What's a decent joystick to use on PC? And where to get it?

Christian Behrens · 08-25-2005, 05:45 PM

I am looking into getting a nice joystick that allows me to play old-school platformers and shooters (shmups) on the PC/Mac, but USB joysticks suitable for this task are rare and hard to find (I am not looking for flight simulator type sticks!).

It seems it might be easier to get a PSX/PS2 joystick and use one of the PS/USB converters, which I have, although a direct connection would be preferred.

I have the Sega Arcade Stick for the Dreamcast, but did not get it to work with the adapter I have on my Mac, unfortunately. I assume the digital joystick isn't really supported

.

I am also tempted to get a Competition Pro USB from Europe for size and other reasons, but a decent arcade stick would be nice.

What are some good suggestions that don't require to rob a bank?

-Christian

DaveGTP · 08-26-2005, 04:38 PM

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?cat...ducts_id=1939&

Playstation/Dreamcast/Saturn compatible
kinda hard to find mac-compatible stuff...

liksang is very reliable but shipping will be pricey.
I've been meaning to get one of these myself. Maybe you can find them cheaper on ebay.

Dan B · 08-26-2005, 04:59 PM

The upcoming Xbox 360 controllers (the wired versions) will be compatible with an XP PC as well.

PerryD · 08-26-2005, 10:53 PM

I guess this is what you mean by robbing the bank: X-Arcade Dual Stick . It's what I have and it is fantastic. I wish they would come out with a USB version as it currently plugs into the keyboard input (easier compatibility with MAME I guess) which makes it a hassle to connect and reconnect, plus it is HUGE.

Christian Behrens · 08-28-2005, 03:07 PM

Dave,

I actually have that adapter, but I didn't get it to work with my digital joystick. I'll have to give it a go again on my PC, just for kicks.

What does work, however, are those PSX to USB adapters. I have one of those where you can connect two controllers on one, and you do not have to install any drivers (unless you need functionality for force feedback I believe), so a simple PS1 joypad I connected was recognized on my Mac with MAME no problem :-).

So I was looking all over and now scored this joystick on eBay:

It seems to be comparable to the X-Arcade that Perry mentioned, but for half the price. Also, the button layout on the X-Arcade seems a little low compared to the joystick. Has that been an issue for you, Perry?

And the two-player X-Arcade just wasn't an option, not only because of the price, but also due to its size. Interesting to learn, though, that it connects to the PC via PS/2. Maybe you could use the PSX connector and one of the adapters I mentioned above?

Can't wait to get the joystick and try the baby out. I refuse to believe that my reflexes have gotten so bad; I'm blaming the controls I have right now for my lousy scores ;-).

-Christian

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ShelbyB · 08-30-2005, 02:51 PM

Are you looking for a gamepad rather? Logitech makes one for the PC that is pretty much an exact copy of the PS2 controller. I have two and recommend them very highly.

Christian Behrens · 09-02-2005, 07:49 PM

In case someone else gets their hand on a Pelican Universal Real Arcade joystick, it's actually pretty good. It does not seem to work with PS-USB adapters on the PC, but a very simple (and cheap, from eBay) XBOX-USB adapter did the trick quite admirably.

The stick itself really doesn't feel too bad at all, but for the arcade junkies out there, apparently you can fairly easily put original Happ arcade parts in it for an even more authentic feel.

I'm already happy, and my scores have gone up

.

-Christian



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