7 Weird Video Game Accessories No One Needed or Asked For

In the world of video games, the number of accessories released for a console often reflects its level of success. Platforms like the Nintendo Wii and the Game Boy sparked experimentation and testing of various accessories. Not all of these accessories are useful or necessary.

In the end, many companies have released accessories that make no sense at all and are quite strange. Here are the seven weirdest video game accessories that no one asked for. Nintendo was one of the most experimental companies when it came to hardware accessories.

7. SEGA Game Gear TV Tuner

For some reason unknown to anyone, SEGA decided to bring the Game Gear experience, one of its few handheld consoles, to a new audience. That’s why they literally released a TV signal receiver so users could watch any program directly on the device.

This seems like one of those ideas made by executives to broaden their customer base, similar to how Kinect once introduced streaming services to a console.

In 1991, the release of this peripheral capitalized on the Game Gear’s color feature, which set it apart from the Game Boy. This accessory was also part of a trend at the time when small portable TVs were popular, especially among sports fans.

Obviously, because it was such an unusual accessory for the console, it drained the battery almost immediately. However, the users received it particularly well.

Considering the time period, this type of accessory was quite revolutionary and tried to capture a niche audience that enjoyed portable accessories. Sports and other content were available on many free-to-air channels back when TV and cable were less common.

However, this accessory appears to contradict the intended purpose of the console itself. Although this accessory serves its purpose, its design did not prioritize gameplay.

6. Saitek Booster Boy for the Nintendo Game Boy

Various accessories were available for the original Game Boy to enhance its screen and other features. The Game Boy’s popularity was such that they even released a magnifying lens so players could see the screen better, especially because it was very small. Saitek took advantage of this by not only making a magnifying lens, but they also built an entirely new casing for the console to increase the button size.

This 1993 peripheral was one of the most comprehensive, improving numerous console features. The idea was to turn the Game Boy into a much larger and easier-to-use device for any player. Additionally, with this protective “armor,” the console could withstand bumps and other mishaps, making it perfect for travel and full enjoyment. This hulk-like accessory offered the whole package to the users.

Because it was an unofficial, unlicensed Nintendo product, it wasn’t as popular as others, but it did offer several improvements to the console with only one product.

This serves as additional evidence of the Game Boy’s widespread popularity, prompting numerous companies to capitalize on its success by introducing products that catered to the needs of players at the time. Only the Nintendo Wii, which also spawned a wide range of accessories, surpassed this level of success.

5. Nintendo Game Boy Camera and Printer

For both the Game Boy Color and the regular Game Boy, Nintendo decided to release a camera along with a printer for some reason. Players could use this camera, which had a meager resolution of 128×112 pixels at the time. Obviously, the photos came out in black and white. Once a player took a photo, they could connect the console to the printer to print a sort of black-and-white image of what they captured with the camera.

This accessory is noteworthy for its release in 1998, a significant amount of time after the original Game Boy launch. Both the camera and printer were compatible with a variety of games, allowing for certain functions. For example, one game that could use the Game Boy Printer was Pokémon Pinball. In 1998, the camera also made its debut, but its game compatibility was not as extensive.

Once again, this type of accessory shows that companies were experimenting to see what kind of products players would buy. At the time, the camera was quite advanced, and the fact that you could print your own photos was pretty amazing for portable technology. Even so, it’s difficult not to think that this accessory was extremely unnecessary. Nintendo consistently strived to introduce innovative features for their hardware.

4. Wii Bowling Ball

The Nintendo Wii was one of the consoles that received the most accessories throughout its lifespan. Its appeal extended beyond experienced gamers. This more casual audience prompted the creation of countless accessories for motion-controlled games. Obviously, none of these accessories were official Nintendo products. One of the strangest and most limited in terms of compatible games was the Wii Bowling Ball.

This accessory was released to give players the feeling of playing actual bowling. However, its utility was extremely limited, as it was mainly compatible with games like Wii Sports, which featured a bowling mini-game. Many companies that made generic hardware, or at least compatible with most consoles, took advantage of the Wii’s popularity to create all sorts of options for casual players.

This led to families owning tons of Wii accessories that they never used again after one or two games. This eventually caused a flood of people trying to resell these accessories without success, leading to their prices constantly dropping. Only a few die-hard fans or players would ever buy these accessories again, given how limited they were for use in just two or three games. Guitar Hero was also part of this popularity.

3. Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Controller

Despite not being an official controller for any platform, NubyTech licensed it to accompany Resident Evil 4 on both the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2. Naturally, NubyTech designed this controller not for comfort but as a collectible, paying homage to one of the game’s most iconic enemies. This controller came in two colors depending on the platform. It will also include some details to make the players feel more immersed.

The yellow version of the chainsaw controller was available for Resident Evil 4 on the Nintendo GameCube, while the red version was for the PlayStation 2. Some prototypes even featured chainsaw sound effects that played when you encountered enemies wielding one in the game.

This was all part of the game’s lore, which featured certain characters who would use the chainsaw in different situations. At least the newer version has better graphics now.

Another distinguishing feature of this collectible controller was its packaging, which referenced one of the game’s cabins. Collectors and hardcore fans of the series appreciate this type of collectible. However, despite its exceptional originality, the controller’s practicality was nearly nonexistent, primarily catering to the interests of dedicated collectors. Using the controller is almost impossible.

2. Virtual Boy

Despite being ahead of its time in terms of what it offered regarding virtual reality, this peripheral became one of Nintendo’s biggest failures. Due to a number of issues, including its high cost and some concerns about user health, this was one of Nintendo’s most unsuccessful accessories. Players heavily criticized it, and the company failed to meet its expectations when it rushed to market in 1995, just before the release of the Nintendo 64.

Even so, despite its limitations, the console truly offered the possibility of playing in virtual reality, which was pretty amazing considering it was the ’90s. This shows that, in its early years in the electronic entertainment industry, Nintendo was a highly experimental company, always trying to offer something innovative to its fans. This accessory offered a limited amount of compatible games.

This wasn’t the only accessory of its kind from that era to fail, but it’s worth highlighting that at least Nintendo took risks in trying to bring something different to the industry. It’s also important to remember that Nintendo was going through one of the best periods in the company’s history, but it was also facing competition that was innovating in how to provide new gaming experiences.

1. Power Glove

The appearance of this glove-based controller in a video game movie likely made it one of the best-marketed accessories. This glove-based controller, supposedly offering the future of motion-controlled gaming, turned out to be a complete failure in practice. Despite looking extremely cool, controlling games with it was nearly impossible, and hand movement recognition was minimal.

Despite its flaws, the United States alone sold over 100,000 units, but users quickly realized it wasn’t functional at all, at least for the current games in that period. Nintendo later learned from this and introduced the Wii, which remains one of the best motion-controlled consoles of the early 2000s. The Power Glove was a small glimpse into the future but ended up as another of Nintendo’s failures in its quest to innovate.

Released in 1989, it made a spectacular appearance in the movie The Wizard, which obviously oversold it as much better than it really was. Today it has become a valuable collector’s item due to its rarity. This was another example of Nintendo trying to innovate with a never-before-seen controller, but it failed miserably. Being ahead of the race is not always as good as it seems; certain failures can leave a mark on the player’s loyalty.

What are your thoughts on these accessories? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!