Genesis controllers on Atari 2600

[KAZ]

I just got my Atari 2600 today, and I had to test out what I heard about Genesis controllers working on the Atari.

 

My controller worked GREAT on my Atari. My controller has three buttons, and the middle button works as the fire button.

 

Before trying this for myself, I thought I read somewhere that although genesis controllers work on the Atari, there's some sort of problem with them?? I thought I read that you had to turn the controller around to make it work or something.

 

What I found was that the genesis controller worked perfectly, right side up and everything. Did Sega somehow intend for their controllers to be backward compatible with Atari 2600?

[jsoper]

I think it was just more of a loose standard console makers were following at the time. A commodore 64 and colecovision also use similar type joystick schemes with some differences.

 

The only issue I've heard with genesis controllers is a small concern that they will drive joystick inputs high, but an atari was designed to pull those lines high itself, the joystick is only supposed to drive low. I think we would have heard more about this if people's ataris were actually getting damaged.

[Joel D. Park]

I've used a Genesis controller with the Commodore 64, but it disables certain keys on the keyboard, so it's definately a little funky.

 

I've never had any trouble with the 2600 though.

[KAZ]

what does that mean "to drive the joystick inputs high".

 

I think you are saying that the genesis controller is somehow too powerful for the Atari, and is taking the inputs to their max.

 

Or maybe you are saying that you can move faster in games when you use the genesis controller, because the inputs are high?

 

The standard controller doesn't take the inputs as high as the genesis controllers?