One of the first third-party peripherals for the system, the controller is connected by a swivel joint, allowing the player to twist the halves relative to each other.

The NeGcon was created to replicate the analog-stick movement used in the arcade game Cyber Sled (1993); the name comes from the Japanese word "nejiru", meaning "to twist".

The neGcon's design was prompted by Namco's desire to accurately replicate the dual-lever controls of their arcade game Cyber Sled on the PlayStation.

[1] Examples of racing games that took advantage of the neGcon are the original PlayStation iterations of the Ridge Racer series (Ridge Racer Type 4 also supported the Namco Jogcon), Gran Turismo, Motor Toon Grand Prix, Motor Toon Grand Prix 2, Destruction Derby, Colin McRae Rally, TOCA, Rally Cross, V-Rally and the Pole Position games on Namco Museum volumes 1 and 3, as well as Ridge Racer V on the PlayStation 2.

The number of non-racing games which supported the neGcon was limited, almost solely confined to Namco's Ace Combat series (which also carried over to PS2).

Because of this, a neGcon could be used in most games that didn't require the use of R2, L2 or select buttons, including the system's built-in memory card manager and CD player.

For finer control than the short-throw DualShock 2 buttons offered, a user could use a Logitech-produced wheel which was specifically produced for these games.

[2] Best known as the production manager for Ridge Racer (1993), Kuriyama envisioned the idea for the NeGcon while observing a fellow Namco employee, Valkyrie no Densetsu creator "Ms. Okawa", playing a Super Famicom racing game while simultaneously tilting the controller in the direction the car was turning in the game.

[2] The team looked to racing games for inspiration, thinking of creating a controller akin to a steering wheel that allowed for quick, precise turns.

[2] Isokawa believes that part of the idea behind the NeGcon was based on Namco's desire to create hardware for the home console market, rather than be strictly a third-party publisher for companies such as Nintendo and Sony Computer Entertainment — this idea was further fueled by the fact that Namco's rival, Sega, was at the time one of the largest hardware manufacturers in the home video game market.

[2] Although the game itself was cancelled, the team used it to test the NeGcon prototype units as a way to help correct potential issues and finalize the design.

[27] IGN expressed disappointment towards the NeGcon's poor sales due to it being seen as strange by the general public, writing that it "just goes to show where genuine innovation will get you.