Using a MS Sidewinder Gamepad

[cagarini]

Well,

I had this old MS Sidewinder Gamepad I had bought, long ago, for my daughter as a controller for the SIMS series...

She actually never used it, and preferred the keyboard, so, although I tried using it with a few simulators, I really didn't like the feel, and didn't only trash it because, it was written in the stars... it would be rather usefull, 8 yrs latter, for PSX!!!

Believe it or not, between using the keyboard, the mouse or this MS Sidewinder Gamepad, by far the best results are with the later, including hand-flying some tricky approaches with x-wind.

The X / Y axis were programmed for the obvious roll-tiller / pitch inputs, the two front buttons on each side of the gamepad are my rudder trims ( left / right ), and the remaining 4 buttons in cross layout are used, two for pitch trim, and the remaining two for throttles all +/-

After landing I use the keyboard presses for the rudder, and the Backspace to alternate between reverse modes :-)

Small taps on the X / Y digital buttons of the Gamepad, which rapidly command a full deflection of the yoke if you keep the pressed, are the trick, and the trim feel is rather good and important, and contrarily to my sophisticated home setup, I end up using pitch trim a lot more effectively than I do with the Saitek X55 :-)

When going to Germany in late November this year, my laptop and Sidewinder Gamepad will be my companions, because a whole week ago from my PSX home setup would be rather painful ;-)

[Christian Adrigan]

Jose,

thank you. Using a Microsoft Sidewinder Precision II (from the last decade) for PSX (luckily enough, I got a brand-new boxed lately) when place/time allows it, and it performs better (more precisely) than all the new Logitech/Saitek/Thrustmaster stuff.

They built some gems back then.

Cheers,
Chris