If you just distil the meaning of the word ‘Notification’, you realize that the humble Notification Light can apply to literally any product, from a phone to a doorbell to a game controller. Meet the Nothing Gamepad (1), a controller concept by Anurag Sarda that reimagines Nothing’s ethos of transparency and fun from the POV of one of the most fun tech experiences ever – gaming.
The Gamepad (1) is simple, functional, ergonomic, and visually distinct… which means it ticks all the right boxes. The design features an opaque front fascia, with a transparent backplate. On the inside, back-facing glyph LEDs light up in the middle of gameplay, letting you know when you make an achievement, score a kill, or hit a winning streak.
Designer:
“Transparency should have meaning, not just be a gimmick like tons of transparent gaming controllers available in the market,” Sarda says, highlighting how the controller’s transparent back retains the tenets of Nothing’s design. After all, Nothing doesn’t make ENTIRELY transparent devices – it uses an interplay of transparent and opaque, as seen with the Nothing Ear and the Nothing Phone series.
The controller tows that fine line brilliantly, balancing multiple aspects of design from the sleek, simple exterior to the overall ergonomic design to finally that glyph back. The form has a simple blobject-like design, with minimalist controls that span everything from the D-pad to joystick, action buttons and even the double shoulder buttons. The detailing even features Nothing’s dot-matrix font on the action keys, and on the ‘Nothing’ button front and center (which presumably works as a home button).
“The playful LED accents react subtly to gameplay, enhancing immersion without being a distraction,” Sarda adds. Just like the Nothing Phone puts the glyphs on the back so as to not distract from the screen on the front, the Gamepad (1) does the same, but the glyphs shine through the back, creating a halo of sorts on your palms and your desktop while you game. You get hit by you opponent, the light and haptics kick in. You pass a level, the glyphs do a dance. You lose a life, the glyphs light up and fade out. The experience is small yet highly enriching, making the Gamepad (1) stand out from other controllers… just like Nothing wants its tech to rise above the competition.
Will Nothing ever release a gaming controller? Probably not in the near future. They’re on track to debut the Phone (3a) on the 4th of March with hopefully a hands-on showcase at Mobile World Congress. We also got wind of the company probably working on a Phone (3) and maybe a which could launch as early as this year. Carl Pei said that 2025 would be a big year for the company, with as many as 6 product launches on the horizon. Wouldn’t it be fun if a game controller were one of those products?!
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