[Ghost]

I went to Best Buy with the intention of grabbing a new joystick, as both of our computers hate the one we have. They had two that were too expensive and too big. I'm looking for just regular USB joystick, with nothing fancy attached, under 50 dollars. Ambidextrous is fine, but right-handed is preferred. Also, it would be nice if the base wasn't big.

Don't go to Best Buy or CC with the intention of buying a joystick. They won't have a good one. Can anyone recommend me one to order online?

[BlackDove]

eBay

Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Pro

.....my choice anyway.

My Precision 2 has served me... 4 years now. No driver problems since it's Microsoft too, so every time I'd format, it wasn't a pain to get it recognised.

[Mefustae]

My Logitech Freedom 2.4 Cordless Joystick isn't bad, if you're looking for a good cordless joysticks anyway. It has given me some woes, and other times just plain pissed me off. Logitech software can be infuriatingly obtuse sometimes, and the 'Profiler' software that comes with it is oftentimes more a hinderance than assitance. Regardless, it's a good joystick, and i'd recommend it... but only if you can pick one up cheap. I have seen it on sale at around $70(AUS), but i'm sure you could find it cheaper wherever you live...

[Cobra]

Logitech 3D Extreme Pro.

[Sandwich]

eBay

Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Pro

.....my choice anyway.

My Precision 2 has served me... 4 years now. No driver problems since it's Microsoft too, so every time I'd format, it wasn't a pain to get it recognised.

Speaking of which... my ancient Precision Pro (original, not 2) had a "shift" button that, when held down, would switch the functions on all the buttons. So for FS, I had primary trigger as fire, and Shift-primary as "switch primary weapon". Do any current joysticks have a similar feature?

[RangerKarl]

I know that the Saitek X-series has a pinkie shift button as well, but those are HOTAS sets. Don't know of any standard one-piece joysticks with toggle. Anyway, I'll vote for the Cyborg Evo, since it glows in the dark.

[Fury]

It's a shame that MS stopped producing gaming peripherals since their Precision Pro and Precision 2 were great "normal" joysticks. My Precision Pro has served me well. I've heard Saiteks are usually of good quality, don't have any first-hand experience tho.

[Wanderer]

Saiteks are good quality sticks but pretty expensive ones too. I have been very happy with my X45 and what i have heard about its successors (52?) they are as good as mine or even better. But out of the budget outlined with HOTAS stuff..

[Unknown Target]

Saitek ST290 Pro is a great, low cost stick, with all the bells and whistles. It's got 6 buttons, a twist, a hat switch, a throttle, and a little glowy thingy, and Im 99.9% sure it's under 50 bucks

[BlackDove]

eBay

Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Pro

.....my choice anyway.

My Precision 2 has served me... 4 years now. No driver problems since it's Microsoft too, so every time I'd format, it wasn't a pain to get it recognised.

Speaking of which... my ancient Precision Pro (original, not 2) had a "shift" button that, when held down, would switch the functions on all the buttons. So for FS, I had primary trigger as fire, and Shift-primary as "switch primary weapon". Do any current joysticks have a similar feature?

Not that I know of.

I heard Pro was always the superior between precision 2 and it, but my pre2 didn't fail me once. If it ever dies (which I expect it to, it served me for a gargantuan amount of time), I'll get Pro. They're nearly identical, it's just that Pro has one more feature on it.

[aldo_14]

I have a Saitek Cyborg 3D (according to the lettering), and I would not recommend it.  Whilst it's got the bells and whistles (force feedback, throttle, hat, etc), it's made of cheap tacky plastic, has a very unresponsive trigger with no 'give', a very fat base (i.e. making it uncomfortable to use unless you sit high on your chair, which is a pain with lower down monitors i.e. mine)), badly positioned throttle and base buttonbs (i.e. it's effectively 2 handed) and the actual stick just feels 'wrong' (nowhere near enough resistance, too springy, too light, not ergonomic).  I had an old Wingman Extreme joystick (I only stopped using it as it was the old style connector, which my PC no longer has), and that kicked arse.

[BlackDove]

HeadHunta used Saitek Cyborg IIRC. It served him pretty well when it came to basics, but I seem to remember him complaining when he'd have to pull some advanced moves. Definatly not for above average users.

[Flaser]

aldo you must be using a different joystick than the Saitek Cyborg!

Reason is I use the very same joystick and it's superb.
Actually the very quality of the joystick - two handed - makes it a good seller as it can equally suit right and left handed people.

To be precise the joy has a nimbus key included that lets you customise it to your liking, setting the armrest height and the tilt of the hat/trigger platform so it snakes smoothly into your hand.

It's made of plastic, but so is everything else, and it hasn't failed me yet. It has a hat, 3 thumb tirrgers and a conventional trigger - that although doesn't have too much of a deadplay has a distinct pull treshold, no complaints so far.

Had it for 6+ years.

PS.: almost forgot - the Cyborg doesn't have force feedback.

[aldo_14]

aldo you must be using a different joystick than the Saitek Cyborg!

Reason is I use the very same joystick and it's superb.
Actually the very quality of the joystick - two handed - makes it a good seller as it can equally suit right and left handed people.

To be precise the joy has a nimbus key included that lets you customise it to your liking, setting the armrest height and the tilt of the hat/trigger platform so it snakes smoothly into your hand.

It's made of plastic, but so is everything else, and it hasn't failed me yet. It has a hat, 3 thumb tirrgers and a conventional trigger - that although doesn't have too much of a deadplay has a distinct pull treshold, no complaints so far.

Had it for 6+ years.

PS.: almost forgot - the Cyborg doesn't have force feedback.

Cyborg 3D, it says so on the actual stick, and yours is likely an older model than mine (which is about 2-3 years old, I believe) so there will be build differences.

It is this piece of tat I refer to;


I think they update the line every year with a different design, but still with the same name.

EDIT; plus - despite being a lefty - I don't like dual-hand sticks.  The previous one I had was right handed, and sort of sculpted such that you'd have a far more comfortable grip; and an easily accessible button in the top of the 'groove'.  I think this (below) is more than a few years newer than mine (which had no throttle and was analogue), but it shows what I mean;

[WeatherOp]

I can recommend the Thrustmaster Top Gun Fox Two Pro. Long name but very good joystick, I haven't had a single problem with it in the two years I've had it.

[BlackDove]

Eww.

While on the subject of dual-hand joysticks - it's important to remember that the dual-hand ones are for lefties, and everything else that isn't dual, is for the righties.

If you're a rightie, you're impairing yourself by using the bi-sexual joystic.

Yes, you heard me.

[yubyub]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009OY9U/qid=1105918547/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_10/002-9450491-3020847?s=electronics&v=glance&n=172282

I've had it for about a year, and its very high quality.  Plus, its under 30 bucks!

[Shade]

*Still uses an ancient Flightstick Pro* The fact that it's survived since I first plugged it into my 50mhz 486dx2 to play X-Wing is amazing, but truth be told it needs replacing soon... the little calibration dials have gone so soft by now that the slightest touch will throw you into a constant turn, and by now it can deflect something like 10 degrees off center in any direction before registering any input. So nice to see some opinions before I settle on what to get

One of my personal requirements for a joystick aside from all the usual buttons, hats etc. is that it has to be of rock solid construction, as I tend to be rather, erm... forceful... in my control movements when I really get into a game. That's what made me love the flightstick, you could hammer in nails with it and it just didn't care. Same thing that made me love the Arcade joysticks for the Amiga, despite them only having 1 button and nothing fancy at all. They just never gave up no matter what you did to them. And it has to feel solid too, not just be it - Nothing bothers me more than a stick that feels like it *might* break if you get really unlucky.

[pyro-manic]

Saitek Cyborg Evo. Does the job very nicely.