Most DOS games expect an analogue joystick, so a game (or joystick driver) needs to support digital joystick for it to work. As far as I know, very few games actually do this.

edit: Also, some joysticks have analogue emulation to make them work in DOS.

I have Saitek 2000 joystick on SB16 Vibra CT2502 gameport and i unable to make it working in DOS, in WIndows 98 and XP in its wizzard its working fine, in WIndows 2000 with Microsoft SB16 drivers, gameport is detected, but device not, even when i add it manually. There some Creative Unsported device with driver, i dunno what it is, but gameport driver is fine..

I have tried a few games : Golden Axe, Doom, Blood, Dungeon master and Dos joystick utils ( Re: Good DOS joystick test program? ) from Thursmaster and never even button press is detected. I cant find manual for this joystick model, only for USB one.

What exactly is digital and analog joystick? What are these 2 ports where are Dos joysticks expected, i doubt that it means 2 gameport joysticks.. Its serial port joysticks or what?

In simplist terms Analog is potentiometers for a variable voltage on each axis, digital is PWM with variable On time (centered is typical a 50% duty square wave) on each axis. Digital requires a digital capable game
port driver to properly interpret the PWM duty into a position that a game engine or other software can interpret. That is what I learned decades ago in college so may be inaccurate due to how long ago it was and my poor memory.
added: They used similar PWM to control servo's on early radio control devices like planes, etc. (now they mostly use Pulse Position Modulation (PPM)....
Am sure mkarcher can explain it better....

Thx, i have found this video, i had no idea that something like Dos incompatible gameport joystick even exists, i had no money to buy them back in the era..
I found nice video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcSK_PZTVP0&a … nel=VintageTech , i only would like find programs which is used for diagnostics in video, i also learned that was possible to use 2 gameport joysticks, i only wonder how with some Y cable or with 2 soundcards?

So there are some Dos digital joysticks compatible games?

ruthan wrote on 2025-01-21, 02:25:

Thx, i have found this video, i had no idea that something like Dos incompatible gameport joystick even exists, i had no money to buy them back in the era..
I found nice video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcSK_PZTVP0&a … nel=VintageTech , i only would like find programs which is used for diagnostics in video, i also learned that was possible to use 2 gameport joysticks, i only wonder how with some Y cable or with 2 soundcards?

So there are some Dos digital joysticks compatible games?

Not out of the box... I believe someone built a DOS driver for one of the Microsoft Sidewinder gamepad. There is also the Gravis Gamepad Pro that has a switch for Analog and Digital (that they call GriP).

I found that thrust.com utility in thread above in testing utilities, its from Bret Johnson too.. but it does not produce even digital numbers.

Yeah there is dos Driver for Sidewinder, but i sold mine a while ago as there was Xbox 360 controller for Win98 and i see any gamepad without 2 analogs as abominations.. People always wondered by Dreamcast or Nintendo 64 were not successful,
that awful controllers where IMHO enough to kill them, without any other issues like Nintendo 64 small cartridge the worst ports ever.
That driver for SIdewinder is named - SDWRGMPD and its on Bret Johnson site - https://www.bretjohnson.us/ , i found it already in comments of youtube video above.

BTW there is also some keyboard to joystick mapper, that kind of the same thing like im already doing with Dosbox emulator on android or Dosbox Windows to make games playable on the way with handhelds. Back in time there was rare PS/2 controller which did the same: Powerramp Mite Gamepad Controller

I also some TIe fighter CD version patch to make it working with Sidewinder 3D.

I guess is classic its not never simple with Dos and Win9x combo, i tried to get the best joystick possible and its probably too new 🙁

About WIndows 2000, im using SS7 GA-5AX-4.1 ALI chipset (by the way i learned few time ago that ALI actually means Acer Labs international ) board, i wonder if there are better / alternative creative SB16 drivers than they from Microsoft.. BTW its really bad situation with SS7 chipset, i means its decision between Acer and VIA, its deadly combo.. where is SIS 540 which was always a bit too wild fom my taste too.

There is unsupported device, which SIL - identify like Creative something, but there is already Creative Gameport device (no resources used), so its strange, chipset drivers are already installed..

CTL*.. at the start of the device name means that is some Creative PnP device..