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Ergonomic Evaluation of the Xbox 360 Wireless Video-Game Controller
Matjaž Galičič 1 ,Thomas Waldmann 2
1 Centre for Occupational Health & Safety Engineering and Ergonomics, Industrial
Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, National University of Ireland Galway,
University Road, Galway, Ireland
m.galicic1@nuigalway.ie
2 Ergonomics Research Centre, Department of Manufacturing and Operations Engineering,
Faculty for Science and Engineering, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
thomas.waldmann@ul.ie
Abstract
The objective of the project was to evaluate the
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 wireless video-game controller
from the ergonomics point of view. A gender balanced
group involved 10 adult participants playing two
different video-games. Questionnaire was used to
collect user’s data. Anthropometric data of hand sizes
was also collected and included in the analysis. Besides
the hypotheses tested, the physical characteristics of the
video-game controller were also evaluated.
1. Introduction
All game consoles provide only 1 size of the
controllers, although different manufacturers offer
different types of controllers for different games, for
e.g. Nintendo Wii offers nun-chucks, guitar, steering
wheel, Microsoft offers steering wheel, guitar,
turntable, etc., assuming that they fit everyone’s hands.
The games available on the market vary from 3+ years
to 18+ years of age, and are in Europe classified by The
Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) age rating
system.
The problems with the game controllers can occur
with the holding, gripping, use of excessive force for
pressing the buttons, high repetition of finger
movements related to certain types of games while
using the game controller, and the overall time of
playing video games. Games are no longer designed to
be played for a couple of hours. On the contrary, they
are designed to be played for hours and even days. The
excessive playing can lead to the development of
musculoskeletal disorders, such as the “trigger finger”,
or “numb thumb” problems and other problems such as
an addiction to certain video games.
2. Methods
Several factors were taken into consideration for the
ergonomic evaluation: size, weight, surface, edges, grip
(force), layout of the controller, the amount of work
done by each and both hands, the amount of work done
by each finger, the repetitiveness of finger movements,
body posture, etc. The experimental group consisted of
5 male and 5 female video-game players, playing Forza
Motrosport III, a car racing game, and Call of Duty –
2
Modern Warfare 2, a first-person shooter game, for the
duration of at least 20 minutes, and up to 90 minutes
per video-game. The participants filled out a
specifically designed questionnaire at different stages.
Anthropometric data of hand sizes was also collected
and included in the analysis. Seven different hypotheses
were tested in relation to the video-game controller
using the PASW program. Besides the hypotheses
tested, the physical characteristics of the video-game
controller were also evaluated.
3. Results
The results confirmed that the controller was not
suitable for the average hand size, that the
musculoskeletal discomfort did appear while playing
video-games, that both hands did not do the same
amount of work, that some fingers did more work than
others, that a lot of force was not exerted on pushing
the buttons, that the grip of the controller was not the
same during the game, that the finger repetition was
different in both games.
Some of the participants reported that the weight of
the controller was “just right”, that the surface felt
“smooth” and the edges felt “rounded”. However, only
half of the participants liked the vibration feedback
while playing the video-games.
The controls were quite easy to learn for the male
participants, and quite difficult to learn for the female
participants. The experience of learning to play the
video-game using the controller was quite easy for all
participants. It was easier to play the video-games for
the male than for the female participants. It was also
easier for the male participants to advance during the
video-game than for the female participants. Both, male
and female participants enjoyed playing the video-game
quite a lot.
4. Conclusion
The results confirmed the controller was not suitable
for the average hand size, and that further ergonomics
research on the design of the controller should be taken
into consideration.