# How the Nintendo D-Pad Works

> A mechanical switch design that allows a user to control directional movement in video games using a single, tilting thumb-operated button.

- **Patent:** US 4687200
- **Original title:** Multi-directional switch
- **Owner:** Nintendo Co Ltd
- **Granted:** 1987
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 129
- **Field:** consumer_electronics, mechanical, gaming

## What it does

This patent describes the mechanical structure of the directional pad, or D-pad, found on game controllers. It uses a central fulcrum that allows a single key member to tilt in multiple directions. When a user presses one side of the button, the key tilts, pressing a flexible rubber layer down onto a specific electrical contact on the circuit board below. This creates a simple electrical connection that tells the game console which direction the player wants to move.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover digital joysticks or analog sticks that measure the degree of tilt.
- Does not cover touch-sensitive directional controls or capacitive surfaces.
- Does not cover switches that use separate, individual buttons for each direction.
- Does not cover wireless communication methods for sending the button press signal.

## The clever bit

The innovation is the use of a single, central fulcrum combined with a deformable, resilient sustaining member that automatically returns the button to a neutral position after it is released.

## Real-world examples

1. Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) controller
2. Super Nintendo (SNES) controller
3. Game Boy directional pad
4. Modern retro-style game controllers

## Why it matters

This invention solved the problem of how to provide precise, reliable directional control in a compact, durable format for home video game consoles. It became the industry standard for game controllers for decades, appearing on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and virtually every subsequent console controller.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How the Nintendo D-Pad Works cover?

A mechanical switch design that allows a user to control directional movement in video games using a single, tilting thumb-operated button.

### Who owns patent US 4687200?

Nintendo Co Ltd owns this patent, granted in 1987.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 4687200 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 129 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This invention solved the problem of how to provide precise, reliable directional control in a compact, durable format for home video game consoles. It became the industry standard for game controllers for decades, appearing on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and virtually every subsequent console controller.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover digital joysticks or analog sticks that measure the degree of tilt.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4687200/nintendo-d-pad-directional

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US4687200

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


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