The original Dreamcast controller has a cord that is 80” long (6 feet 8 inches long), 84” if you count the base of the cord to the top of a VMU. So it’s precisely 7 feet long. I think this is an ample length of cord for your average gamer out there. If you need more than 7 feet, then you probably have a huge living room. But let’s take into account that this is 1999 we’re talking about. Why does that matter? Read on bacon lover.
I’m sure y’all remember when the Genesis came out… the original controllers had cords that were about 4 feet long. But for a kid, that’s fine! All of our TVs back then were mostly small, and any “big” TV was probably wood-cased and sat on the ground. As a kid, I’d sit on the ground about 3 inches from the screen and play some awesome Genesis games at Giant Metal Zorio’s house (he was my neighbor from birth to 18 years old when we moved out and is still a good friend today 27 years later). By the time the Dreamcast came out in 1999, TVs were getting progressively larger and slowly making their way higher in the air. No longer would TVs sit on the ground.
The Dreamcast was one of those systems that suffered from being ahead of its time. People didn’t know what to make of this thing. It was really powerful. If only they had waited about 3 more years, they possibly could have jumped on the WaveBird bandwagon and created their own RF signal wireless controller! But that’s neither here nor there. The reality is the Dreamcast was an amazing machine that suffered from bad luck and a somewhat misunderstanding of American culture. Anyway, forgive my rambling. I swear there’s a point to all of this.
With a 7 foot controller in 1999 up to 2001 (2001 being the semi-closure of the Dreamcast storybook), players mostly had all the slack that they needed. But in 2013, TVs are bigger than ever before. They’re higher off the ground than ever before. So sitting close isn’t much of an option unless you want to destroy your eyeballs and give yourself a headache. Fortunately, there are probably around 10 different companies that have created extension cables for your Dreamcast controller.
The majority of them are around 6 feet long (I say majority because there might be a longer one but I haven’t seen one yet). With this added 6 feet of wire, you’ll be 4” shy of exactly 13 feet of slack between your best seat in the house and your beautiful white Dreamcast (you don’t need the 2K Sports series one… they’re ugly). You can also link up multiple extensions cables and stand in your neighbor’s front yard with binoculars and see the screen through the screen door into your living room to play. It’s your prerogative.
I highly recommend this 6 foot cable. It’ll make playing your system easier and hopefully make you want to play it more often! I can’t say enough about it. They can be found on Amazon for less than $6 after shipping though some people may charge you more. If you’re like me and The Cubist, then you know you gotta get at least 6 of these bad boys. Enjoy it folks.
Reviewed by NerdBerry
Written by Nerdberry
What’s up yall? David “Nerdberry” here! I am the founder of Nerd Bacon and the current co-owner (and CEO) along with partner David “theWatchman!” I hail from North Carolina, hence my love for all things pork! Oh, you’re not familiar with NC? Well I’m not 100% sure, but I am pretty confident that NC and VA lead the nation in pork production. I could be wrong, but even if I am, I still love bacon!
Come enjoy some bacon and games with us yall.
