The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was designed to be played in a number of different ways. Players can follow an epic questline through the world, hunt for rare animals and monsters, or simply make a living by selling off treasure.
It's the sort of freedom that many games promise, but few actually come through on.
For PC players, the actual game is just the beginning: for years now, the Skyrim community has lived on thanks to mods. Whether it's adding Randy "Macho Man" Savage into the game, or simply giving players the ability to spawn an infinite number of cheese wedges, these game-altering downloads have extended Skyrim's life cycle beyond everyone's expectations.
And then there's BOOM, LLC Robotater, who wasn't happy simply modding the game itself. No, Robotater needed to change how he played the game entirely.
Most PC gamers will probably play through Skyrim with a mouse and keyboard, while some may choose to play with a traditional controller ... but for Robotater, that just wasn't good enough. So, for whatever reason, he decided to create his own controller - out of a bunch of potatoes.
Before you ask - yes, that is real.
It's an impressive accomplishment - sure, everyone has seen the science fair project where some kid turns a potato into a battery, but this is a bit more complicated (and a lot cooler). Getting a current to run through so many different potatoes without an unplayable amount of input lag sounds like it would be impossible - and yet, Robotater is currently playing Skyrim with a potato controller.
If you're still not convinced, Robotater has created a guide on how to build a potato controller of your own. Granted, it's not exactly the easiest build in the world - interested players will need to buy a basic control board, and a basic knowledge of electronics assembly is required. Even so, getting a potato controller up and running definitely looks a lot easier than putting a standard gamepad together.
So, where do gamers go from here? Weird controllers have been getting more and more complicated for years now: Dark Souls players have been using everything from basic voice commands to their feet to complete the game. Is there really anywhere else to go after playing through a game with a potato?
We'll just have to wait and see what modders come up with next - until then, you can check out LLC Robotater's potato controller guide over on his Steam Community page.
