U.S. Navy to use Xbox 360 controllers to operate periscopes aboard submarines

Re:U.S. Navy to use Xbox 360 controllers to operate periscop... by groby_b on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @10:02AM (#15284662)

Let's assume we actually get 50 Virginia class submarines (whims of Congress, and all that). Let's assume we need on average 3 controllers per year. That's a total of 5,000 XBox controller.

At $20 a piece, the pentagon has now spent $10,000. This is not what in military spending passes for excess $ :) Yes, the numbers might be somewhat off, and there's storage cost, but really - we're talking Pentagon here. The place of the infamous $640 toilet seat :) (I know, the price got reduced to $100. Still, on the scale of Pentagon procurement, a lifetime buy of XBox controllers is pretty trivial)

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Re:U.S. Navy to use Xbox 360 controllers to operate periscop... by drzaiusapelord on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @11:07AM (#15285276)

Not to mention making a controller would be trivial for a DoD contractor. I feel like some people in this thread want it both ways. If they see a contractor reinventing the wheel by making a custom xbox-like controller for god knows how much money they'll get criticized. If the DoD buys off-the-shelf parts then they'll get criticized as well.

I think when its come to HIDs like controllers or keyboards, off the shelf is fine. We can have the exact same conversation for Dell keyboards or 3rd party keyboards and mice.

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