holdencars11 wrote on 2022-05-01, 11:56:
Cuttoon wrote on 2022-05-01, 11:30:
Sorry mate, but 2 bucks for a conventional joystick is not a bargain, it's basically double the usual price. 🙁 Even if every modern PC came with an IBM game port, no one would be using these any more. Have a look at how their sampling works: They're not even the equivalent of ball mice - ball mice usually have optical sensors.
If ball mice are the bronze age of input devices, conventional joysticks are positively neolithic. So, no matter the skill and sophistication, there's only so much you can do with stone instead of steel.
That being said, I'm the proud owner of a Logitech Wingman since 27 years, as well as a Wingman pro, a Sidewinder and since yesterday, a Thrustmaster Top Gun Fox 2 that stalled on ebay twice over 20 days and was likely headed for the garbage. 😁
You can get Joysticks for $1?? Here they are going between $15 -20 and similar prices in the pawn shops. A similar '3d pro' gameport one sold for $37 on ebay only a few days ago.
IDK I use my Logitech Wingman Formula gameport wheel all the time without problems, and same with an IBM gameport gamepad.
...if not two or more for that amount. They've pretty much gone the way of the CRT TV, at least on ebay. If you keep something in a shop, you'll have to charge at least two digits just for the space and organization.
I assume the wheel works differently and anyway, wheels were rather expensive and might be some better quality on average. Gamepads with "digital" keys only are also trivial.
But, the example of the Logitech Wingman: My brother and I really loved that thing and it's an awesome design and cost us DM 40 back then which felt like a fortune for a toy.
(I had actually broken the generic joystick we had until then right off at the base, playing Tie-Fighter.)
Alas, that thing basically doesn't have a definitive, stable "neutral" position. The slightest vibration would throw it off.
Which makes sense since "middle of the axis" is just a random half-way spot on a cheap 150 Ohm potentiometer.
But that could be a real pain in Tie-Fighter - when aiming missiles, you had to stay on target for some seconds and the crosshairs wandering slightly off all the time was a major nuisance.
Can't compare many modern joysticks but some must have gotten that right.
Of course, you'd have to recalibrate that thing every time you load that game.
So, the few people who still have joysticks today, no matter how cheap game port adapters might be, they'd go with USB models.
Also, many consider used input devices some kind of icky.
Simplified economics dictate: The moment you've 10 items for 9 buyers, the 10th is worthless. Any you'd still have to pay five bucks for shipping...
OK, that was put in a stupid category, but I'd definitely have taken that offer, despite owning both the sidewinder and the wingman already:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Konvolut-4-Joysticks- … K-/334365264515
Sure, fancy things like the full Thrustmaster HOTAS set still sell for more, but basic brand models, bottom of the barrel.