Stop the presses: Farming Simulator is getting a custom controller

I don't know if you demanded it, but you're getting it anyway: Saitek and Giants Software are creating a custom game controller for the Farming Simulator series. The device will feature a shallowly-tilted wheel with a Brodie knob, and a side panel with lots of buttons and a control stick for operating frontal attachments.

Specialized controllers are nothing new—I rocked a very nice Thrustmater HOTAS setup, back before you were born—but even so, I think it's fair to say that this one qualifies as… unusual. It's designed specifically for operating virtual tractors (and harvesters, loaders, combines, etc.), the sort of activity that appeals to an extremely niche audience and is thus offered by a very limited selection of games.

That's not to say it won't succeed: The upside to niche markets is that they tend to be very dedicated, and while I didn't care for the paper-thin simulation in Farming Sim 15, I'm happy to see the virtual farming community getting this kind of support.

The Farming Simulator controller is still in the design stage, and Saitek said it will seek input from fans as it progresses. There's no word on when it will be ready for market.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.