Enlarge image
Fisher-Price controller as control device for "Elden Ring": A game with a high degree of difficulty becomes even more challenging
Photo: Twitter/Rudeism
If the manufacturer Fisher-Price has its way, babies and toddlers from the age of six months make rapid progress with its "learning fun game controller".
The toy, which costs around 20 euros, promotes fine motor skills, dexterity and hand-eye coordination, according to the company's website: "The realistic design promotes the imagination and role-playing of the little 'gamers'!"
One thing, however, is not even promised by the flowery advertising text: that computer games can really be operated with the plastic gamepad, which can also play various sounds.
A toy is a toy.
Or?
Evidence to the contrary is doing the rounds online.
A twitch streamer called Rudeism has upgraded the Fisher Price controller with the help of an Arduino microcomputer and some modifications directly on and in the gamepad so that he can now even play »Elden Ring« with it.
The action role-playing game is notorious for its high level of difficulty (read our test here).
Two weeks of handicraft work
Rudeism was inspired to his handicraft campaign by a tweet in mid-April jokingly describing the plastic controller as "perfect for 'Elden Ring'".
The streamer reported to the game magazine "Polygon" that turning the toy into a functional controller took about two weeks.
The hardest part was accommodating all the parts in the controller, according to Rudeism, who calls himself a "builder of bizarre controllers".
Compared to an Xbox controller, the Fisher Price pad lacks the right analog stick.
However, Rudeism's modified version of the pad makes it possible to temporarily assign the left analog stick to the right stick function in games by the user flipping the yellow switch on the bottom right.
In the same way, for example, one of the four buttons can be converted into a start button.
The toddler pad wired by Rudeism via USB has more functions than meets the eye at first glance.
However, some of them cannot be used at the same time.
Live on Twitch - including all sounds
Anyone who wants to see how Rudeism is doing with his self-made gamepad in »Elden Ring« can watch him on Twitch on Wednesday morning German time: There he presents his controller in practical use, at the beginning of his broadcast he spoke of the »cutest ›Elden Ring‹ gameplay you will ever see«.
Viewers of the stream should mentally adjust to the constantly played key tones of the Fisher Price toy.
For example, if the streamer presses the blue B button or the red C button, a child's voice says "Blue" or "Red" and if he taps the "1" or another number on the D-Pad, this is also hip – over and over again.
In addition, the controller has other annoying sounds on board, or as Fisher-Price puts it: »happy songs«.
Get ready for a catchy tune from »ABCD, come and play a game with me«.