The Stelladaptor 2600 Controller-to-USB Interface allows the use of standard Atari 2600-compatible controllers, including joysticks, paddles, and driving controllers, with modern computers running Windows, Macintosh, or Linux operating systems. Stelladaptor will work with any emulators that support standard HID-class USB game controllers. 

Any Atari 2600-compatible joystick, when plugged into your computer through the Stelladaptor, will behave as a normal joystick. This allows the use of classic Atari controllers with any software that will work with an 8-direction digital joystick controller (left, right, up, down, and diagonals). In addition to joystick controllers, the Stelladaptor also automatically recognizes the Atari 2600 paddle and driving controllers. To take advantage of these controllers, software running on the host computer (such as emulators or games) must be updated to accurately handle the data being sent by the Stelladaptor.

AtariAge was the exclusive manufacturer of the Stelladaptor. The product has been discontinued as of 2009 and is now available under a Creative Commons Attribution-3.0 United States license. No technical support will be provided for the information herein.

Documentation:

• User’s Guide
• Schematic
• Bill-of-Materials
• Assembly Drawing
• PCB: Gerber Plots and OSH Park
• Source Code: Microchip PIC16C745 (v1.3, MPLAB + HI-TECH C 8.02 PL1)
• Flowchart
• Poster: “Finally, an easier way to make connections with your favorite computer.”

Reviews:

Winner of the 2004 Stan’s Atari Excellence “Player’s Choice Award”

“The Stelladaptor is a wonderful, no-brainer device which turns playing emulated games on a PC into a dream.” – Curt Vendel

“Some of the best money I’ve spent in my lifetime!” – Walter Muehlbauer

“This is superb!” – Barrie Ellis

“I got my Stelladaptor today and I successfully tested it with CCS64 (C64 emulator), StellaX (Atari 2600 emulator), and WinUAE (Amiga emulator). I am using an original Atari CX-40 joystick, and it works like a dream! The Stelladaptor rocks!” – Sheldon Sims

“Device works exactly as it should – perfect! Games work better with the original joystick than even the best PC gamepad, not to mention the ability to use paddles and the nostalgia factor.” – Greg Mitchell

“If you are looking to play some of the ‘old school’ games on your modern PC, and want to play them the way they were meant to be played, this is the device for you. My personal enjoyment of the classic game emulators and the commercial classic game compilations has increased dramatically since I started using the Stelladaptor.” – Mike Stulir

“I’ve been waiting for someone to release a device like this and was glad to see someone finally did. Great product as it worked straight out-of-the-box for StellaX, Atari800Win, and MAME32 under Windows XP. If you enjoy the occasional classic game, go ahead and treat yourself by getting one of these. It completes the emulation experience and is well worth the price.” – James Payton