<quote>There are a lot of reasons to criticize the design of that sub, but using an XBox controller isn't one of them.</quote>
<p>False.</p>
<p>First, they had no reliable backup controller. They only had a COTS controller.
Second, the Navy does have a backup controller, and they chose the Xbox 360 controller specifically because it's cheap and easy to source another one in any port they might visit, and it's easy to support it. This is not a consideration for the submarine &mdash; it's not going to visit any ports. So it doesn't make sense to use a commodity controller when you're not going to get a replacement that way, <em>and</em> the controller they chose isn't readily available like a 360 controller is.
Third, the Navy isn't controlling the boat with the controller, only the periscope. It's an important feature to be sure, but it's not going to immediately cause the loss of the boat if it fails.</p>
<p>Trying to cite the Navy's <em>completely different</em> use of a COTS game controller as why it wasn't a bad idea to use it for the billionaire deathtrap is completely wrong as it completely ignores the facts and situation.</p>