The missing Titanic submersible was piloted using an Xbox controller

111 years after it sank to the ocean floor, fears are growing that the Titanic may have claimed five more lives. The infamous ship has a firm place in the public consciousness, and the firm OceanGate Expeditions allows curious tourists to visit the wreck on their submersible Titan.

Titan has now gone missing, with contact lost one hour and 45 minutes into its trip on Sunday afternoon. A frantic rescue operation is now underway, though the situation is compounded by search parties not knowing if it’s still underwater or has surfaced, but it’s definitely unable to communicate. On board are pilot Paul Henry Nargolet, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, and British billionaire Hamish Harding.

Since the disappearance, some eyebrow-raising details about the submersible have emerged. A November 2022 report from CBS covers the vehicle, pointing out it uses many off-the-shelf components, that it uses Elon Musk’s StarLink system for communication, and it’s guided by text message. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the paperwork states:

“This experimental vessel has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death.”

It’s also been noted that Titan is piloted with an Xbox controller, specifically a Logitech F310 gamepad, which can currently be purchased for $14.99. Now there’s nothing theoretically wrong with using a video game controller to pilot a submersible, though it’s certainly a curious wrinkle in the story, which obviously went unmentioned when OceanGate put out a statement yesterday:

“Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families. We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to re-establish contact with the submersible.”

Rescuers are scouring the ocean floor and the Atlantic, so we can only hope this dramatic story has a happy ending. More updates as and when we hear them.