Please help me with getting a force feedback joystick for Windows 7 x64

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kohan69

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Hello,

I'm trying to get a joystick (working or buy one) for windows 7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_SideWinder


It seems that gameport/midi is not supported by Wubndows 7 - is there a hack around that? Do any gameport -> USB adapters work?

Here's my list so far:
  • Microsoft SideWinder Precision 2 - works excellently, tested and played, gifted to friend on birthday
  • Microsoft SideWinder Joystick - win7 x64 support unknown?
  • Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Pro - according to wikipedia, there are schematics for a usb adapter, but i did not find them nor know if they will work in win7
    (same applies to 3D Pro and precision pro)
  • Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2 - USB, but will it work?

Thanks for any help!
 
Gameport support in general was dropped back when Vista was released. I tried doing a google search for you on the schematics for a usb adapter, but the closest result I got was from a web page with instructions that relied heavily on pictures-- which were all broken >.<.

However, I CAN confirm that the Sidewinder FF2 USB works without fail in Vista AND 7 (both 64bit systems, btw). If I were you, I wouldn't waste time rigging some kind of haphazardly built gameport<->USB converter for any of the older joysticks. Go for the FF2. Best joystick I've ever used.
 
GushpinBob said:
However, I CAN confirm that the Sidewinder FF2 USB works without fail in Vista AND 7 (both 64bit systems, btw). If I were you, I wouldn't waste time rigging some kind of haphazardly built gameport<->USB converter for any of the older joysticks. Go for the FF2. Best joystick I've ever used.
Click to expand...

and by worked, including The actual FORCE feedback was supported as well, correct?
 
kohan69 said:
and by worked, including The actual FORCE feedback was supported as well, correct?
Click to expand...

Yes :). Don't forget to plug in the USB cable AND the AC adapter. I almost returned mine before I figured that one out.

Edit: Just to note, while the joystick works fine in Vista and 7, the software that comes with it won't. That stuff was only meant for 95/98.

Edit 2: Just tested it out. Works with games that support FF from Need for Speed: High Stakes to FSX.
 
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What's the difference between the Older Grey Trigger version:
2q6U1.jpg


and the newer Red Trigger one:
gJRGy.jpg
 
kohan69 said:
What's the difference between the Older Grey Trigger version:
http://imgur.com/2q6U1.jpg[IMG]

and the newer Red Trigger one:
[IMG]http://imgur.com/gJRGy.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]
Nothing else besides the color of the trigger and buttons. I have the older version btw.
[quote="kohan69, post: 1035653344"]This one?
[url]http://web.archive.org/web/20060822220409/http://grendel.koolbear.com/3dpro.htm[/url]

I found some activity here:
[url]http://www.descentbb.net/viewforum.php?f=8[/url][/QUOTE]
Yeah that was the link.
I searched the second link you posted and found a tutorial on building a gamport-->usb adapter. You can build one if you want, but you'll be disappointed as the 1st post from [URL="http://descentbb.net/viewtopic.php?t=15526"]this thread[/URL] states:
[QUOTE=Grendel]Just to clear this -- the converter in the current state [B][COLOR="Yellow"]does not support force feedback effects[/COLOR][/B] for the FFP and probably never will. Here's why:

Most gameports back in the day were located on a sound card sharing some pins with the cards MIDI interface. M$ added pin 12 to the FFP (MIDI TxD) and uses MIDI channel 6 to issue FF commands. It's too much work trying to reverse engineer the commands, add a MIDI interface to the 3DP-Vert and modify its USB code to have a fully featured FF device. [/Quote]

Which whittles your options down to two for the sake of a force feedback sidewinder: Either buy a USB FF Pro or downgrade/dual boot to Windows XP.
Click to expand...
 
kohan69 said:
Are you sure? I can't find any evidence of this.


FF Pro? Dont you mean FF 2 (Sidewinder Force Feedback 2) ?
Click to expand...
Yes. I did find out through an ebay posting via google search that the red trigger versions have some kind of rubberized grip on the back of the stick, which isn't available on the older revision. Oh, and there were quite a few mentions on some other sites about it being rarer than the older revision.

And yes, I mistyped. FF 2.
 
GushpinBob said:
Yes. I did find out through an ebay posting via google search that the red trigger versions have some kind of rubberized grip on the back of the stick, which isn't available on the older revision. Oh, and there were quite a few mentions on some other sites about it being rarer than the older revision.

And yes, I mistyped. FF 2.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks for all the info man, I'll keep a lookout for a Force 2 then!

I can dual-boot since I have XP installed, but I'd rather have the best joystick out there, if I can find it under $50 :D
 
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