Over the weekend, a Robertson Country, Tennessee native was apparently shocked by lightning through the video game controller he was holding. Fortunately, the incident was not fatal, and the man was able to call 911 to have himself checked out following the incident. According to WKRN, medics arrived at 9:15 p.m. and determined that either the house itself had been struck, or a location nearby. The shock then presumably travelled through a corded controller. The man did not need to be transported to a hospital, so it seems that he’s okay, though probably a bit startled by the events that occurred!
Videos by ComicBook.com
WKRN anchor Josh Breslow shared the story on Twitter, which can be found embedded below.
A man suffered an apparent shock through a video game controller after a lightning strike in Robertson County last night. https://t.co/raUQkAqK1e
— Josh Breslow (@JoshBreslowTN) August 1, 2021
There has been no word on what video game console the man was playing when the incident occurred. The wired nature of the controller makes it possible that this was a retro gaming console, but there are wired controllers for modern platforms, as well. While most gamers prefer to play using a wireless controller, wired controllers do have their advantages; most notably, wired controllers offer a slightly faster in-game response time, which can make a difference in some games. Of course, this incident might make some gamers reconsider the wired option, at least when playing during inclement weather!
It might actually be a good thing that we don’t know which platform the man was playing on. After all, diehard console fans are always looking for something to hold against other gaming platforms. If this happened to be an Xbox controller, PlayStation fans would say that their console of choice is the safer option, or vice versa. Every console has its strengths and weaknesses, and some try to make it a constant contest to prove which one is better than the others. Thankfully, this is one incident where we won’t have to hear any debate!
Do you still use wired controllers? Do you plan on changing your habits based on this story? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
[H/T: Kotaku]
