WaveBird
Silver WaveBird wireless controller + receiver
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| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
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| Type | Gamepad |
| Generation | Sixth generation |
| Retail availability | 2002 |
| Input |
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| Connectivity | 900 MHz/2.4 GHz wireless RF |
| Power | 2 × AA batteries |
| Dimensions | 2.5 × 5.5 × 4 inches 65 × 140 × 100 mm |
| Weight | 7.4 oz/210 g (with batteries) 5.8 oz/164 g (without batteries) |
The WaveBird Wireless Controller is a radio frequency (RF) based wireless controller manufactured for the Nintendo GameCube video game console designed by former Nintendo employee Cameron Dribnenky, who had wanted to bring wireless controllers to gaming since the NES. Its name is a reference to Dolphin, the GameCube's codename during development. The WaveBird was available for purchase separately as well as in bundles with either Metroid Prime or Mario Party 4, which were exclusive to Kmart in the US.
Nintendo had attempted to create a reliable wireless controller since the development of the Famicom. Its first attempt was for the Advanced Video System (AVS), the precursor to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), which included two wireless controllers but was never released.
Nintendo later developed an infrared (IR) adapter called the NES Satellite for the NES. Released in 1989, it used infrared to extend the length of up to four wired controllers, which would plug into the base of the unit rather than the console. The base could then be positioned anywhere within a certain range of the NES without the need for a cable. However, the extension base still needed a direct line of sight with the NES console; line of sight is a significant limitation of IR technology, requiring a clear space between an IR port and controller.
Radio Frequency controllers were not possible in the late 1980s as the early digital RF links were bulky and used too much power to be useful in battery-powered devices. However, advancements in integrated circuits made radio controllers for game consoles commercially viable only a decade later. The WaveBird, released in 2002, solved previous usability problems of wireless controllers by relying on radio frequency communication instead of infrared, allowing the controller to be used anywhere within 6 meters (20 ft) of the console. Although Nintendo only certifies the WaveBird to work within this 6 meter (20 ft) range, tests have proven that they may work as far as 27.5 meters (90 ft) on all 16 different channels.
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Wikipedia