Titan Submersible That Imploded Killing Five Used A PlayStation Game Controller Running AA Batteries To Navigate, Investigators Find

On June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible from OceanGate imploded en route to the sunken remains of the Titanic. The tragedy made international headlines after the submersible lost contact with its crew almost two hours after its descent. The missing submersible led to extensive search and rescue operations as authorities attempted to locate it and its passengers inside.

On June 22, four days after it went missing, authorities discovered debris from the submersible. It was confirmed that the vessel imploded under deep sea pressure, instantly killing all five passengers, including 19-year-old Suleman Dawood and his father, Shahzada Dawood. 

The tragedy sparked an investigation into the construction of the submersible, including previous warnings of the Titan’s unstable and unsafe conditions. It is believed that the flexible carbon fiber hull that made up the vessel could not withstand deep sea pressure, leading to the implosion.

A year later, experts reflect on the several factors that may have led to the Titan’s implosion. One key element that raised controversy and backlash was Titan’s use of an old PlayStation game controller to pilot the submersible. Running on two AA batteries, the controller has favorable online reviews for gameplay but is not fit to man an entire submersible. A modified version of the Logitech G F710 Wireless Gamepad was used as navigation but was only compatible with older versions of Windows and Chrome. 

The lack of space inside also raised concerns. The five passengers had to sit barefoot and cross-legged on the floor with no standing room. The space was described as roughly the size of a relatively compact minivan. Only one window was present by the front of the submersible.

Several of the submersible’s parts were described as “very flimsy and fragile” by former Royal Navy admiral Chris Parry. Parry added that the Titan was “built from components you can get off [Amazon].” CBS correspondent David Pogue described camping lights, storebought CCTV cameras inside the submersible, and salvaged construction pipes for the ballast.

In March, comments from OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush before the incident surfaced in a documentary titled Minute by Minute: The Titan Sub Disaster. The documentary features a clip of Stockton saying, “What could go wrong?” on St. John’s Radio before the submersible’s implosion. OceanGate received harsh backlash for the lack of safety measures before the Titan’s expedition.