The Xboxification of Laser Weapons

High-energy laser weapons and video game-style controllers are a match made in heaven – for now.

US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Benjamin T. Watson, commanding general of Training and Education Command, operates a drone during a demonstration on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, on March 5, 2026. (US Marine Corps photo)

One of the most distinctive features of the US military’s high-energy laser weapon of choice isn’t the system itself — it’s how operators cont…