Amazon Reviews For Game Controller Poke Fun At Sub Disaster Amid Tragedy

Logitech stocks are plummeting due to the Titan submersible tragedy.

The company took a stock hit, falling 3.6% this week, and was flooded with fake Amazon reviews after it was revealed that the video game controller was used to steer the Titan submersible during its tragic trip to the Titanic wreckage.

It's been reported over and over that the Titan was made with many "off-the-shelf components," including the use of a Logitech video game controller instead of a traditional steering wheel. The modified Logitech F710 wireless controller was in fact the steering wheel to the $250,000 "spot" (we won't say seat since there were no actual seats, as underwater travelers sat on the floor) in the vessel.

During the search for the missing sub, Logitech's US-listed shares have fallen more than 3% since the vessel lost connection with the mothership, Polar Prince. The shares have then plunged as much as 11% by Wednesday.

Now, add fake, sarcastic Amazon reviews to the mix, that could be arguably hurting the company, who we might add, did NOTHING wrong.

The Logitech controller is most commonly used for PlayStation video games, but can also connect to computer games. A cheaper version of the game controller, the F310, was selling for $24.99, but was recently reduced to $14.99.

This is where the sarcastic submarine reviews are being left.

And then there's another one...

Trying to find out more information about the use of the game controller online is not a difficult task. YouTube is filled with videos that dive more into the topic.

SVG, a YouTube channel that is all about gaming, shared a video titled, "The Cheap Controller Involved With The Missing Titanic Explorers" which deep dives into the usage of the Logitech game controller.

"As noted in a 2022 report from CBS's David Pogue, 'I couldn't help noticing how many pieces of this sub seemed improvised with off-the-shelf components.' And, in fact, the submersible is piloted using a retro-fitted video game controller," the video explains.

"The controls are driven off a PlayStation3 controller, so with a little bit of training, if you know how to play a video game, you can drive one of our subs."

Gamers on social media quickly noticed that the Logitech controller used in the submersible is not the most advanced controller on the market, which could make this more concerning if it wasn't already.

"If you were wondering why Logitech was trending on Twitter over the last several hours, it's because the Titan submersible is actually steered using a Logitech G F710 wireless gamepad," the video continued.

"This fact quickly spread like wildfire on social media, with gamers expressing their disbelief that a relatively inexpensive controller, one originally released during the PlayStation3 era no less, was deemed worthy of running such a delicate operation. According to multiple product reviews, this controller model has issues with stiff joysticks, and maintaining a steady wireless connection."

One interesting thing to note is that this isn't the first time a submarine has utilized a video game controller.

The Verge reported that it's not entirely unusual for a gamepad to be used in a submarine. The US Navy uses gamepads to control submarine periscopes.

So it's safe to say that multiple issues are being reviewed with the Titan submersible tragedy and Logitech shouldn't be the only, or main focus.