Game controller exports to Russia banned by UK gov — hopes to reduce options for enemy drone pilots

The UK Foreign Office has implemented a ban on game controller exports to Russia, reports BBC News. We hope that the ban will at least narrow the options available to Russian drone pilots attacking Ukraine and its people.

The game controller ban isn’t a piece of standalone legislation, rather it is part of a package of 150 or so new trade sanctions that the UK announced earlier this week. Among the freshly banned items are other electronic products and components that might also be repurposed by the Russian military, as well as a broad range of chemicals, machinery, and metals. The UK’s move comes in the wake of a similar ban imposed on Russia by the nations of the EU.

"Gaming consoles will no longer be repurposed to kill in Ukraine," said Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty. "Putin thought he could use British markets to boost his war effort, buying harmless goods and turning them into tools of war - but the UK is exposing and acting on this sinister trade." Doughty signaled that the new sanctions would “degrade Russia's military machine.”

While the games controller ban might have been singled out, we aren’t sure that it will be the most impactful of the new measures from the UK. Look at the inscription or sticker on the reverse of your controller, and it isn’t likely you will see any products ‘Made in the UK.’ Rather, this move should help minimize the re-export of the best games controllers, many of which might pass through the UK’s ports.

Taking a step back, it seems likely that Russia-friendly nations like China will find it easy to fill any latent demand precipitated by the UK’s new measures on game controller exports. Some might therefore look at this particular sanction as a symbolic one. Nevertheless, if the change can impact Putin’s aggression against Ukraine in any way, and save even one life, we can’t criticize the new measure(s).

PC and games console tech used in the Ukraine - Russia war

PC and games console-originated technology has played a surprisingly important role in the war in Ukraine, as have technologies like drones and 3D printing. Probably one of the most interesting re-purposed PC tech stories of the war was the use of a Valve Steam Deck to control and automate Ukraine’s Sablya sentry machine guns.

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.