Gaming: Buyer's Guide to Computer Joysticks

Computer joysticks are preferred over mouse or keyboard controls for some types of games, and other non-game applications sometimes permit joystick control as well. However, a joystick must be selected which is compatible with your computer, easy to use, and effective.

First, determine which type of port(s) your computer has available for joysticks. If it has a long, thin 15-pin port (often blue-colored) on the back, this is a "game port", which many joysticks, especially units made during the mid/late 1990s, are designed to fit. USB ports, which are small and rectangular (sometimes marked with a USB logo), can be used to connect many newer joysticks. The large, round seven-pin joystick ports on most Tandy computers require joysticks which were specifically made for these computers; your best chance for finding these is on eBay.com auction listings. Other computers manufactured in the early '90s and '80s often had brand or model-specific joystick ports as well. If your computer has none of these ports, you may need to add a game port card or USB card to the computer before a joystick can be used.

If possible, try using the joystick before purchasing it. If too much effort is required to move it in different directions, it may cause wrist strain and/or be unable to provide fast enough reaction when playing games. Make sure the cord is long enough to reach your computer's joystick port. Joysticks are available in a wide variety of sizes, including units small enough to hold in one hand, as well as large table-top units. If you own a laptop computer, a small joystick has the advantage of being easily portable. Extra features offered by some joystick models include cordless/wireless operation, auto-fire (when this feature is in use, holding down the fire button is the same as pressing it repeatedly), and programmable buttons. Joystick brands include Logitech, Microsoft, Gravis, and others. Many older joysticks from brands like Atari, Suncom, and Commodore can still be found on eBay, occasionally still in their original boxes.

Joysticks can be purchased at stores such as Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, and Target, as well as some shopping websites. USB models which are specifically designed for flight simulator games and/or have programmable buttons are usually the most expensive, while older generic game-port joysticks are often least expensive. Non-standard joysticks from the 1980s and early '90s tend to be somewhat more expensive than generic models. Computer gamepads (similar to those used with some video game systems) are a more compact and slightly less expensive alternative.