According to my previous investigations these convertor devices would work with simple devices such as gamepads but not with complex devices such as wheels. I wouldn't get too excited about the joystick working either but hey for $5 I think it's worth trying.

I've got a Sidewinder Pro Joystick (no FFB) which came with a Microsoft badged gameport->USB convertor. I tried it on a MS FFB gameport wheel and it did not work at all (wheel wasn't recognised by the OS - Win2K).

That's what I figured. I'll skip it. I can still use it via the gameport on my Win98 box. But, I'll just continue to use my USB logitech joystick on my XP box. Typical Microsoft to just abaondon a product like that.

I don't know why Microsoft's [excellent] hardware couldn't have been adapated so it ran on PC and XBox. Maybe they thought it was too expensive for the target consumer so instead they ditched the entire product line 🙁

I own 3 MS ForceFeedback Wheels (now all USB after finding that my Gameport wheel version didn't give FF on XP - note that the quality as the well as the price dropped when they released the USB version...) and a FF2 Joystick. I'm expecting them to be consigned to the skip when Longhorn finally hits the disks next year [or so] which will be a sad day!

Check this one:

http://www.usb-port.com/rm203.html

DESCRIPTION: The SCI RM-203 is a USB to Gameport Converter. It enables the use of older analog joysticks and game controllers wi […]
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DESCRIPTION:
The SCI RM-203 is a USB to Gameport Converter. It enables the use of older analog joysticks and game controllers with newer computers having only USB ports. It plugs into the USB connector on your computer, or a USB Hub. The unit has a 15-pin connector, the same as the gameport connector on older PCs. The converter is powered from the USB port.
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS:
The RM-203 has a 4-mode switch. Mode 1 is used with a type TM-FCS controller. Mode 2 is used with a CH FLIGHTSTICK PRO controller. Mode 3 is used with a 2-4 AXIS 4-BUTTON controller. Mode 4 is used with a 2 AXIS 8-BUTTON controller.

Or this one:

http://www.pearl.de/p/PE8985-USB-Adapter-USB- … port-aktiv.html

or this:

http://www.computerplug.com/show_product.php? … _id=A-USB-51585

Right, that will work fine for old Thrustmaster analog joysticks. But the Sidewinder uses a digital protocol that is different from any other analog joystick. Someone would need to make the converter know that protocol and convert it to the usb hid standard. Since only microsoft knows the details of the prootcol, it would need some reverse engineering.

The sidewinder gamepad had an analog mode for DOS games, but the sidewinder force feedback did not. Even if it did work in analog mode, I would loose force feedback support. That is mainly what I was trying to preserve.

There is finally a solution. Supports 3D Pro, 3D Pro Plus, Precision Pro, and Force Feedback Pro. WinXP through Win8 in both 32 and 64 bit. Does NOT support Force Feedback Wheel, though there is a discussion going on.

http://www.descentbb.net/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=19061

Nice ! I'll wait until FFW support is added (if it happens)... No hope of having support for standard Sidewinder Gamepad?

Awesome. Way to bring this old thread back from the dead! I am still interested in this 9 years later. Wow time flies sometimes.

If they ever build something that could be purchased on a website, then I'll be even more excited!

Looking through that thread, I knew it would be a complex undertaking.

laxdragon wrote:

Awesome. Way to bring this old thread back from the dead! I am still interested in this 9 years later. Wow time flies sometimes.

If they ever build something that could be purchased on a website, then I'll be even more excited!

Looking through that thread, I knew it would be a complex undertaking.

If you look on the webpage scanjo offers to build and send these boards.