are you sure this is a joystick port and not a serial port?
if it is a joystick port then you can connect and atari-style 9pin joystick and all it's compatible joysticks for systems like the Sega master system , genesis/megadrive , amiga computers joysticks, atari computers joysticks... basically 90's 16bit systems

Most 8 bit computer had ports compatible with Atari 2600 standard (the only exception I can think of is the joystick ports of Sinclair Spectrum +2, +2A and +3). A Competition Pro joystick will do the job, but keep in mind that there are models that come with USB connection. Also, a Sega Master System or Genesis/Megadrive pad would work, but keep in mind that only 1 or two buttons will work, depending on your computer.

HINT: Please post what computer have you bought. If it's an Amstrad PC (and maybe Schneider of Sinclair?) the joystick port also seems to be an Atari port.

HINT 2: It won't be too difficult to get a joystick (or sound+joystick) card, if you have an ISA slot free.

ah ok it is all right! i have one atari joystick!

Back in the day you could buy these ISA cards with two 9 pin joystick ports. I had one and they worked quite well, but only supported a single button.

Later you could buy competition Pro joysticks with 15pin plugs for the PC.

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

Back in the day you could buy these ISA cards with two 9 pin joystick ports. I had one and they worked quite well, but only supported a single button.

Didn't they only work with games specifically designed to use them? Those 9-pin sticks were strictly digital, as opposed to the standard analog 15-pin sticks – or so I understood.

That was the beauty, they worked with all games. That's why you had to buy this ISA card.

Obviously you wouldn't play Wing Commander or Falcon (you can of course), but games such as Battle Isle, Golden Axe or Turrican 2.

Make sure it's not a serial. I tried a Phantom System joystick on that but it responded in mysterious ways.

a turn on joystick port but in the back ofpci see mouse port, serial port,it has 9 pin,i connect my atari joybut don't work!

No joystick will work on the serial port.

filipetolhuizen wrote:

No joystick will work on the serial port.

This. And you shouldn't just go plugging things into ports if you don't know they are compatible. You could end up shorting a power pin to a pin that you don't want it shorted to and burn something up on the motherboard.

filipetolhuizen wrote:

No joystick will work on the serial port.

Not exactly; I have seen one joypad explicitly designed for a PC serial port. But that was of course a completely different piece of hardware than an old Atari joystick.

If I'm not mistaken, while a PC serial port and an Atari joystick are both nine pins, the shapes are sufficiently different that you won't be able to plug one into the other.

sliderider wrote:

This. And you shouldn't just go plugging things into ports if you don't know they are compatible. You could end up shorting a power pin to a pin that you don't want it shorted to and burn something up on the motherboard.

Good thought. I was lucky the Phantom System pad didn't burn my 386 at the time.

If I'm not mistaken, while a PC serial port and an Atari joystick are both nine pins, the shapes are sufficiently different that you won't be able to plug one into the other.

I remember that at the time. The Atari joystick had sharp edges while the serial was rounded, so it won't fit right in, but the Phantom System pad fits like a glove.

filipetolhuizen wrote:

No joystick will work on the serial port.

Well... There's the Logitech Wingman Warrior...

You choose between hat-stick or throttle when using it on the gameport, or both plus the spinny knobby thing when using the serial port.

Jorpho wrote:

If I'm not mistaken, while a PC serial port and an Atari joystick are both nine pins, the shapes are sufficiently different that you won't be able to plug one into the other.

filipetolhuizen wrote:

I remember that at the time. The Atari joystick had sharp edges while the serial was rounded, so it won't fit right in, but the Phantom System pad fits like a glove.

Sorry to say, but you're both wrong. While it's true that a typical molded Atari joystick plug is a little more angular than the standard DB9 socket, they plug in just fine. If they didn't, you wouldn't be able to use off-the-shelf parts to build adapters and such.

Jorpho wrote:

If I'm not mistaken, while a PC serial port and an Atari joystick are both nine pins, the shapes are sufficiently different that you won't be able to plug one into the other.

Incorrect. I have several atari 2600 and sega genesis systems here and they both use a standard DB9 pin configuration... While the port shields are not the same size, you can easily physically plug both an atari and a genesis controller into a serial port on a PC, however that....could fry hardware... no way I wanna do that with my treasured stuff, the old or the new! The shields not being the same size means it's rather difficult to plug a serial connector into the atari or genesis system, I guess back when they designed them that was the only thing they were worried about? *shrug*

At least my 2600 joystick didn't fit right on the serial port (maybe if I force harder), only the Phantom System one did.

So if I only have a db9 serial com port free, there is no way of connecting a joystick/pad ? (PC XT)

That would be what these four-year-old posts are saying.