In my entire gaming career I have never had an external gaming device as great as the Sidewinder Pro Force Feedback Joystick , made by Sidewinder, and Microsoft. Check out my review below! I’ve always been a little leery of anything with the “feedback effect”, which has been nothing more than a pack that shakes your controller. It’s been my previous thought that it detracted from game play with the unrealistic effects. And up until this point, I have been right.

But I decided to take a chance on this joystick and I’m really glad that I did!
There are four buttons on the joystick handle, with a control for the “hat”. (The hat allows you to look out of the cockpit of your airplane, mech, etc… without making the vehicle move.) The Sidewinder has a throttle control, and four buttons on the base of the device, which can be programmed for virtually any use. When I first took it out of the box, I thought, “What the hell am I going to do with all these buttons??” I now find myself though wishing for ten more buttons!

Aside from the “force feedback”, which I’ll talk about in a little bit, this joystick is awesome to handle. The grip is comfortable, and the buttons are all in easy reach. I barely have to move at all to get to them. The movement of the stick is smooth with little to no resistance.

On the downside, the base of the joystick is huge! This is due the mechanics of the “force feedback”. There are two cords from the joystick, one to your computer, and the joysticks own power cord. These make it awkward for someone who has very little desk space, like myself, to find a proper place for the joystick.

Now, about the “force feedback”… With past devices that had the “force feedback” tag applied to them, it was little more than a “rumble pack” attached to the device that made it shake wildly. The Sidewinder Pro however doesn’t merely have a rumble pack. It reacts in every way that your simulation or playing character would react. I play Mechwarrior 4 so I will use that as an example. When you are piloting your “mech”, and a large weapon hits you, the joystick actually jerks your whole hand back! If you get hit from behind your joystick jerks forward! When the mech walks the handle bounces from side to side. It is an intense and very realistic feeling, and adds to the game play 100%. I have played a few airplane simulations as well, and have had similarly satisfying experiences.

I strongly suggest spending hard money for this joystick. It will vastly improve your game experience and is well worth the expensive price tag.