The Wavebird is a wireless controller released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002. The controller operates using a radio frequency, and could be bought in some bundle deals in the United States, or purchased separately. The Wavebird controller is also compatible with the Nintendo Wii console. Early Wavebird controllers operated on a 900MHz frequency, though later models used a 2.4GHz frequency which was typical of remote controlled cars and cordless phones. It runs on 2 AA batteries, which could last for approximately 48 hours.
The controller was otherwise identical to a standard GameCube controller, except that it was slightly lighter and did not support force feedback.
Historical Significance
The Wavebird was the first popular wireless gamepad for a console (though it was never as common as the wired controller). It was high quality, widely available, and easy on batteries. It has been suggested that the success of the Wavebird was the impetus for the ubiquity of wireless controllers in the next generation of consoles. However, neither Microsoft nor Sony ever released an official competitor for the Xbox or Playstation 2 respectively.
Log in to comment