisement showing 4 separated round buttons on an arcade machine|Gremlin's 4-button arcade input method]]

The precursor to the D-pad was the use of four separate directional buttons. Early arcade games such as ''[[Blockade (video game)|Blockade]]'' (1976)<ref>{{KLOV game|7160|Blockade}}</ref> by [[Gremlin Interactive|Gremlin]] and ''[[Vanguard (video game)|Vanguard]]'' (1981)<ref>Matt Barton & Bill Loguidice, [https://web.archive.org/web/20090810075454/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4099/the_history_of_robotron_2084__.php?page=2 The History of Robotron: 2084 - Running Away While Defending Humanoids], [[Gamasutra]]</ref> by [[SNK]] employed this method. [[Entex Industries|Entex]]'s short-lived "[[Entex Select-A-Game|Select-A-Game]]" handheld system featured directional buttons alongside a row of action buttons, as did the unreleased [[Atari Game Brain]] and other early consoles like the VideoMaster Star Chess.<ref>{{cite web |title=Videomaster Star Chess |url=http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/pongs/videomaster_star_chess.htm |access-date=2010-08-30 |publisher=Ultimate Console Database |archive-date=2011-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722055102/http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/pongs/videomaster_star_chess.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Milton Bradley Company|Milton Bradley]]'s ''Cosmic Hunter'' (1981) on the [[Microvision]] handheld added a fifth button in the center, all housed beneath a single rubber membrane.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170131/http://psp.about.com/od/hardwarefirmware/a/psphistorymicrovision.htm Sony's PlayStation Portable and Milton Bradley's Microvision - The PSP and the History of Handheld Video Gaming, Part 2], Niko Silvester, [[Dotdash|about.com]].  Accessed on line June 7, 2010.</ref>

[[File:Palisek's D-pad patent.jpg|thumb|upright|Palisek's D-pad patent drawing]]

In 1979, William F. Palisek patented the first true D-pad design for [[Tiger Electronics]]. His version featured a single piece of plastic resting on a central pivot and four directional switches that provide input and keep the plastic pad resting in a neutral position when not in use.<ref>{{cite patent|country=United States|number=US4256931A|title=Multiple Dome Switch Assembly Having Pivotable Common Actuator|status=Expired - Lifetime|pubdate=1981-03-17|fdate=1979-08-27|inventor=William F. Palisek|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US4256931A/en}}.</ref>{{better source needed|date=October 2025}} Tiger debuted the design on its ''Deluxe Football with Instant Replay'' handheld in 1980, marketing it as the "Playmaker" button. Media reviews praised it for enabling "one-button control".<ref>{{cite magazine |date=1979 |title=Tiger Offers |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Toy_Hobby_World/ZnJQAAAAYAAJ |access-date=29 November 2024 |magazine=Toy & Hobby World |publisher=Charleson Publishing Company |page=130 |language=en |volume=18}}</ref><ref>{{multiref|{{cite AV media |date=1980 |title=Tiger Deluxe Football with a Playmaker Button |publisher=Tiger |type=advertisement |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PusTLhj3p_Q}}|{{cite web |type=manual |url=https://archive.org/details/manuals-handheld-games-Tiger-PlaymakerFootball |publisher=Tiger |title=Tiger Electronic Toys: Deluxe Football with Instant Replay |date=1980}}}}</ref> That same year, [[Mattel]] released the [[Intellivision]], featuring a smooth freely rotating circular pad that registered presses in up to 16 directions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jeffrey |first1=Cal |title=The Most Memorable Game Controllers from the Last 40 Years |url=https://www.techspot.com/article/1843-most-memorable-game-controllers/ |website=TechSpot |date=15 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Wardyga |first1=Brian J. |chapter=Mattel Intellivision |title=The Video Games Textbook |date=6 August 2018 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-351-17234-9 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Video_Games_Textbook/IExnDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |language=en}}</ref> Internally, a metal spring holds the Intellivision's control disc centered above sheets of printed mylar.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Millette |first1=Darryl |title=Repairing the Intellivision: Vintage Gaming Console |url=https://saskapriest.com/2022/03/29/repairing-the-intellivision-vintage-gaming-console/ |website=SaskaPriest |language=en |date=29 March 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Festival du Jeu Vidéo - 2010-09-11 - Game & Watch Donkey Kong.jpg|thumb|''Donkey Kong'' (1982) [[Game & Watch]] adaptation with the familiar cross-shaped D-pad]]

[[Nintendo]]'s iconic "cross" design
was developed by Ichiro Shirai and first used the [[Donkey Kong (Game & Watch)|1982 Game & Watch handheld adaptation]] of the [[Donkey Kong (1981 video game)|''Donkey Kong'' arcade game]]. Unlike Palisek's earlier design, which was larger, centrally located on the device and used domed switches, Nintendo's version was smaller, positioned for the left thumb, and employed [[membrane switch]]es that were easier to depress; this key innovation became the distinguishing feature of Nintendo's patented design.<ref>{{cite patent|country=United States|number=US4687200A|title=Multi-Directional Switch|pubdate=1987-08-18|inventor=Ichiro Shirai|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US4687200}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ubachs |first1=Jurian |last2=Kerssenberg |first2=Donovan |title=De D-pad is Jarig - Al Veertig Jaar Onmisbaar |url=https://tweakers.net/reviews/10162/3/de-d-pad-is-jarig-al-veertig-jaar-onmisbaar-nintendos-patent-op-de-d-pad.html |access-date=29 November 2024 |website=Tweakers |language=NL}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=McConnel |first1=Samuel |date=20 October 2016 |title=Your Move: Yokoi's Creativity Propelled Nintendo |url=https://www.kmuw.org/your-move/2016-10-20/your-move-yokois-creativity-propelled-nintendo |website=KMUW |language=en}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=October 2025}} The compact design gained popularity on subsequent [[Game & Watch]] titles. The design later earned a [[Technology & Engineering Emmy Award]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2008-01-09 |title=Nintendo Wins Emmy For DS And Wii Engineering &#124; Technology &#124; Sky News |url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Sky-News-Archive/Article/20080641299976 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711165613/http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Sky-News-Archive/Article/20080641299976 |archive-date=2012-07-11 |access-date=2010-08-30 |publisher=News.sky.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Magrino |first=Tom |date=2008-01-08 |title=CES '08: Nintendo wins second Emmy - News at GameSpot |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ces-08-nintendo-wins-second-emmy/1100-6184421/ |access-date=2016-04-28 |publisher=Gamespot.com}}</ref>

Initially created as a space-saving control method for handheld devices, Nintendo soon recognized the D-pad's potential for home consoles and made it the standard directional input for the highly successful [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (first released in 1983 in Japan as the Famicom) under the name "+Control Pad".<ref name="Nikkei72">{{cite magazine |date=December 19, 1994 |title=【任天堂「ファミコン」はこうして生まれた】 第7回：業務用機の仕様を家庭用に、LSIの開発から着手 |trans-title=How the Famicom Was Born – Part 7: Deciding on the Specs |url=http://trendy.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/special/20081002/1019378/ |url-status=dead |magazine=Nikkei Electronics |publisher=[[Nikkei Business Publications]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012060247/http://trendy.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/special/20081002/1019378/ |archive-date=October 12, 2008 |access-date=13 April 2021 |lang=ja}}

* {{cite web |date=April 21, 2012 |title=Deciding on the Specs |url=https://www.glitterberri.com/developer-interviews/how-the-famicom-was-born/deciding-on-the-specs/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427193537/https://www.glitterberri.com/developer-interviews/how-the-famicom-was-born/deciding-on-the-specs/ |archive-date=2012-04-27 |website=GlitterBerri's Game Translations}}</ref> Part of Nintendo's rationale came from the durability of the D-pad and the expectation that controllers would be left on floors and crushed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Packwood |first1=Lewis |title=40 years of the Nintendo Famicom – the console that changed the games industry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2023/jul/18/40-years-of-the-nintendo-famicom-the-console-that-changed-the-games-industry |work=The Guardian |date=18 July 2023}}</ref> Since then, nearly all major video game consoles have included some form of D-pad on their controllers. To avoid infringing on Nintendo's patent, most third-party manufacturers adopted variations, typically featuring a cross embedded within a circular base.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 1996 |title=The Next Generation 1996 Lexicon A to Z: Joypad |url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-015/page/n35/mode/2up |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |issue=15 |page=35}}</ref>

[[File:Sega master system d-pad.jpg|thumb|[[Master System]] D-pad providing eight-directional buttons]]

In 1984, the Japanese company [[Epoch Co.|Epoch]] created a handheld game system called the [[Epoch Game Pocket Computer]]. It featured a D-pad, but it was not popular for its time and soon faded. Following the release of the [[Sega Mega Drive]] in 1988, [[Sega]] coined the term "D button" to describe the pad, using the term when describing the controllers for the [[Sega Genesis]] in instruction manuals and other literature.  Arcade games, however, have largely continued using joysticks.

Modern consoles, beginning with the [[Nintendo 64]], provide both a D-pad and a compact thumb-operated [[analog stick]]; depending on the game, one type of control may be more appropriate than the other. In many cases with games that use a thumbstick, the D-pad is used as a set of extra buttons, all four usually centered on a kind of task, such as using items.  Even without an analog stick, some software uses the D-pad's 8-directional capabilities to act as eight discrete buttons, not related to direction or on-screen movement at all. ''[[Jam Sessions]]'' for the [[Nintendo DS]], for example, uses the D-pad to select [[Chord (music)|music chord]]s during play.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abraham |first=Danielle |date=2024-08-26 |title=Best Nintendo Switch Controller 2024 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/best-switch-controller |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>

==Components==
[[File:Nintendo-Famicom-Controller-I-FL.jpg|thumb|A [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]] controller. The D-pad/+Control Pad (cross shape on left) first came to prominence on the controller for the Famicom.<ref name="Wolf-2012"/>]]

D-pads vary in design but generally have a:<ref name="Wolf-2012">{{cite book |last1=Wolf |first1=Mark J. P. |title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming [2 volumes] |date=16 August 2012 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-0-313-37937-6 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_Video_Games/qbrOEAAAQBAJ |language=en |pages=281}}</ref><ref name="Godbold-2018">{{cite book |last1=Godbold |first1=Ashley |title=Mastering UI Development with Unity: An in-depth guide to developing engaging user interfaces with Unity 5, Unity 2017, and Unity 2018 |date=30 April 2018 |publisher=Packt Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1-78728-843-0 |pages=424–430 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mastering_UI_Development_with_Unity/oPBZDwAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref>

* Circuit board that registers input<ref name="Rouse-2016"/>
* Membrane that is pressed down against the board to complete the circuit<ref name="Rouse-2016"/>
* Hard pivot in the center<ref name="Sayem-2023">{{cite web |last1=Ahmed |first1=Sayem |title=8BitDo M30 review: Retro-looks, modern features |url=https://www.dexerto.com/tech/8bitdo-m30-review-2244466/ |website=Dexerto |language=en |date=10 August 2023}}</ref>
* Plastic D-pad "button"<ref name="Rouse-2016">{{cite web |last1=Rouse |first1=Margaret |title=Directional Pad |url=https://www.techopedia.com/definition/31734/directional-pad-d-pad |website=Techopedia |date=11 February 2016}}</ref>

The housing of the controller or other device holds these components together.<ref name="Wolf-2012"/> The central pivot keeps all four directions from being pressed at once and causes the D-pad to tilt into the direction pressed.<ref name="Wolf-2012"/><ref name="Sayem-2023"/> Outside of gaming, D-pads are used for menu navigation and may lack the central pivot. Some remotes instead have a central "select" or "OK" button.<ref>{{cite web |title=TV navigation |url=https://developer.android.com/training/tv/get-started/navigation |website=Android Developers |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref> With the increased usage of touchscreens, some applications offer virtual D-pads.<ref name="Godbold-2018"/>

== On non-gaming equipment ==
[[File:SidekickII.jpg|alt=phone with D-pad and keyboard|thumb|[[T-Mobile Sidekick]] with a D-pad to left of the keyboard]]

D-pads appear on a number of menu-driven devices as a simple navigational tool; though superficially similar to those used for gaming devices, they are not optimized for real-time control and therefore can usually accept input from only one direction at a time. Many, though not all, such designs include a trigger button in the center of the button arrangement, usually labeled [[Enter key|"Enter"]], [[Okay|"OK"]], or the like. Some older devices do not have D-pads as such, but simple single-axis, up/down or left/right pads. On some remotes, the D-pad can also be used to control a [[robot]] using a signal-compatible receiver.

On remote control devices, the buttons on the D-pad function in the same manner as other buttons, and are generally used to navigate on-screen menus. Though initially not common, the quick success of the [[DVD]] format led to wide availability of remote designs with D-pads circa 2000, and most current menu-driven consumer electronics devices include some sort of D-pad on the remote (and, occasionally, on the unit itself).

In addition, many small computing and communications devices, particularly [[personal digital assistant|PDAs]], [[mobile phone]]s, and [[Global Positioning System|GPS receivers]], include D-pads not only for menu navigation but as general input devices similar to a [[joystick]] or [[Mouse (computing)|mouse]]. Less-sophisticated designs similar to those on remote controls appear on some [[calculator]]s, particularly [[scientific calculator|scientific]] and [[graphing calculator]]s, which use the D-pad for [[cursor (computers)|cursor]] control on multi-line screens, as well as input/output recall, menu navigation, and occasionally direct screen access (graphing calculators in particular allow the use of the D-pad to determine values at specific points on a displayed graph). On programmable units, the D-pad can also be mapped directly, allowing it to be used as a [[calculator gaming|gaming]] or [[pointer (computing WIMP)|pointer]] control.

== Consoles with D-pads ==

=== Consoles with separate controllers ===
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*1983 – [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom/NES]]
*1984 – [[SG-1000|SC-3000/SG-1000]] (optional SJ-150 Joypad)
*1984 – [[SG-1000|SG-1000 II]]
*1984 – [[Atari 7800]] (CX-78 controller)
*1985 – [[Master System|Mark III/Master System]]
*1987 – [[TurboGrafx-16|PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16]]
*1988 – [[Sega Genesis|Mega Drive/Genesis]]
*1990 – [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom/Super NES]]
*1990 – [[Philips CD-i]]
*1993 – [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer]]
*1993 – [[Amiga CD32]]
*1993 – [[Atari Jaguar]]
*1994 – [[Sega Saturn]]
*1994 – [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]
*1994 – [[PC-FX]]
*1995 – [[Virtual Boy]] (two D-pads)
*1995 – [[Apple Bandai Pippin|Pippin]]
*1996 – [[Nintendo 64]]
*1998 – [[Dreamcast]]
*2000 – [[PlayStation 2]]
*2001 – [[GameCube]]
*2001 – [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
*2005 – [[Xbox 360]]
*2006 – [[PlayStation 3]]
*2006 – [[Wii]]
*2012 – [[Wii U]]
*2013 – [[Ouya]]
*2013 – [[PlayStation 4]]
*2013 – [[Xbox One]]
*2013 – [[Gamestick]]
*2015 – [[Shield Android TV]]
*2017 – [[Nintendo Switch]] ([[Nintendo Switch Pro Controller|Pro Controller]] / [[Nintendo Switch Lite|Switch Lite]] only)
*2020 – [[PlayStation 5]]
*2020 – [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]]
*2021 – [[Atari VCS (2021 console)]]
*2025 - [[Nintendo Switch 2]] (Pro Controller only)
{{div col end}}

=== Handheld consoles ===
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*1980 – [[Tiger Electronics]] (''Playmaker'')<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.electronicplastic.com/game/?company=tiger&id=476 |title = Tiger Playmaker}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US4256931 |title = Multiple dome switch assembly having pivotable common actuator}}</ref>
*1981 – [[Tomytronic]] (''Tron'')<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.handheldmuseum.com/Tomy/Tron.htm |title = Tomy Tron}}</ref>
*1982 – [[Game & Watch]] (''[[Donkey Kong (Game & Watch)|Donkey Kong]]'')
*1984 – [[Epoch Game Pocket Computer]]
*1989 – [[Game Boy line]]
*1989 – [[Atari Lynx]]
*1990 – [[Game Gear]]
*1994 – [[Mega Jet]]
*1995 – [[Genesis Nomad]]
*1998 – [[PocketStation]]
*2001 – [[GP32]]
*2003 – [[Leapster]]
*2004 – [[Nintendo DS]]
*2004 – [[PlayStation Portable]]
*2006 – [[Nintendo DS Lite]]
*2008 – GP2X F200<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.journaldunumerique.com/news-article.storyid-2228.htm |title=La GamePark GP2X F-200 enfin disponible pour 120€ - Le Journal du Numérique |publisher=Journaldunumerique.com |access-date=2010-08-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100730050237/http://www.journaldunumerique.com/news-article.storyid-2228.htm |archive-date=2010-07-30 }}</ref>
*2009 – [[Mi2 (console)|Mi2]]
*2009 – [[Nintendo DSi]]
*2009 – [[GP2X Wiz]]
*2009 – [[PSP Go]]
*2010 – [[Nintendo DSi XL]]
*2011 – [[Pandora (console)|Pandora]]
*2011 – [[Nintendo 3DS]]
*2011 – [[PlayStation Vita]]
*2013 – [[Nintendo 2DS]]
*2013 – [[Nvidia Shield]]
*2014 – [[New Nintendo 3DS]]
*2017 – [[New Nintendo 2DS XL]]
*2019 – [[Nintendo Switch Lite]]
*2022 – [[Steam Deck]]
*2022 – [[Playdate (console)|Panic Playdate]]
{{div col end}}
<!--
== Patents ==
* '''{{US patent|4256931A}}''' (expired in 1999) - ''Palisek's switching control button''
* '''{{US patent|4687200}}''' (expired in 2005) - ''Nintendo's multi-directional switch''
-->

== See also ==
*[[Analog stick]]
*[[Arrow keys]]
*[[Joystick]] ([[Hat switch]])

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Game controllers}}

[[Category:Game controllers]]
[[Category:1982 in video gaming]]