Our Story
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The Padless Story:
From Project to Product

Ben

For well over half a decade, Ben has been an avid member of the NES Tetris Community. Active in eras spanning from the peak of hypertapping to the rolling revolution, he has seen it all. However, in October 2024, the pads in Ben's controller tore as he was on the verge of reaching the legendary Tetris game crash. To make matters worse, his favorite pads were no longer sold by their supplier. Refusing to spend even more money on the "controller lottery," a long-dormant idea of his resurfaced. Rubber pads and NES controllers in general are a universal source of frustration for players... why not simply get rid of them entirely?

Ava

Ava is a passionate creative and maker with a background in Esports. Ava discovered Classic Tetris after watching the 2024 world championship, and stepped into a community with many years of knowledge and advancements in its level of play. Despite all the tools available to new players, she immediately saw the massive X factor in the scene that is the outdated controllers we put up with. Since Fall 2024, Ava has combined her CAD knowledge and Esports background with Ben's professional experience in PCB design and storied ties in the retro gaming community in order to bring an end to the days of controller frustration.

Ben and Ava at WPL 2025
Ben & Ava at WPL 2025
Timeline

The Padless
Timeline

The prototyping stage has consisted of numerous major design milestones, each of them following dozens of prototype iterations. Every aspect of the NES controller has been completely reimagined from the ground up with an unwavering commitment to quality and reliability. Together, we've worked to craft the white whale of NES controllers: more durable, reliable, and adjustable than anything else available today.

First Concept Model Nov 27, 2024
First concept model
Nov 27, 2024

First Concept Model

Our first concept model made by hardwiring mouse switches through drilled holes in the PCB. Actually functional! At this point, the project was nameless, and was just a concept.

First Custom PCB Dec 9, 2024
First custom PCB with mechanical switches
Dec 9, 2024

First Custom PCB

After laying out the schematic, Ben designed a custom PCB around it, sharing a similar shape to the OEM PCB, to lay out the switches.

Bostontype Jan 7, 2025
Bostontype — the first Padless shell
Jan 7, 2025

Bostontype

After many hours of hard work, we'd finally developed a shell for our PCB, which had also received a good amount of updates. This prototype was named "Bostontype" since we debuted it at the regional event 2 Boston 2 Parity. It was at this event where people had first heard about our idea and got to see the controller firsthand. However, we all knew that our controller had a long way to go before it was ready for sale.

D-pad Overhaul Feb 9, 2025
D-pad overhaul prototype — front D-pad overhaul prototype — open
Feb 9, 2025

D-pad Overhaul

It was at this moment where the idea of Padless was truly born. These models were the first that we actually started using in normal gameplay. We abandoned the complex metal spring solution from Boston in favor of a much simpler "stem" that supported the D-pad. This would allow for inputs that feel more consistent with a satisfying click. Lots of different D-pad designs were used, and we experimented with multiple kinds of mechanical keyboard switch for the buttons. These models showed a lot of promise, but also showed that there were a number of hurdles on the way to a finished model. Unfortunately, the detachable cable was not as reliable as we were hoping and would not be included in future models. Although these models had their issues, this was a big step in the right direction.

Detroittype March 4, 2025
Detroit Regional controller prototype
March 4, 2025

Detroittype

After even more advancements on the D-pad, we were ready to showcase our new and improved controller to players at the 2025 Detroit regional. Changes to the PCB shape allowed for much more stable D-pad stem designs. This model was identical in size to an OEM, since the previous models were slightly smaller. At the Detroit regional, we showed off the controller to players and found that some of them were able to use it right away, and some were unable to use it whatsoever. The wide range of experiences with the controller was a reminder to us of just how perfect the D-pad design needed to be if we hoped to accommodate all grips and playstyles. There was lots of frustration in the months of prototyping following Detroit.

Supporter Prototypes April 2025
Supporter prototype — transparent shell
April 2025

Supporter Prototypes

After Detroit, we were confident enough in the model to send a "prototype package" to players who supported us over the months. So, at the beginning of April, we shipped out multiple prototypes in order to gather more detailed feedback from people who have tried the controller. Thanks to the feedback we recieved from our supporters, we were able to narrow down the remaining problems in our design, which allowed us to find our focus in the final prototyping stages.

CTWC Showcase June 4, 2025
June 4, 2025

CTWC Showcase

When we were at the 2025 Classic Tetris World Championship, we approached many of the best players in the scene and asked them to play on Ava's Padless for a few minutes to see what they think. She had been using this model for the past couple of months, setting mutliple personal bests with it. This model housed an improved version of the Detroit D-pad design based on feedback from our testers. This model turned out to be much better in terms of compatibility, with players such as Meme and Alex T being able to get the hang of it very quickly. We had certainly made progress, but felt that the current "stem" design wouldn't be able to yield consistent enough results.

Split D-pad Revolution July 2025
The split D-pad — four independent directional buttons First split D-pad prototype
July 2025

The Split D-pad Revolution

We left the Philadelphia regional with new ideas and a level of motivation we hadn't felt since all the way back in Boston. The main issue that had rendered previous D-pads unusable for some players was the diagonal inputs. With the assembly being on one stem, pressing left or right would often cause down or up to be pushed at the same time, which interfered heavily with gameplay. Our solution to this? The split D-pad. Seen on many modern controllers, this design splits each direction into its own button, rendering diagonal inputs impossible. Pictured is our first attempt at a split D-pad. This, of course, was still a work in progress, but this idea would be the key to developing a finished product.

WPL Showcase August 7, 2025
Full WPL 2025 showcase table
Five WPL split D-pad controllers WPL controller PCBs
August 7, 2025

WPL Showcase

WPL 2025 was the first event with a full showcase table set up — complete with two setups, five split D-pad models with varying feel, and stickers of our brand new logo! These controllers would be far more stable compared to the first split D-pad prototype, with individual stabilizers on each switch, so we were very excited to show off our new developments. This event is one of the largest gatherings of Tetris® gamers from both Classic and Guideline skillsets, as well as Super Mario Bros® speedrunners. Given the differing skillsets and areas of precision in each game, we received invaluable feedback from all sorts of players, and walked away with motivation and new ideas to further refine every aspect of our design. More than ever before, we were determined to finalize the controller and get it in the hands of players.

Boston Revisited January 2026
Padless Famicom Edition
January 2026

Boston Revisited

For the first time in Padless history, a lot of special Padless controllers were up for sale, exclusively at the Boston Qualifier. This was another experimental run, but with many improvements including a place to store spare springs, easier spring swap-ability, and a simplified assembly, making this Padless not only the most robust, but also the easiest to customize. In addition to these improvements, we paid homage to the original Famicom® controller with the model's faceplate and colorway.

Big Wins Into Detroit March–May 2026
Ava at the Padless booth at IdeaLabs
March–May 2026

Big Wins Into Detroit

Riding the momentum from Boston, Ava participated in IdeaLabs, the biggest pitch competition in the state of Ohio, and won! As a reward, the company not only received funding to expand manufacturing abilities, but also spread the word of Padless to investors nationwide. As a result, we were able to produce another batch for the Detroit event, selling many more of the popular Famicom®-styled Padlesses.

Padless Controllers × CTWC June 2026
Padless Controllers at CTWC Padless gold and silver trophies
June 2026

Padless Controllers × CTWC

With the controllers gaining vast popularity within the Classic Tetris scene and talks with the CTWC team going well, Padless Controllers officially would be legal starting in the 2027 season of CTWC events! To celebrate, we produced our biggest batch yet, showcasing the classic CTWC colorway and branding, punchier A/B buttons, bigger D-pad buttons, and a return to the original style. In addition to the controllers for sale, a gold and silver colorway were manufactured specifically for the 1st and 2nd place finishers that weekend. The outcome? Ava arrived with 24 and left with none. We sold out! With 24 new Padless club members and many more aspiring to join, the official preorder form was sent out with online sales closer than ever before!

The Team Expands July 2026
Ava and Katie
July 2026

The Team Expands

After its success at CTWC, Padless continued to make waves throughout the community with another strong showing at the Philadelphia regional in July. With demand showing no signs of slowing down, the team decided to expand its roster—enter Katie, Ava's best friend and a longtime member of the NES Tetris community. With her background in software engineering and project management, Katie would immediately show herself to be an instrumental part of Padless' success.

The Padless Controller Company August 2026
August 2026

The Padless Controller Company

With Ava and Katie now working full time on Padless, we've been able to greatly expand our manufacturing abilities and start turning Padless from a passion project into a real company. August 2026 saw us attract a sizable angel investment, incorporate as The Padless Controller Company, and lock in our branding. You may also be hearing whispers about a bounty we have out for one of the most legendary achievements in gaming history…