5 Most Ridiculous Video Game Accessories Ever Made

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Throughout the history of video game consoles, players have always been able to buy extra gadgets. From holders for Wii controllers to special gaming gloves, there’s been a demand for these accessories, and gamers have happily spent money on them. The Game Boy was especially known for having lots of different add-ons made by companies other than Nintendo, and even today’s consoles continue this trend. While some accessories have been genuinely helpful, many have been useless. Here are five of the most ridiculous accessories ever created, despite likely being intended as useful products.

1) Nintendo NES R.O.B.

When Nintendo first released the Nintendo Entertainment System, they offered several packages. One of the most appealing included R.O.B., or Robotic Operating Buddy – a real robot meant to help players in games. While R.O.B. seemed like a smart idea and was certainly eye-catching, it didn’t actually work very well. It only functioned with two games, and even then, it was often unreliable. Though gamers were ultimately disappointed with R.O.B., it was a huge success for Nintendo’s marketing, effectively encouraging people to buy the NES.

2) Sega Activator

Before motion controls became common, Sega tried something truly ambitious – and a little strange – with the Sega Activator for the Genesis. This octagonal device sat on the floor and used beams of light to create an invisible playing field. The idea was that you could physically punch and kick to control games like Street Fighter II, but in practice, it didn’t work very well. It was expensive, often inaccurate, and ended up being more annoying than enjoyable.

3) Konami LaserScope

The Nintendo Entertainment System had lots of different accessories, and while many were helpful, the Konami LaserScope wasn’t one of them. The Nintendo Zapper was a popular and reliable light gun, even if it couldn’t let you shoot the dog in Duck Hunt. The LaserScope was a headset that was supposed to replace the Zapper, letting players shout “FIRE” to shoot on screen. However, it didn’t work very well. Kids would end up just yelling “Fire” over and over, mostly succeeding in irritating their parents.

4) Atari 2600 Stick Station

Anyone who played the classic Atari 2600 probably remembers how uncomfortable the joystick was to hold for long periods. It quickly became stiff and caused hand strain. Atari tried to fix this with the ‘Stick Station’ – basically just a board to hold the joystick. However, it didn’t stay popular for long. Someone at Atari realized they could simply add suction cups to the bottom of the joystick itself, solving the problem much more easily and without needing to manufacture extra parts.

5) The Power Glove

The Power Glove is famous for being one of the worst controllers for the NES, and that’s mostly because Nintendo heavily promoted it. It got a memorable spotlight in the 1989 movie The Wizard, and it definitely looked impressive. However, it was difficult to control accurately and much harder to learn than using a standard controller. Despite a character in The Wizard claiming to love how “bad” it was, the Power Glove wasn’t enjoyable in the way he suggested – it was genuinely flawed.

Did you ever spend money on these accessories? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-12-27 17:17