It's hardly news that game controllers are used in modern warfare, as the compact, multi-buttoned devices have been used by armed forces for remote applications for years. However, with the rise of the use of drone attacks in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the UK government has decided to implement further export restrictions on Russia, one of which is the wholesale ban on selling any game controllers to the country.
As to just how many controllers Russia purchases from the UK isn't clear, despite being asked by , which reported on the export ban. But the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is clear on what it will do: "Prevent them from being used to pilot drones on the frontline, meaning gaming consoles will no longer be repurposed to kill in Ukraine."
Another question that popped into my mind was about the controllers themselves. A wired Xbox pad would mean the drone would have a range of no more than a couple of metres, or the pilot Yono all app would have to ride the drone. In which case, it's no longer a drone. Wireless game controllers use 2.4 GHz radio transmitters or Bluetooth, but neither of these has much range—at best, the drone attack would reach across the road.
🔴 BANNED: export of video game controllers used to pilot Russian drones on the front line in Ukraine.Today’s measures will also cut Russia's war machine off from innovative British tech, world-leading software, and close loopholes exploited by Putin's cronies. pic.twitter.com/An6L3RckV1
The rest of the export ban is somewhat more substantial, including various chemicals, electronics, metals, and machinery, but it does seem rather odd that the office felt that game controllers had to be included and required a specific comment about them.
Russia can almost certainly manufacture its own game controllers to be used for drone attacks or, at the Yono all app very least, demand that this happens, much like the proposal to . Whether the UK's export ban has any meaningful impact is an entirely separate debate, but the inclusion (or rather, removal) of game controllers is one that means more people are likely to be aware of the ban now.