A D-pad (short for directional pad), known as a +Control Pad in Nintendo terminology, is a flat, typically thumb-operated, directional controller. D-pads are found on nearly all modern gamepads, handheld game consoles, and audiovisual device remote controls. Because they operate using four internal push-buttons (arrayed at 90° angles), the vast majority of D-pads provide discrete, rather than continuous, directional options—typically limited to up, down, left, and right, and sometimes offering intermediate diagonals by means of two-button combinations.
Although D-pads offer less flexibility than analog sticks, they offer high accuracy and can be manipulated with minimal movement by the thumb. They require comparatively little maintenance and their minimal profile makes them ideal for portable devices.
D-pads have appeared on diverse forms of electronic equipment including calculators, PDAs, mobile phones, and car stereos.