(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best pc game controllers

Here's my list. I just bought my Vive a few days ago, so some suggestions aren't things I have but haven't yet tried.

Games I've played and recommend:

• Project Cars: $10.19 through the Humble Bundle store, and the cheapest it's ever gone was $9.89, so it's at a pretty good deal right now. Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a Logitech Driving Force GT, which can be found for roughly $50-$100 on Craig's List. The experience with a wheel is insane!
  
• Distance: $9.99 on the Humble Bundle store, so 50% off. Amazing gameplay, crazy physics, evolving landscapes and flexible gameplay, supports multiplayer. It's early access but is from a proven developer and it's already very far along. Plays with a standard controller.
  
• Elite Dangerous: If you're into space sims, this is the one to get. With a Vive, it's nothing short of amazing. Again, get yourself a HOTAS. I'd recommend the Saitek X52 Pro because Elite Dangerous modeled the controls visible in the cockpit after them, but the standard X-52 is also fine and can be found on Craig's List for $50-$100. Both have pre-defined profiles within ED and don't require much (if any) settings modification. Some recommend the Thrustmaster Warthog but it's $400 dollars and doesn't support 3rd-axis twist. Go with the Saitek.
  
• Bazaar: $1.99, so 60% off on the Humble Bundle store right now. Odd, mysterious, low-poly style.
  
• Manastorm: Champions of G'nar: $4.99 on the Humble Bundle store. It's basically Magic: The Gathering or Hearthstone in VR, where your spells summon creatures on the battlefield shooting spells require you to actually aim to be effective. Early access, so no deckbuilding or multiplayer yet, but a fun tech demo. I really hope they finish it as it's very well done.
  
• Soundboxing: $7.99, though it's been as cheap as $4.79. DDR meets Guitar Hero in 3D with YouTube videos and dancing robots. It's just as glorious as it sounds, and can be a great workout.
  
• Castle Must Be Mine: $6.99. Tower Defense like Kingdom Rush, but you're leaning over/through the table/battlefield. I really like this implementation of tower defense and I'm looking forward to more games like this.
  
• Kindled Cavern: $4.49, 10% off. Low-poly cave exploration from a fellow Redditor.
  
• Poly Runner VR: Free, endless runner (flier) in a low-poly art style. Gameplay is so-so, but it's kind of pretty.
  
• InMind and InCell: Both free. First designed for Google Cardboard, and great examples of what could be done with the platform. Gameplay is mostly linear and interaction is done by staring directly at things. Very good production quality. InMind shrinks you down to the size of a molecule and sends you to zap neurons that are making a patient depressed. InCell is zapping a virus from inside a cell. InMind works quite well. InCell may have bugs but it might be my system.
  
• LightBlade VR: $3.99 lightsaber game. Kinda lame, but also kinda fun. May or may not be worth $4.
  
• Skeet: VR Target Shooting: Free. Basic target shooting. Kinda lame but kinda fun, and it's free. One reviewer said it was a good way to introduce non-gamers/techies to VR.
  
• The Lab: Free. Sort of a comprehensive tech demo in the Portal universe.
  
• Accounting: Free. Note: this game has nothing to do with accounting and is absolutely not work safe. This is some weird shit, yo.
  
  Games I've bought/downloaded but haven't yet played:
  
  
• Gnomes & Goblins: Free. Another interactive tech demo, but looks amazing.
  
• The Night Cafe: Free. Another interactive experience, based on the works of Vincent Van Gogh.
  
• PolyDome: Free. A musically-themed tech demo.
  
• The Price of Freedom: Free. A story about the CIA's MK Ultra. As such, it's probably very creepy.
  
• Quanero VR: Free. An interactive experience that reminds me a bit of Infamous.
  
• Senza Peso: Free. A visually-stunning presentation.
  
• VRchaeology: Free. Archaeology in VR. Looks excellent, but I haven't been able to try it yet because my house's VR area isn't large enough. I'll try it out at my office sometime soon.
  
• VR Sailing: Free. Visually, it appears more visually impressive than VR Regatta, but I think VR Regatta might have the edge on gameplay. VR Sailing is free whereas VR Regatta is $5.99.
  
• Lazerbait: Free. Like a VR version of Auralux, (a game by another fellow Redditor), but is actually based on an older game called Galcon. I haven't played it yet but it looks good.
  
• Nevermind: $4.99 on the Humble Bundle store, so 75% off. A psychological horror game that claims to increase your stress while playing by using your webcam. Dunno how realistic that claim is, but it's a cool idea. I've heard good things about it before.
  
• Yon Paradox: $0.89 - hard to go wrong at that price. The Steam review says the VR is problematic, but I mostly bought it because of cheap prices and pretty colors. If it sucks, it was under a dollar.
  
• VRNinja: $6.99 on the Humble Bundle store, so 30% off. Duck, squat, and move out of the way of projectiles thrown by hidden Ninjas in beautiful scenes. Currently at the cheapest price it's been, but it's only 30% off the normal price of $9.99 so not a big deal if you miss it.
  
• Legend of Dungeon: $3.29, so 67% off. It's been as cheap as $1.99 before. Cute, retro/8-bit theme, but that's extruded in 3D and has AMAZING lighting. Cheap, beautiful, and pretty fun/neat looking gameplay.
  
• Catlateral Damage: $4.99 on the Humble Bundle store, so 50% off. You're a cat knocking stuff off shelves in first-person because your owner isn't paying enough attention to you. Yes, really. Stupid, silly, but looks fun.
  
• Child of Ault: $9.99. Described as a tower defense/shooter hybrid. Very polished. I haven't played it yet, but it looks very good.
  
• Holoball: $7.49, so 50% off. Pure, glorious, 80s 3D pong. Looked fun.
  
• I Hate Santa: $2.69, so 10% off. Cheap, so hard to go wrong. Hit waves of Christmas-themed enemies with snowballs. Looked stupid, silly, and fun. Haven't tried it yet.
  
• Portal Stories: VR: Free, 8 tests in the Portal 2 engine in VR, so requires Portal 2. Haven't played, looked nice.
  
• Rec Room: Free. Online multiplayer arcade-style games like Mini golf, air hockey, paintball, Cards Against Humanity, etc. Has a very Nintendo Wii feel to it. Haven't tried it yet but it looked nice.
  
• Acan's Call: Free. Dungeon hack 'n slash. Looks fun.
  
• Gorn: Free. Utterly ridiculous arena gladiator fighting. Be extra cautious with walls and nearby people in the real world: people have broken their controllers playing this game.
  
• DCS World: "Free", but you have to buy the vehicles, which range from $10-$60 each. I'm told this is the end-all, be-all of military simulation, but I can't vouch for that yet.
  
• DreamLand: Free. Looks visually incredible, but some people have reported functionality issues.
  
• Goalkeep VR: $3.99. Haven't tried it yet but I bought it because one reviewer said "Simple. Fun. I'm a retired hockey goalie. When on "Bullet" mode it felt like I was playing again."
  
• Spell Fighter VR: Free. Dungeon hack n' slash with spells. Looks interesting.
  
• Surge: Free. Supposedly an amazing music video. Haven't tied it yet.
  
• Trials on Tattooine: Free. Basically a mini Star Wars shooter/lightsaber experience. Might be a better (and cheaper) alternative to Lightblade VR, but I haven't tried it yet so I don't know.
  
• VR Multigames: Free. A small collection of minigames: archery, lightsaber and blaster, goalkeeper, etc. Looked fun, haven't tried it yet.
  
• Waltz of the Wizard: A tech demo that's visuall impressive.
  
  I've run out of room and have a bit more, so will continue this in a second comment.
  
  Edit: fixed some bad links. Sorry!

What system you play on is beside the point. Let's see what we can plan out for you.

I'm basing this off of your other comment's projected budget, $500 - $1000.

__

First and foremost, your wheel and pedals. Whether you start with your cockpit/wheelstand or wheel is mostly up to preference, but I'd start with a wheel first, since a wheel clamped to a desk with pedals on a floor is the minimum of simracing, whilst a rig with no wheel is just a glorified gaming seat. Plus, what you get first sets the budget of what comes after it, and I wouldn't prioritize an expensive rig over a good wheel.

Anyway, where you go from here pretty much depends on how much you're looking to spend. If your budget is $500 - $1000 and you're looking to get a whole setup going, I'd keep the wheel+pedal spending to $500 or less. This will leave you with a decent amount of wiggle room for rigs and accessories. All of the suggested wheels are compatible with Xbox One.

_____

Wheels and Pedals

• Thrustmaster TMX
  
  A budget wheel if there ever was one. It's by no means a bad wheel, for $200. It has reasonably strong FFB and similar build to its more expensive counterpart, the TX. Though with a brushed motor and belt-gear hybrid system, it's not as strong nor as smooth as the TX. As someone who's tried its PlayStation counterpart (the T150, basically the same base with a slightly different rim), I'd say it's 75% the quality for 50% the price. If you're on a strict budget and know you'll be on one for a while, it's a pretty good deal.
  
  ^(NOTE: As of writing this, it's currently on sale for $160!)
  
  
• Thrustmaster TMX Pro
  
  If you're planning to drive with an H-gate shifter in the future, then this version of the TMX is a good deal. Instead of the standard 2-pedal Thrustmaster set, it comes with Thrustmater's T3PA Pedals. On top of getting a clutch pedal, it includes a conical brake mod, designed to give more tension to your brake pedal and allow you to better control braking. Plus, in just about any wheel-supported Xbox One game you can map the brake to the clutch and put the conical brake mod behind it, giving your legs more room if you're not using an H-gate shifter. Though if you know you never want to use an H-gate, it might be better value to just get the standard TMX and use a DIY solution for modding the brake.
  
  
• Thrustmaster TX
  
  In case you're wondering, yes, it comes with Ferrari branding as standard. Anyway, this is arguably the best bang-for-your-buck. TX TX's rim is interchangeable, so if you're not a fan of the stock one, you can replace it with another Thrustmaster rim of your choosing. On top of that, its belt-driven FFB system is a bit stronger and considerably smoother than the TMX, not to mention that it's hard mountable (is able to be screwed-in to a rig instead of needing a clamp). While some get the TMX as a starter wheel and upgrade later, this wheel is often people's one-stop for sim racing, since it's just that good.
  
  ^(NOTE: You really picked the best time to get into sim racing, this wheel is only $257 as of writing this! $400 is a decent price for this wheel but the current price is an absolute steal.)
  
  
• Thrustmaster TX Leather Edition
  
  Similarly to the TMX, this is Thrustmaster's step-up version of the wheel; not only does it include a special black version of the T3PA pedals, it also includes a much better rim. While its style is more akin to the TMX, its rim is made from a metal frame, making it feel more solid than the TMX and standard TX plastic rims, and is wrapped in a nice leather instead of rubber. For only $67 more than the standard TX, it's a significant savings over buying the parts separately.
  
  
• Fanatec CSL Elite
  
  This is the premium class of wheels, for the most part. Fanatec's hardware is generally only built from the best of materials and offer some of the best performance, along with being open to Fanatec's wider, more advanced selection of parts and accessories. However, unlike most wheel bases, this is only the wheel base, no rim or pedals included. If you want Fanatec's base CSL offerings for a rim and pedals, the price jumps to about $470, the same price as the TX, but that's only with two pedals. If you want their 3-pedal base instead, the price jumps up to $590, and if you want a GT style rim instead, you're already over $600 with the 2-pedal set, $700 with the 3-pedal set. Fanatec's gear is top-quality, but it comes at a price. Is the bit of extra quality worth the prices that the parts quickly add up to? That's subjective. At the very least, I wouldn't recommend Fanatec Gear if you're on a budget, but maybe consider it for the future.
  
  _____
  
  Rigs and More
  
  There are some Xbox One wheels for you to consider. I hope my explanations made sense, I wanted to make sure to convey the different aspects of each wheel so you could better make a decision.
  
  If you want my personal recommendation though, I'd say the TX, especially since it's on sale. $250 for that base is a great price, it's a near-perfect balance of budget with performance.
  
  Next on the list, a rig. If we're assuming that you're willing to reach towards the upper-end of your budget, then continuing here after you get your wheel is a no-brainer. Having a dedicated place to secure your wheel and mount your pedals makes for a far better experience than sitting at a table, especially if you're playing in front of a TV.
  
  Keep in mind that there are two types of rigs, wheel stands and cockpits. Wheelstands are only meant to mount your wheel and pedals, where you sit is up to you. They're designed to be foldable and easy to carry, making them perfect for playing in front of the living room TV or using in a small apartment. Dedicated cockpits take things to the next level, securing your seat to the wheel and pedals means that you won't have to worry about anything sliding around, and makes things more comfortable overall.
  
  As much as I want to continue though, there are many, many great options to choose from and reddit has a length limit on comments. For more information on building your rig, you can check out the r/Simracing Buyer's Guide in the wiki. It includes everything wheels and rigs to accessories and monitor mounts.
  
  Cheers, and let me know if you have any questions.

I was skeptical but hopeful for years, until I saw Hurston and Lorville get released, and I finally jumped in both-feet during the end of the last Anniversary sale. Player-generated clips like this one and this one definitely helped convince me... I mean look at that, it's all actually there in the game, nothing is a backdrop only for viewing from that spot on some map, that sun isn't rising, the earth-sized planet you are on is spinning in space.

My biggest suggestion: get a proper HOTAS, or at least a stick with a throttle on it and some good base-area buttons - I use an old Saitek X-52 that interestingly enough is being re-released in a few weeks. There are some serious mil-sim level ones out there too. The T-Flight Hotas X and T16000M are popular for the budget-minded (although Star Citizen will rapidly change your mind about what "sensible expenditure" in a game means lol). Get a used one if you want a killer one but can't afford new (seriously though, $60 man, very worth it), but it's a huge help not having to go to keyboard commands for anything flight-related, including targeting, countermeasures, scanners, thruster controls, etc. When hopping out of your flight seat (either to do something in your ship or get out of it entirely), just have the mouse and keyboard positioned to either side of the flight stick, easy. You'll use the mouse in the cockpit a fair bit too, to interact with the MFDs sometimes for things like requesting landing clearance, changing MFD functions, overclocking components on the ship, etc,. It's the most immersive sci-fi flight/FPS/society game I've ever seen.

I'd highly recommend to get in as soon as they announce Update 3.5, adding the entirely new planet ArcCorp, its main landing area for spaceships Area 18, several moons, and the long-awaited new flight model, go Public Live in a few more days. Fly your starter ship (I recommend the Avenger Stalker starter ship or the Cutlass Black package for the bit of cargo space you get, helps make a little money and can still fight ), enjoy a bit of mission running, exploration etc, and learn the world, and when the next massive Anniversary Sale comes around in November you'll know what ships you really want and can make informed decisions, as the sales they have at that time are awesome.

Whatever starter package you get, it'll need to be a "Game Package" that includes the base game as well, and after that one-time buy you just buy standalone ships or packages if you want to pay real money, or you can buy many of them in-game for game-money (UEC) if you make enough (many good ones are millions of UEC). The advantage of paying real money is that they will be with you forever - as they make major updates CIG usually resets all accounts to starter levels again, and you lose anything you earned in that version of Alpha - but you also have many advantages in Alpha that will not be present in the final game so still worth it to buy cheaper ships in-game IMO.

^edit: ^added ^bit ^about ^game ^packages

First thing I will tell you off the bat, get something that's in your budget.

Second... let's talk about what type of setup you want...


HANDS ON THROTTLE AND STICK
-
HOTAS
-

You have multiple options, starting with the Thrustmaster HOTAS-X.


At around $50, it gives a satisfying first hotas experience.

Moving up the ladder, you get to the T16000M and it's FCS pack.

If you are lucky, you can get this pack on sale for as low as $89.99 on Amazon, and it offers a great package with plenty of toggles and buttons to fully accommodate E:D's controls. You can even add pedals later on down the line, or pick them up as part of one big package.

Further up the price ladder is the X52 suite of controls. Two options are available, in the flavors of the X52 FCS at around $150 and the X52 PRO at around $200. The differences between the two are less pronounced than the jump from the HOTAS-X to the T16000, but it has some "nice" features for scripting and supposedly higher quality components.

Granted, even after Logitech purchased Saitek, the build quality on these former Saitek sticks is ... so-so.


Another great option is CH's products.

Throttle.

Stick.

CH PRO PEDALS

Despite other offerings in the HOTAS world between the X52 Pro, and CH offerings and higher caliber offerings - ignore them.

The X-55 and X-56 are MESSES when it comes to build quality, and it's a crapshoot if you get one that will last.

Your next HOTAS offering is going to be the Thrustmaster Warthog - but you will absolutely need pedals. Which means you're looking at offerings from CH, like the CH PRO PEDALS.

And if you get the warthog, I HIGHLY recommend you use Aussiedroid's scripts and bindings. They are intuitive and utilize the entirety of the throttle and stick.

If it's in your budget, I recommend getting MFG Crosswinds.

Also, VKB makes some T-rudder design pedals that work well.

VKB T-Rudders

However, before anyone tells you differently, or says pedals are shit for yaw. I AGREE, DON'T USE THEM TO YAW. Put yaw on your stick left and right, pitch up and down, and ROLL on your pedals. Right pedal forward, roll right, and left pedal forward roll left. Anyone who does it differently is crippling themselves, especially in PVP. This is a space sim, we don't have to fly space ships like we do aircraft. ROLL ON PEDALS, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.

Past this point you have offerings from VirPil and VKB, both of which make the best of the best products. They both have better gimbal designs, and stick designs, and come in around $400 for a stick. However, there is no throttle currently, as of this moment, produced by either.


Alternative Setups
------------------
HANDS ON STICK AND STICK
-
HOSAS
-

One way of side stepping the pedals situation is running dual-sticks, or hands on stick and stick. This has a slightly higher initial cost than most of the cheaper HOTAS options, but also negates the needs for pedals. The caveat being you need sticks that can be used in both left and right hands.


But thankfully, Thrustmaster has you covered. They offer the T16000M in a dual-stick package. Or you can purchase them separately.


You can also buy two separate Warthog sticks, at around $200 each, and get Okona (/u/cavortingwebeasties) over at dualsticks.com to convert one over.

VirPil's Mongoose can be setup for ambi use, and VKB will be announcing a left handed Gunfighter grip at SOME point. VKB Gunfighter can be found here.

• • • • • 
          
          
          Here's my setup, for good measure.
          

As many people have mentioned, Star Citizen is still an in-development title, and there are lots of bugs and will likely continue to be lots of bugs for quite a while.

That being said, there are lots of people who are OK with this and are able to enjoy themselves, some fall on the other end of the spectrum and get really frustrated so it's worth keeping in mind that there is a 14 day refund policy. If you or he decides you aren't satisfied with your purchase, you can submit for a refund at any time in that 14 day window.

If you're still with us and you want to go ahead and buy him something, here's four strong options for you to consider:

1) Buy the Mustang Alpha Starter Package for $45 - https://robertsspaceindustries.com/pledge/Packages/Mustang-Alpha-Starter-Pack

2) Buy the Mustang Alpha Starter Package for $45 - https://robertsspaceindustries.com/pledge/Packages/Mustang-Alpha-Starter-Pack

Then upgrade it to an Avenger Titan using this $20 CCU (Cross Chassis Upgrade is an item that you will find in your hangar on the website after purchase and can then apply it to the Mustang Alpha to convert it into an Avenger Titan) - https://robertsspaceindustries.com/pledge/Upgrades/Mustang-Alpha-To-Avenger-Titan-Upgrade

Most players in Star Citizen have owned at one point, or currently own an Avenger because it is incredibly versatile for its price allowing you to do both combat and hauling stuff while not being paper thin. It's also the one I'd recommend the most for him. He can always use the CCU system to upgrade his ship to something else later once he has a better idea of what he wants to do.

3) If he's likely to mainly do combat, then perhaps the Arrow would be a good choice $90 - https://robertsspaceindustries.com/pledge/Packages/Anvil-Arrow-Starter-Pack

It will be noticeably more combat capable than the Avenger Titan, but it doesn't have any cargo space. It is a very popular ship right now for combat pilots.

4) If you really want to splurge, then get the Cutlass Black Package $115 - https://robertsspaceindustries.com/pledge/Packages/Cutlass-Black

The Cutlass Black is larger than all the other mentioned ships and it's the first real offering that gives you decent multi-crew features. It has an interior you can walk around in with a couple beds (beds are used for logging off if you're out in space instead of at a station), It has a good sized cargo bay that's great for traders. It has a copilot seat which can be used by a second person to help manage shields etc..

It also comes with a turret for some extra firepower. It has plenty of teeth, and you can't really go wrong with it.

 

If he really ends up liking the game, he should look into picking up some flight hardware (Joysticks etc..). I'd recommend either the t16000m FCS HOTAS $130

Or the dual t16000m setup $115

You can also just buy a single t16000m joystick for around $60 and then buy a second one later. They can be flipped to lefty pretty easily, so don't feel like you need to buy two right away.

In terms of bang for buck, there is no contest compared to these in the budget arena. I personally fly with two sticks, some people prefer the stick plus throttle.

 

In closing, my personal advice would be to buy him the Mustang Alpha ($45) and the CCU to the Avenger Titan ($20), then tell him you'll contribute X dollars towards some flight hardware (Joystick/throttle etc) or further ship CCU's once he knows what he wants.

Best of luck on your decision making!

Logitech G29 - good value for money, tried and tested tech but it is a bit old being gear driven and can be a bit ratchety compared to a belt driven wheel if you care about these minor things. Pedals included are good especially at the G29 price point. Basically you can't go wrong here.

Thrustmaster T300 with standard pedals

T300RS with T3PA pedals - A bit more expensive than the logitech G29 and Thrustmaster have their fair share of horror stories regarding product defects but over all it's a solid wheel base for the majority. The T300 wheel base is a good wheel of choice for sim racing as It's belt driven so the steering is somewhat smoother and you have the modular steering rim option, just make sure to get a T300 package that comes with the T3PA or T3PA pro pedals. There's also the T150 which is a great starter wheel if you want a cheaper option than the T300 but you won't be able to take advantage of Thrustmasters modular wheel system in future and again, the standard pedals included aren't great.

Fanatec CSL Elite - Not wanting to leave the most expensive "starter" wheel base option out... The Fanatec CSL Elite wheel base for the PS4 will come close to blowing your budget of $500 and doesn't include pedals but it's another option on the table if you are interested in splashing the cash :).

I recommend to check ebay and any other buy/sell websites that you know if you're happy to buy used in case anyone who bought a nice sim rig or wheel and didn't like sim racing as much as they thought and are selling good kit for cheap. Happens more than you'd think!

Hopefully this helps somewhat and you can stay below that $500 mark.

I’m about 5 months into DCS. I played some flight sims when I was a kid, 20 years ago, in the Jane’s F/A-18 days, but nothing until DCS. I bought the Flaming Cliffs pack of modules and the A-10C and learned to fly the F-15C mostly at first but slowly read through the 600+ page manual for the A-10C and worked through the training missions and a few campaign missions. The F-15C is great because it doesn’t take too long to learn and you can be having fun shooting down AI flankers in a 10 solid hours of learning and start to get into tactics, the A-10C is definitely the most complicated thing I’ve ever learned for fun. I usually spend a good hr working on A-10C avionics training, then reward myself by jumping in the F-15 when I sit down for a session.

If you do jump into something like the A-10C, I’d recommend getting a quality HOTAS with lots of hat switches, trying to learn the intricacies of avionics and remember keyboard shortcuts and button modifiers is a very big complexity multiplier. I started with a cheap stick then bought the Thrustmaster t16000m and Throttle which works great for F-15, but isn’t quite up to the A-10, so I bought the Warthog stick and use it with the throttle from the t16000.

Hey, bit late, but if you're still looking at these sticks, one of the newest "best cheap sticks" is the Mayflash F300 Elite. It's basically an F300 with sanwa parts already installed which is nice. I've had mine for a few weeks now and it's held up fine. It's pretty compact too which is nice for travel (which I currently am), but not quite as heavy as I'd like. About the same weight as the Qanba Drone (the same "tier" of fight stick) but with better parts. The standard Drone uses Qanba's own buttons and stick though and the Elite is all Sanwa.

If you can wait, they're making an F500 Elite as well, but I'm not sure when that's dropping! Your last, best bet is the EVO Drone on sale right now that comes with all Sanwa parts as well! It's really between those two in my opinion! Hope this helps!

https://www.amazon.com/Elite-Arcade-Stick-Android-Switch/dp/B07CXJ77DT/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=mayflash+500&qid=1554996929&s=gateway&sr=8-3

https://qanbausa.com/evo-drone/

Logitech MOMO and DFGT are at or slightly below this price range, but they're two good ones. I've used a MOMO for close to a decade now and it's been a solid wheel. DFGT is superior to the MOMO in most ways except the MOMO has actual paddles instead of just buttons, if that's a big deal for you. DFGT is like 2x the cost of a MOMO though.

If you can save up another $100-$150, or wait for a sale, you could get a Thrustmaster TX or T300RS. They share the same base, and it's one of the best on the market (TX's wheel isn't the best, but it can be replaced). It's miles ahead of all the Logitech wheels (G27,Momo,DFGT) because it's a servomotor with a belt. Logitech wheels are geared which makes the FFB less precise, weaker, and gives them a "notchy" feeling.

IMO if you're looking for a low-cost wheel to test the waters or are new to racing, get a MOMO cause they're very cheap (~$80-$90, vs $150 for a DFGT) and good enough. The MOMO's low steering lock actually makes it well suited for F1 and other open wheel racing. If you are still playing a lot after a year or whatever, put the money you saved on getting the MOMO cheaply into getting a TX/T300RS.

I'll just mention stuff I've tried myself.

If money is no object, multiple monitors or at least headless ghosts are ironically useful in virtual desktop applications like Bigscreen. I run 3x2560x1600 in one large screen. Bigscreen has an update coming for multiple monitors too. Big physical screens are nice for spectators/multiplayer.

Until the wireless adapter comes out, a decently long displayport cable and longer USB cable running to the link box to cover the large play area and if you have an original Vive, the new 3-in-1 cable with a sleeve.

I've been looking at [this overhead pulley thing](https://www.amazon.com/MDW-Retractable-Management-Headset-Adhesive/dp/B01M6EB8DM/
) but I haven't actually tried it yet.

Two Vives would be good, you can run them off the same 2 base stations and partition the space with chaperone. I run a Rift and a Vive in the same room.

Get an assistant/intern/wife/child to help you set up/put things away, maintain everything, patch/update, find new content, etc...


Accessories:

• Wireless headset/mic and an anchor for it
  
• HOTAS, pedals (CH Throttle, T16000M, driving pedals for Elite Dangerous)
  
• Force feedback wheel/pedals/shifter (old G25 here and the Simraceway wheel - surprisingly precise handheld wheel you don't mount to anything)
  
• Xbox one controllers
  
• Steam controllers
  
• X-Arcade/NES/whatever emulation controllers
  
• Leap Motion
  
• Charging stations and rechargeable batteries
  
• Locomotion options like Omni (Virtuix still hasn't shown up yet) / PocketStrafe / Wii balance board w/ GlovePie hacks
  
  You might want a good recording setup with mixed reality support as well.
  
  e: stuff I forgot
  
  
• Transducer like a buttkicker for tactile feedback in seated experiences (mine is a DIY) / Subpac wearable for standing
  
  
  

​

| ▶ **Make the game a reality. **Getting J-PEIN means you are in the best position to make you feel as if you were sitting in a real cockpit. Equipment in the correct position will make you feel like you are in a real situation.

| ▶ **Make your surroundings comfortable. **Getting J-PEIN means you are in the clean and fixed environment that won't interfere with the game. Let the big appliance get away from your desk. Heavy and strong mount frame will stably hold your appliance on the optimal place.

· Outstanding stability. Heavy and strong mount frame stably hold your appliance on the optimal place.

· Aluminum Body frame with anodized surface and Steel brackets with powder coated surface.

· Seamlessly adjust in height (+300mm~-300mm) and position back and forth(80mm~300MM).

· Install or Remove simply in seconds with 91N force clamp.

· Exceptional compatibility with game control devices such as Thrustmaster T16000M FCS, Thrustmaster TWCS Throttle, Thrustmaster Warthog, Logitech X55/X56, Fanatec ClubSport Shifter SQ V 1.5, Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas 4, Thrustmaster MFD Cougar, Thrustmaster TH8A Shifter etc.

· The supplied multipurpose brackets can apply the desk mount to the shape of your game appliance.

· Instruction Guide: https://cafe.naver.com/hico123/5521

· Purchase information(US): https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Joystick-Throttle-Hand-Control-Game-Device/dp/B07KJCC4Q7/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

· Purchase information (Other Countries): https://www.peingear.com/shop

> How much better is having a joystick for flying in these types of games? I have honestly never used a joystick for a PC game, so I really have no clue what it's like.

First, I spent several hundred hours flying exclusively with a joystick in both Bf3 and Bf4 and loved it, even topped national leaderboards for a while a while and was pretty alright-- that said, flying with m+kb is objectively better if what you care about is maximizing your potential. While I find joystick flying way more enjoyable, the fact is that flying in the battlefield series is *very simplistic, and using a joystick means sacrificing the far superior accuracy you get from using a mouse.

> I see various joysticks on the market, some are EXPENSIVE.

And you don't need ANY of those expensive joysticks for a game like battlefield. I would very much recommend you start off with something simple and cheap like: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Extreme-Pro-Precision-Joystick/dp/B00CJ5FPTA

I can't recommend this stick enough for the price. Unless you're going to be playing actual flight sims that recquire a full HOTAS setup, this is what you'll want to cut your teeth on.

Better than nothing, but a joystick would be the ideal thing. There's a reason if joysticks are used on real planes!

I've had this one for years and it still works basically perfectly despite the hell i put it through. Another really popular and cheap joystick is this one. If you want to search for others, check if they have a rudder axis. The ones i linked allow you to control the rudder by twisting the stick, but some cheapo joysticks don't have that, and trust me, you're gonna need it.

Depends on your definition of "Break the bank". At the entry level, you're looking at spending about $50 USD.

• The Thrustmaster T-flight HOTAS X - This is entry level HOTAS that goes for $40-50 USD. 12 buttons, an 8-way hat, twist stick, and rudder rocker. This tends to have the "a little short of controls" problem, as Elite has lots of stuff to bind, so you'll likely want to either use the keyboard for more buttons or set up a series of modifiers like this to fit everything on it. The HOTAS One and HOTAS 4 (for the Xbox and PS4, respectively, though both are also PC compatible) are slightly upgraded versions of this stick, with the same exterior, but improved internals tightening the deadzone and making them a bit more precise. They're usually more expensive than the X, but you might catch them on sale for cheaper occasionally. Note that this unit only uses 1 USB port, as the throttle and stick are connected to each other via a cable (about 20" long). This is something to keep in mind if you plan on mounting them to chair arms or something. I personally used this unit previously. It's a perfectly good setup, though I personally found the lack of buttons to be annoying after awhile. Note that the throttle has a detent at 50%, making it nicely suited to full range operation, with the detent separating forward and reverse.
  
• The Thrustmaster Stick X. This unit is basically the above, but without the throttle and the buttons transferred to the stick base along with a throttle slider. Rings in at a little cheaper at about $30 USD.
  
• The Thrustmaster T16000M. This is a refreshed version of the classic T16000M, with minor exterior changes (reshaped hat, reshaped trigger, reshaped throttle, and tactile indicators on the base buttons). It's notable for being one of the rare ambidextrous sticks (you just swap out a couple parts to switch it) Unlike the X (which uses potentiometers), this unit uses contactless hall effect sensors, giving it very smooth motion with excellent precision. 16 buttons (12 of which are on the base), an 8-way hat, twist stick and throttle slider. More buttons available than the X. The stick by itself rings in at about the same price as the HOTAS X at $50 USD.
  
  Moving up, there's the Thrustmaster T16000M FCS HOTAS. This is the above T16000M stick along with Thrustmaster's new TWCS throttle and rings in at $130 USD. Totaling them up, you get 19 buttons, two 8-way hats, two 4-way hats, a two-way switch (very handy for supercruise/hyperjump), an analog stick, throttle slider, rudder rocker, and an analog dial, which is plenty of room for all the stuff you need (note that the throttle has no detent, so you'll probably want to run it forward only with a button assigned to reverse. Though if you're handy, people have come up with modifications to add a detent). This is what I personally use and I quite like it. Note that all the components of this set are available separately and can function independently (each needs its own USB port, so you might want to buy a hub with these). So you could buy the stick today and the throttle next month. Or buy the throttle and some other stick or buy two sticks, or whatever mix and match scheme you like. There's also a matching set of pedals (the TFRP rudder) available if that's your jam.

IIRC most say a square gate is the best but just like almost everything about fightsticks ultimately it's up to preference. Here's a good breakdown. The plates on amazon are so cheap that you could get the octagonal and switch between to see which one you'd prefer.


If you don't want to worry about upgrading then getting a stick with Sanwa parts is your best bet, so between the three sticks you've put up I would definitely go for the Panthera. The TE models this gen aren't as good as the TE models from last gen so I wouldn't recommend that and I would absolutely avoid the Hori just based on the fact that they use their own custom parts. The Hori parts aren't bad but a stick with Sanwa parts is a "safer" option.

But I would recommend considering the Quanba Obsidian. PS4+Ps3+PC support, Sanwa parts, and from my understanding(I haven't done anything to mine) it's relatively simple to customize. You can't go wrong with the Obsidian or the Panthera really.

I've never connected a PS3 controller to my PC, but I'm positive that it's possible and nearly positive that it's possible to do so in a stable fashion :) This might help, but I've never used it. Reviews look pretty good though.

I can't see a problem with it. I dunno anything about that controller but 8BitDo makes good stuff so it's probably a good choice. If you want something nice and compact, the NES30 Pro is also a good one.

Alternately if you want a controller that can hold your phone, the Ipega PG-9055 is a good bet as well.

If you're looking for controller info, check out our wiki on the sidebar as well. There's a ton of controller reviews available.

In terms of games to play, Street Fighter V or Guilty Gear Rev are where you want to be. Street Fighter, despite all the complaints people have, is the game with the biggest playerbase, so you will find the most resources for that game. Guilty Gear has some of the best ingame resources for learning, and plenty of out of game resources so it also an excellent place to start.

As for prehipherals, if you want to try out stick on PC, I've heard the Qanba Carbon ($60) is a good place to start. I personally ordered one last week, can't report on the quality until it comes in, but the reviews are good. If you want a controller and are willing to learn dpad, the Hori Fighting Commander ($40) is the best pad on the market, I own one and it feels/plays fantastic. Also the fighting commander has ps3/ps4 support if you want to play in tournaments (most are played on ps4).

These are the best sticks at the moment for ps4, IMO.


Hori Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai $150 (black/white/blue/red) (Hori / Sanwa / Seimitsu)

This stick has a Hori branded joystick and buttons (Hayabusa & Kuro) Hayabusa has a good feeling, even considered slightly better than Sanwa by some.

Kuro buttons are quite a different feeling, they are matte with less sensibility than sanwa and have more travel from pressing the button to reach the bottom and being detected.
Most people get rid of their Kuro buttons and swap with Sanwa's tbh, but some like it.

Arcadeshock sells these sticks already modified with Sanwa or Seimitsu parts for some $10 bucks more.

Amazon

Arcaseshock


Qanba Obsidian $200 (Full Sanwa) - Side leds, made more of metal. Shiny, solid, wide and looks cool.

Arcadeshock

Amazon

Razer Panthera $200: (Full Sanwa) - Front button to open and easly access the stick, lower input delay than other sticks (except Broo's UFGB).

Razer

Amazon

Qanba Dragon $300 (Full Sanwa) - Unnecessarily expensive, stick is a tank, easy open design and like 90% of full metal body.

Arcadeshock

Amazon

Hori Real Arcade Pro V. Premium VLX $300 (Black/Red) (Hori parts) - So big it's uncomfortable to travel with, playing with it feels awesome I got one.
Cons are the joystick sounds a little bit too hollow when moving around (you can get used to tho) and has tons of input delay. With some modifications (changing the PCB with a UFGB and Kuro for Sanwa buttons) it's an awesome stick.

Arcadeshock

Amazon

Thank you. According to Mayflash the joystick & buttons are all Sanwa. Here’s the amazon page:

https://www.amazon.com/Elite-Arcade-Stick-Android-Switch/dp/B07CXJ77DT

I am pretty sure Amazon would not sell it if it was not genuine. There a quite a few positive reviews too (Amazon & YouTube). This stick was the perfect option for me, Sanwa components without modding for under £100. Only other options would be the Razer Panthera which is £200 and which I don’t like as it has the 8 way octagonal gate which is not standard in Japan.. or, the Qanba obsidian which is same price but has the standard Japanese square gate (which I am determined to get used to & have always used with my old Hori sticks). I will probably go Qanba in the future.

For now I will get a replacement from Amazon and hope for the best. The one I have at the moment, other than the popping and momentary button failure (which has happened once so far), has been good. I just don’t feel it is acceptable with Sanwa’s status & reputation. I understand the button issue may be a PCB problem- which won’t be Sanwa then (I guess that what you meant by it being Mayflash also). But the joystick issue is odd then, unlucky as it will be a Sanwa issue probably.. Maybe I should have just modded a fightstick, but then if any issues I could not return it, unless I paid double for the razer panthera or Qanba Dragon, which allow modding without voiding the warranty I think.

Anyhow getting into my fightsticks seriously now, so won’t give up. Back to my Hori’s until I resolve this issue.

I’ve never heard of that controller but 8BitDo is good for a controller with a good d-pad. I would recommend waiting for the SN30 Pro+ to come out because it’ll be much more comfortable than the current SN30 Pro

I have the wired SN30 Pro and it’s d-pad is fantastic. It’s a nice cheaper option

You can also use 8BitDo’s adapter or the MayFlash adapter to use a DS4 controller on the Switch if you already have one

Raspberry Pi 3 comes with built in WiFi and built in Bluetooth. You can get a nice Bluetooth controller from Amazon for ~$36USD. I have two of these as well as a wired USB retro SNES controller.

You can visit Retropie's website and download a working image as well as get very detailed instructions on how to get it up and running. This is how I got my first one set up and had it up and running in under an hour. They really do have some great documentation. For this you will need Win32 Disk Imager. It allows you to write an operation system image file to a SD card. Sounds more complicated that it really is. Download the image, run disk imager, pick the image you want to write, pick the SD card you want to write to, and press the Write button. When it is done, pop it in the pi and power it up. Boom, you now have a working raspberry pi system.

Know and understand how to SSH into your Raspberry Pi. For Windows I recommend downloading WinSCP. SSH can be used to update the OS, upgrade the firmware, and push ROM files to the pi. Adafruit also has an amazing line of tutorials to help you get up to speed.

Use MonoPrice for your cables and such. They are so much cheaper that big box stores.

The greatest thing about the Raspberry Pi is that if you make a mistake, you can easily re-apply the image to your SD card and start over. When I was first getting started I ended up doing this a lot. I learned a lot from my mistakes and learned to search Google/YouTube to see how somebody else solved the problems.

Lastly, I found this incredible group on Facebook that has posts of builds as well as tips and tricks to getting your setup working.

Hope this helps. Enjoy getting into the world of Raspberry Pi. I know I have, I now have three at home all doing different things.

This is the one I have. I like it a little too much haha. It's a bit pricey but it's a solid build and feels like an xbox controller. It definitely makes minecraft way more fun and easy to control on the ipad. I wish there were more games to use it with but then I would get nothing done

https://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-Nimbus-Wireless-Gaming-Controller/dp/B01AZC3III

I would definitely start with whatever you have and get used to the game. There are a lot of controls to map, and you want to figure out your play-style and what commands you use before you decide what controls to get. A controller will fall short quickly and you will need controller + keyboard - that may be an issue in VR (can't see the keyboard) but it will get you started at least.

I am a combat pilot, which makes heavy use of all the 3D maneuvering inputs, so dual joysticks + pedals is my favorite control scheme to have full precision analog control of everything. I like these for this setup, because they are symmetrical and it is easy to locate the buttons without looking in VR: https://smile.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-16000M-SPACE-SIM-STICK-pc/dp/B076XKZML8

EDIT: You will love it in VR by the way. Everyone that tries it says it is like a whole different game in VR. Its the first game that I thought "wow, this expensive headset was totally worth it". Definitely try bounty hunting, and later combat zones.

The only specialty items I have would be a corded racing wheel and a Razer Abyssus (Note that the one on that page is a slightly newer one that I don't have.)

I like the wheel a lot for three main reasons.

1. It's not mounted so I can move around a lot more freely.
   
2. Since it's just the wheel and the cord, it's very portable and easy to take with me whenever I go someplace else, which is fairly often.
   
3. The build is very good, it's only broken because I stepped on it. (Accidently, of course.)
   
   Although it does lack force feedback (For obvious reasons.) and even vibrations, which makes rumble strips not as rumbly. But the cord is VERY nice and sturdy. I can see the cord being the last thing to break. But for smaller hands some of the buttons may be difficult to reach and use comfortably.
   
   ---
   
   The mouse is the most generic that Razer makes, but have great build quality and a nice DPI/Sensitivity range. I like to use the highest settings with 3500 DPI @ 1000hz because it means I don't have to move the mouse as much to move the cursor. I also have the sensitivity nearly maximized. I chose it because it was simple (I don't understand how something like this can be comfortable.) looked comfortable, which it fairly is.
   
   ---
   
   I really want to get a better chair, as the one I use primarily is four years old and basically has wooden boards for "cushions". But at least it can still adjust the height, which I have at the lowest setting to keep me from curling forward and hurting my back.

I assume instead of GTE you mean the T300 RS GT Edition.

This is the T300 RS GTE, and $400 is not a good price for it.

The difference is the GT Edition has better pedals than the GTE.

re: The T150. There is the Pro version that has the 3 pedal set, but it's currently unavailable on Amazon.

You can also get a separate 3 pedal set like the T3PA, or some refurbished G27 Pedals and the Leo Bodnar Adapter.

For a budget first-time wheel, maybe look second-hand? The G29 is mechanically exactly the same as the G27, and the G27 can normally be picked up for c. $200 or less second-hand.

Also bear in mind, the G29 does not come with a shifter, but the G27 does. If you want a shifter for the G29 you'll need to spend probably a minimum of c. $60 for the Logitech Shifter. However, the Logitech Shifter is pretty shit, so you might be better off getting at least the TH8A.

What's he difference between the G29, T150 and T300?

If you're comparing all the 3 pedal set versions, then the pedals are all virtually equal.

The difference is mainly FFB.

The G29 FFB is fine, but has a noticable deadzone at the top and can sometime feel a little bit notchy.

The T300 FFB is smoother, faster, stronger and quieter than the G29 and has virtually no deadzone. It's significantly better, but maybe not $150 better (depends on what it's worth to you).

I've been told the T150 FFB is somewhat between the G29 and T300, but I've not tried it myself.

I'm assuming you are on ps4/pc? There are a ton of good sticks to pick from.

• Hori Fighting edge
  
  
• Razer Panthera
  
  
• Qanba Obsidian
  
  
• Madcatz te2/te2+
  
  They are all in the $200 price range and are all great sticks. Personally I have a te2 and love it. For the most part, it just comes down to preference. If I had to pick, I'd probably go for the Panthera since I don't think Madcatz is making sticks again after they came back.
  
  All of these sticks besides the Hori fighting edge use sanwa parts. The Hori stick uses their own parts, but they are really solid from what I've heard (you can swap buttons/joysticks in any of these sticks, so it isn't the biggest deal).
  
  In terms of using custom art, the Te2 is probably the easiest. The Panthera and Te2 are the easest to mod overall because of their clamshell designs where you can open them up with buttons on the front, but all of these sticks are easy to mod.
  
  I've tried an obsidian and didn't like the shape of the case or the way it looks, but that is just my preference.
  
  I'd just look up each of the sticks and see which one looks best to you. You can't really go wrong with any of them.

I bought PEIN mounts on Amazon, kind of expensive, but great quality. They also come with the adapter plates and rails for a bunch of bases, including WarBrd. I think that they are out of stock right now (there were 6 and I bought 2), but they will probably restock any day now.

There are other options, but these were nice and easy to grab with Amazon 2 day shipping.

J-Pein The Steel Desk Mount for The Flight sim Game Joystick, Throttle and hotas Systems. Fully Support Almost All of Flight sim Game Hand-Control Devices. (not Include Game-Device) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KJCC4Q7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_smU1CbG448BBW

You can contact the company directly through the HOTAS discord very easily if you waiting ask about restock.

If you want to buy once and never again, Fanatec is probably your best bet but it comes at a price.

ClubSport V2.5 Wheel Base is my recommendation for wheel base, check out the steering wheels you like and pick one, this is more preference. This base should basically last you forever, DD wheelbases are highly over-rated in my book.

ClubSport Pedale V3 because they come with the load-cell upgrade already and this is probably the most important upgrade if you take sim racing seriously, it greatly helps with your braking being more consistent.

If else, check out the setup I use. I honestly love it and I don't really see myself upgrading anytime soon. I plan on getting a new setup maybe next year and I'll most likely buy what I posted above if they are still available at the time.

Thrustmaster T300 RS GT and T3PA Pedals

For a nice all-in-one cheap solution, I'd go with the Elite F300.

If you're willing to mod, then I'd suggest a 8bitdo N30 w/ Sanwa buttons and Sanwa joystick. This will give you the same as above but with bluetooth and I'm pretty sure it will eliminate the need for an extra controller to get it hooked up to xbox/ps.

If you're looking for something bigger but still cheap, then I would have to suggest a used Razer Panethera or Hori RAP 4 on Amazon for about 100-130. The returns on Amazon Warehouse are usually people who tried the stick for an hour or two and didn't care for it. They're usually pretty damn nice and offer around 30-40% discount. I once got a "used" display shelf that still had all the protective material on and around the shelf, like the sticker kind that you can't re-apply... so I guess somebody literally just opened the box and said well nevermind and returned it.

If durability is what you're after, I'd consider a F300 Elite Arcade Stick F300 Elite instead of the stock F300. It's in your pricerange, but barely. It has a higher quality joystick and better button switches, so not only should it feel better to use but it'll last longer.

The regular F300 has mushy inputs. Great if you're going to be modding it, not so great if you're using it stock.

The Hori Fight stick's joystick can only be used for D-Pad input. For games that don't use the dpad for movement, like Super Smash Bros, it'll be unusable.

The 8bitdo arcade stick is known for lag.

I'm just gonna push a shameless plug for 8BitDo's Nintendo-inspired controllers. They're all fantastic for what they are and do a great job as controllers for both mobile and PC. They are the perfect thing for emulation. I love my NES30 Pro for Project M. Works great. However, the one problem with it is that starting it up is a pain sometimes. You'll have to look up the control manual a couple times before you memorize how to use it.

Two variations are available for the pro version. The pro has four face buttons, d pad, 4 shoulder buttons (all digital) and 2 analog sticks. NES30 Pro is my favorite, though they have a Famicom30 Pro as well. The FC30 uses real brushed metal.

Edit: They have other more simple controllers too that function just like an SNES controller in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

I know this is a bit over your budget but go with T300 RS wheel for $298 (maybe you can find it cheaper somewhere) and go with [Fanatec ClubSport V3 pedals] (https://www.fanatec.com/us-en/pedals/clubsport-pedals-v3-usa.html) for $299. IMHO, pedals are way more important than a wheel. I have Logitech G29 and I upgraded my pedals to Fanatec ClubSport V3 and omg, what a difference. It's so much more consistent and better with good set of pedals. Also, the feel of brakes and accelerator is so much more better and the clutch is somewhat 50% close to a real car, which is far better feel than any other set of pedals out there for this price category.

I recently upgrade from a pair of T16000ms to a VPC Warbrd for my right hand, and a Constellation Delta for my left.

The VPC stuff is some of the very best that you can buy. Having spent the money though, I can feel super good about recommending the T16000ms. If you want two sticks they are great for the cost!

Yes - while I love tinkering with hardware I'm so glad I bought these instead of assembling all the cords/solder points myself.

I'm getting another switched 4-port USB hub that I'm going to disassemble and Frankenstein into "push button to turn on each light gun and button/joystick set with LED lighting feedback" - but beyond that, I was much happier with the time investment of plug-and-play.

And yeah - taking apart a laptop would be tons of fun. I almost used my old iMac for that purpose, until I realized how underpowered it is by comparison. So I threw money at a processor ($180), a mobo ($45) and a 1GB video card ($35 LOL) and called it a day.

I'm sure at some point I'll even take the computer parts out of the cheap case I bought - but then cooling the entire cab becomes important and I ain't about that :P

Unless you're rich and just happy to splurge on whatever's the top of the line, just get a cheap one to start with. Most people start with the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X, which is cheap and plasticky but it has all the buttons you need and works absolutely fine. I have 1000+ hours in E:D and have never felt the need to upgrade from this HOTAS, though I'll probably get something better when it eventually breaks.

If you find you really like the HOTAS experience and feel like you want to dump some money into it, then you can get something like the Thrustmaster T 1600M or the Logitech X52.

And if you really like it and want to go higher end, there are a few options for that. Just be warned that they start to get real expensive.

Apologies if questions about gear/peripherals aren't allowed.

I'm loving this game but the KBM controllers are starting to get annoying now that I'm playing more frequently again. I'm looking at HOTAS but I'm just not sure what I should be looking for in this kind of controller.

Right now I'm leaning towards the T-1600M throttle/joystick as it fits my budget the best.

I've found multiple sources that say the X52 Pro is one of the best sticks for Elite, although I'm skeptical of the $70 price hike being worth it.

Will the T-1600M work well for playing Elite, or should I save for a little while longer and jump for the X52 Pro?

In case it's relevant, right now I'm predominantly exploring in the game, though I'm hoping to get more into the combat side of things.

They work pretty well. I was going to get a different set that some place makes that looks a little more solid but these were about half the price and I’m very happy with now solid they are. I am going to trim the throttle mount up a bit because the protrude pretty far right now but that’s an easy two minute job with the dremel.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KJCC4Q7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qlDkDb847EXRA

Yes, F1 2019 is perfectly fine for beginners as it's the perfect combination of Sim and Arcade game.

If you can afford it, pick up the Thrustmaster T150. It's a perfect beginner wheel and has everything you need such as pretty decent FFB and paddle shifters. I used it myself for a while and I'll always stand by it.

I just got into this game recently, and have been really enjoying it. I've been looking into getting a HOTAS, and I think I've narrowed it down to two models, but I have concerns about both of them.

The X52 Pro seems quite nice, but I'm a bit concerned about the QA, I've heard a lot of them fail (especially recently with logitech), is there any truth to that?

The other one I've been looking at is the Thrustmaster T.16000M which seems to have really good build quality and an excellent throttle, but I'm a bit worried the joystick doesn't really have enough buttons for elite. Any advice on which way to go (or a different way entirely) would be appreciated!

Yeah that used to drive me nuts with MIJ - it was fine wired, but if I'm using a controller I'm probably playing from couch with the game displayed on the TV so I want bluetooth - and MIJ would need to be re-paired more often than not for BT to work. SCP is a lot better.

According to earlier reddit posts http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DSFW5MA works for BT pretty much plug-n-play and supports multiple controllers through the same connection. I'm waiting for mine to arrive to see if it's actually better than SCP or not.

I would recommend the following joystick...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Extreme-Pro-Precision-Joystick/dp/B00CJ5FPTA/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_63_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YMXKHKZMHZCXF36J9JB9

​

I had this for years before moving into yoke and rudder pedals. The bonus of this stick is it has a throttle lever, plenty of buttons and the stick twists that can be used as a rudder too.

​

In terms of sim, I would recommend XP11 if you have a powerful PC - if not then go for P3D v4 - if that is too much money, then go for FSX Steam Edition.

​

Be prepared to be spending money on addons though, as the vanilla of these sims are not all too great, much better with addons.

I would recommend Orbx for scenery, Active Sky for weather, A2A Planes in P3D/FSX.

A couple of things to keep in mind about budget wheels like the one you linked, based on my experience:

- no force feedback, which is a bummer.
- very limited rotation (this one rotates 90` either side, while a good wheel rotates at least 270` or more) - this affects gameplay a lot as your handling is going to be very twitchy - important if you're going to be playing a sim racer.
- steering isn't smooth and rotation-resistance can be a pain, literally.

You can really go ahead and get it if you want to, it'll be fun and more immersive than using a controller. It should be fine for NFS, Forza Horizon, or even F1.

However, I wouldn't recommend it for any proper racing sim such as Project Cars, AC, GT, or even FM7 due to the precision required in those games. If you really want a wheel setup, I'd suggest saving up and getting something like the Thrustmaster T150 PRO which usually goes on sale for around 13.5k INR because it has almost all the best features of a proper racing wheel. Or consider getting a good controller - I use an Xbox One controller for Forza, F1 and it is good enough and more precise than an entry level wheel.

If you want to use an actual stick, I'd say it's probably not worth getting the Alpha. Miniature sticks such as the Alpha and the Hori Fighting Stick Mini tend to be uncomfortable to use for extended periods of time, and are made using lower quality parts than full-size sticks. If you want a stick, the cheapest one I'd recommend would probably be the Qanba Carbon. I own one and it's a fairly nice stick for beginners. Technically it's not a PS4 controller, but Street Fighter 5 and a few other games support it in Legacy Mode. Check to see if the other fighting games you have support Legacy controllers. If they do, this is a great option for your price range. Otherwise, your next best bet is probably the Qanba Drone.

If you want a pad, the revamped fightpad pro is a good choice. I've never used one but the new model has gotten significantly better reviews than the problematic previous model. Personally I went with the Hori FC4, but the price has gone significantly up since that model isn't being manufactured anymore. The newer model is only $40 though, so that fits in your budget.

It depends how much money you're willing to spend.

Are you okay with emulation? If so, you might want a stick like this or this one with Sanwa parts, and use a monitor that you already have.

​

I don't really know much about getting the daughter board for the ZN-2 motherboard (maybe someone else can help out with that), but check out these sites for the ZN-2 motherboard:

https://sophia-corp.jp/

http://www.mak-jp.com/index.html

http://www.gfront.com/

https://www.akihabara-beep.com/stock-pcb/

​

This YouTube video shows all the games that you could get with the ZN-2 motherboard itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RurfNge7oqo

​

If you are also okay with playing the original board on (preferrably) a CRT, you will need a JAMMA supergun. You can find those on eBay fairly easily.

​

If you want to play on a cabinet, you will need to find a candy cabinet. Again, I am not well-versed in this and don't know much about finding these, but check out this video about candy cabs from KevinDDR for more about them.

Welcome!
I have to agree that a joystick will increase the experience. The Logitech Extreme 3D pro is a great one, and is very cheap. I've had it for ages and it's working perfectly. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Extreme-Pro-Precision-Fightstick/dp/B00CJ5FPTA

Okay so what you're asking for is very possible. Start the game you want to map controls for, open retroarch quick menu, go to input and change the dpad directions with the appropriate stick directions for player 1. However, this will cause issues for certain games. So, I would like to propose an affordable yet reliable alternative:

8Bitdo SN30 Pro USB Gamepad for Nintendo Switch, Windows, Raspberry Pi (SN Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R481CVY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_XCW2DbRMD143Z

For $25 you can get this controller that has all the functions a PS4 controller has and works perfectly with retroarch. Its detected as an Xbox 360 controller which maps everything correctly for you. I own several 8bitdo products including the wired controller and the build quality is fantastic. Also the cord length is 6ft which is pretty standard.

I use the Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS and also got a second Warthog Stick for a dual stick setup.

http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accessories/apd/a9168831?cid=309562&st=&gclid=CLWYqP6dk9QCFR1LDQodiiAAFw&lid=5848362&VEN1=s7nLQ1cQ4,183457792450,901pdb6671,m,,A9168831&VEN2=,&dgc=ST&DGSeg=DHS&acd=1230980731501410&VEN3=812403894302130950

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CBVHJ00/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IJXkzbZ5X9RT3

I also use the VKB Rudder Pedals.

http://store-x-plane-org.3dcartstores.com/VKB-T-Rudder-Pedals-MkIV_p_571.html

As for matching sticks, I am waiting to get the VIRPIL grips since they fit on the Warthog bases.

https://virpil.com/en/filtered/gpips/


-------- || -------- || --------

Alternatively, you can go with two VKB Gunfighter bases and wait for VKB SIM to release their newer right handed and left handed grips (which you can purchase later).

https://vkbcontrollers.com/?product=vkb-sim-gunfighter-base-only

Or perhaps two VKB Gladiator Pros for now and update both grips or just the left grip later when they eventually release:

https://vkbcontrollers.com/?product=vkb-gladiator

-------- || -------- || --------

Another way to go about it is getting two T16000 sticks (for a dual stick setup):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQEDEEW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8UXkzbM4P2BW7

-------- || -------- || --------

Or just go with the T16000 HOTAS (with or without pedals):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KCHPRXA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PVXkzbAW6TM7K

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PII6YI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yWXkzb0KK7FTK

-------- || -------- || --------

Now although there are other options, like the Saitek products (X52, X55/X56) and CH products, those just aren't my cup of tea and too many problems plague the Saitek products that they don't seem to be worth investing in. I returned mine and got the Warthog setup and it's so much better. Night and day difference.

I hope I have listed enough choices at different price points to help you make a more informed decision.

And YES, DUAL STICKS are the best :D

Qanba Obsidian

• Currently on sale on their main website.
  
  HORI Fighting Edge
  
  Razer Panthera Evo
  
  Hori Rap 4 Kai
  
  The 'Hori Rap 4 Kai' used to be the most popular until the 'Qanba Obsidian' came along. From what I've seen, the Qanba Obsidian is the most popular stick right now. The 'Razer Panthera Evo' is an updated version of the 'Razer Panthera' and it's a solid stick from what I've read.
  
  Personally, I'm looking to get the 'Hori Fighting Edge' next because the button layout got me curious and the aluminum panel seems really nice.
  
  
  
  I have the Qanba Obsidian and Hori Rap 4 Kai so I can speak a little about those.
  
  >Qanba Obsidian
  
  Quite big in size and heavy. Definitely sturdy. Lots of room to rest your arms on. Custom art work replacement is easy. Same goes for replacing the buttons. The miscellaneous buttons up top are a little too small and fat fingering a button happens sometimes.
  
  >Hori Rap 4 Kai
  
  The size and weight lean towards average. It'll rest on your lap nicely and not feel overbearing. Custom art work replacement requires a little work because the default artwork has strong adhesive binding it to the steel plate inside. Replacing buttons is no problem. Miscellaneous buttons are on the right side underneath the right wing. You can also rebind buttons.

I don't know if this is of interest to you, but I play on PC with Mouse + PS3 Move Navigation controller. There are a couple of ways to get the controller to work but the easiest is to simply buy the Mayflash PS3 to USB adapter.

The Move controller is one handed, so you hold it in your off hand that would normally be placed on the WASD keys. For me, it's mainly a comfort thing.

so, this is really all based on a person's preference. there are quite a few HOTAS's that are used for this game. they vary in price, quality, and number of buttons/hats/switches/etc.

here are some examples of "reasonably priced" ones:

Thrustmaster T.16000M
https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T-16000M-FCS-HOTAS-Controller/dp/B01KCHPRXA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492012194&sr=8-1&keywords=thrustmaster+1600

Saitek X52 Pro (or you could go with a non-pro version to save $50)
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Gaming-Saitek-Flight-Controller/dp/B01LZ1MQTL/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1492012296&sr=8-2&keywords=saitek+x52

You can always go to Amazon and/or do google searches for reviews and other HOTAS systems. I hope this has helped you though. Good luck, and fly safe, CMDR. o7

I 100% agree. Mine is pretty budget, spent half of what it looks like you did, and even with that step down it's better than a controller.

Personally I find that the double taps for IADs and such are infinitely easier on a stick. Plus I like the button arrangement better, especially for assists. It's so easy to forget about trigger buttons when you're learning the game.

I posted this above, It can be cheap but if you want something that feels right.. it's not so cheap.

>[Thrustmaster](https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-Force-Feedback-racing-wheel-WINDOWS/dp/B01CI97DNM/ref=sr_1_4?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1537753451&sr=1-4&keywords=thrustmaster+steering+wheel+pc&dpID=51bn3uOuWAL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
) on amazon is $160. It comes with pedals. But honestly after a month I upgraded to much better pedals and then bought a shifter ended up costing me over $400 by the end of it all lol. You can get away with just the wheel and default pedals though.

I spent way too much time on this, but let's see how your claim plays out.

2. Akai MPK249 $400
2. Yamaha P71 $415
3. 21.5 inch iMac $1100 (although this is the base model, probably a good estimate)
3. Edifier R1280T Near Field Monitors $99
5. Asus 24" monitor $130x5=$650
4. Logitech G27 I'm going to say around $300, even though Amazon has it listed for nearly $1000. Seems like the MSRP a few years ago was $300-$400.

1. Logitech G Saitek X52 Flight Control System $150
   
2. Logitech C600 $30
   
3. Opolar F401 $12
   
4. Logitech G610 $90, although some versions on amazon are closer to $60
   
5. (I couldn't figure out what the other keyboard is, but it's probably junk that the OP didn't spend a lot of money on.)
   
6. Logitech Z623 $100 (I think these are right)
   
7. HTC Vive $500
   
8. Logitech Z-2300 $180 MSRP, I'm fairly certain that I'm wrong about this one though
   
9. Wireless Xbox Controller $42
   
   Add in like $1000 for each desk and $2000 for each computer we don't see (assuming there are two), that gets us to a total of $11,068.
   
   There is a laptop bag stashed on the left side of the frame, so maybe it's a $9000 laptop.

Get the Qanba Drone dude. I think that works on PC too and it's a better stick. You can also mod the Drone and it's from a more reputable stick maker. You could also look for a Qanba Carbon which is the same body as the Qanba Q1, which was one of my first sticks and worked great. Here's a link to it: https://www.amazon.com/Qanba-Carbon-PC/dp/B01HSQE7IY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509745297&sr=8-1&keywords=Qanba+Carbon&dpID=51YOF%252BhjYBL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

It also has clamps that you can clamp it onto a desk with which is pretty cool and works better than you might think it would. It's also cheaper.

A RetroPie is a better value. It can play thousands of Atari, NES, SNES, N64, PS1, Amiga, and Dreamcast games. Many games are Netplay capable; you can play Mario Kart 64 with someone on the opposite end of the country!
After you get it configured it is just plug and play. Even includes box art, descriptions, and ratings.

RetroPie : $0

Raspberry Pi 3: $36

Power supply : $10 (or use a spare cell phone charger)

SD Card: $10

Wired SNES controller: $12

Bluetooth SNES/NES/Analog contoller: $37 (optional)

Raspberry Pi case: $7

3D printable NES Raspberry Pi case: $0

3D printable SNES Raspberry Pi case: $0

Total: $75 ($48 if you can print your own case and use your own charger and SD card.)

I just bought TM 16000 dual sticks, felt the price was OK but I don't really know anything about flight sticks but reviews seemed positive. Waiting on delivery of them, hoping they're decent. They seemed like it was a decent intro to flight sticks? Anyone have them?

Well, if you've got some pretty deep pockets, go for the VirtualFly "YoKo The Yoke". It's very high quality but comes with a $900 price tag. There's not really a "middle ground" with yokes. It's "really good and expensive" or "not the best but also won't bankrupt you". There are some things like the CH Yoke and the Saitek Pro Yoke that aren't very expensive but might have some QC issues. The Pro Yoke is known to have a dead area in the middle and the shaft
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) sometimes has sticking issues when the aileron axis is deflected left or right.

In terms of joysticks, I use a 6 year old Logitech Extreme 3D Pro I got for 30 bucks. There's more higher-quality, lower-cost stuff in this range. The Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS is the best in this category, for half the price of the YoKo yoke. There's also the Saitek X52, X55 and X56 lineup in terms of higher quality stuff. The X52 can be found for about $150 but doesn't really have all the bells and whistles of the X55 and 56. The X56 is the same thing as the X55 but with RGB lighting. The X55 seems rather difficult to find as of late, with then X56 being about $250 from Newegg.

It also depends on what you fly. For GA I recommend a yoke, and for airliners pretty much anything will do.

Edit: Fixed positioning of Lenny face

I've found some online that haven't been too bad for just the cabinet. From this site. I like some of the designs. But what you proposed is a good idea, of getting it cut at a local mill.

If you don't mind, I have another question. what is a good place to order joy sticks and buttons from? I found some on Amazon for $73, it comes with 2 8 way sticks, 20 LED lit buttons, wiring, and two control boards. Link do those sound okay, or would you recommend something else?

Not OP but it’s the SteelSeries Nimbus Bluetooth Mobile Gaming Controller - Iphone, iPad, Apple TV - 40+ Hour Battery Life - Mfi Certified - Supports Fortnite Mobile https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AZC3III/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_eOVRDbJZTM4NH

I have it, it’s a nice controller but honestly? Just get a PS4 or Xbone controller. My biggest complaint with the Nimbus is the L3 and R3 buttons do not work on it. They press in, but nothing happens. I do not believe there is an actual switch there unfortunately. This makes remote PS4 play difficult for some games that use those buttons.

Otherwise if that is not a deal breaker for you it’s a fine controller. Good build quality, battery life, responsive, and just works out of the box with iOS.

There are Voicepacks that you can download that allow you to do ship controls via voice, and changes the AI voice that responds to you to certain people (i.e you can have William Shatner become your ship's computer).

I saw that Thrustmaster is finally releasing the HOTAS that was previously only available on PC and PS4 for the X1, which is awesome. I bought the X-52 Pro for my Oculus setup and it just enhances the realism. The in-game throttle and stick were actually modeled after the X-52 pro. So the buttons you press on the HOTAS are mimicked in-game almost 1-to-1. It's uncanny.

I hope with the new HOTAS for X1 there will be more people that give the game a try. Personally I tried the game when it first came out in Game Preview in 2014 but just couldn't enjoy it with a standard controller. Having the HOTAS + VR has made it one of the best games/experiences I've ever had. I just hope that VR will become available for the X1 in the near future so more people can experience this stuff.

https://www.amazon.ca/Thrustmaster-T16000M-FCS-Hotas-PC/dp/B01KCHPRXA

I'm using that and it works great.

https://www.amazon.ca/Logitech-Saitek-Flight-Control-945-000025/dp/B01LY285ZH/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1525367288&sr=1-4&keywords=hotas&dpID=41aijb9PAtL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I got that for my brother because I love him more than he loves me and he seems to like it. However they did some software/firmware upgrades on it that apparently limited customisability.

The Thrustmaster 16000M, either by itself, as a hotas, or as a hosas is regarded as a good entry level stick by many.

edit: best way to make credits in-game by far is mining, either surface mining for painite or core mining for void opals. Easily 100m/hr or more if you know what you're doing, and/or follow one of the many guides on youtube. I can't personally advise though as I've been actively avoiding it. I don't want to be rich so quick I have no idea what to do with it.

Thanks for all that,

1

Checked the USB inputs and re-plugged them in like your guide.

https://imgur.com/a/RdPkZ6d

One on the left with the little bit of twisty tie is Player 1

​

2

Not sure if its relevant- have it all hooked up like this

https://imgur.com/a/HMYKMcQ

I bought this one from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WAY9848/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There's a main USB port at the end I have it plugged into- but also a 5 pin port marked USB

I assume its just the plug on the end- especially because its detecting the buttons when I config them.

The issue is when I load up a game, all buttons become 100% un-responsive.

From memory- when I hooked it all up yesterday- I actually had it working but only through player 2's select button- but since trying to map properly its all just gone downhill. Nothing works.

​

3

Updated video where it shows me map buttons from scratch, and then load up SFII with nothing happening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghkvhs-qjSs&feature=youtu.be

​

Thanks for your time trying to help!

​

​

​

Honestly if $60 is your limit you'd probably be better off sticking with pad as you won't be at a disadvantage with a pad versus a stick, honestly the main reason to rock a stick if you want play in arcades too.

For $80 the Qanba Q1 is probably the best inexpensive stick I've ever used, it's built solid and responsive. There's a later, follow-up version, the Qanba "Carbon" which looks to be similar but is only $60 although I personally haven't used that version of the stick.

Be aware that both are PS3/PC and up to Namco for PS4 T7 support, which I believe has been confirmed

Ok. If I decide I can spend the money I will go with the T300. Just to be sure this is the wheel you are talking about right? They also have the Ferrari version, but it looks like it is probably the same wheel with a horse on it XD

I bought one as my first wheel a few months ago and it gets the job done for me. Just yesterday I bought T3PA pedals to replace the ones that came with the wheel but that's only because the gas pedal started to feel lose on the original pedal set.

Keep in mind this is the only wheel I've ever sim-raced with so I can't compare it to anything else and I'm sure someone else here has far more knowledge and personal experience with different wheels but, if you're just looking for a cheap-ish wheel to try out sim-racing, I'd recommend it.

Like I said take this with a grain (handful) of salt because I'm still pretty new to sim-racing and sim-racing peripherals

That's the whole reason I want the Ferrari F1 wheel, more buttons. This looks good, but it'll technically be a downgrade from my stock RS GT wheel, which is a no-go for me. I just want more buttons on the wheel.

I wish they'd make something like this for their bases.

A pretty solid choice is always the TM T.16000. You're really not going to get anything worth having in the sub-100 range new. If you're looking for something a bit more, the Logitec X52 pro (don't touch the non-pro, it has bad QA issues) is a great middle-ground HOTAS with good durability and features. If you can find an X52P used, you'll spend roughly T.16000 price that'l probably end up lasting longer.

Although it's worth mentioning, the A8 in your computer probably won't be too happy playing a whole lot of anything. Money would be better spent on upgrades.

What platform are you on.

If you're on PC - you have a ton of options that are cheap + good largely because the used market for like Xbox360/ps3 branded sticks from top manufacturers has a literal ton of available sticks for cheap. Like you can literally pick up a Mad Catz Street Fighter IV stick for like $30, and I think most of these will just work on PC OTB, or at most requiring just software dl (e.g. Joytokey / x360ce) etc.


If you're on PS4/XB1 your options are a bit more limited. The F300 option noted below is ok, but you'll need to swap the stick/buttons/harness which is like ~$35 + the stick itself which ranges from $25-$55 depending on if you get it new/used. DIY will only really save you $$ here if you get a used f300, otherwise the price for a new F300-Elite (which uses the JLF + sanwa buttons) is basically only $5-$10 higher (~$90). (https://www.amazon.com/Elite-Arcade-Stick-Android-Switch/dp/B07CXJ77DT?pldnSite=1)



You could also just build one yourself which isn't that hard honestly. If you build the case yourself out of an old cigar box, this is more problematic tho with PS4/XB1 as the encoder/pcb price is $$$ compared to PC. Check /r/fightsticks for details. One of the cool things about DIY is you can play around with a bunch of different sticks. I for example am much more used to using Happ Competition sticks so I got a couple of those (which are cheap comparatively at ~$10), plus a bunch of others I've collected over the years.

The on screen controls actually didn't seem bad to me. But I play with a steel series nimbus controller and it's a great mobile experience.

Edit: also the actual gameplay has been awesome so far. I play on an iPhone 7 and I haven't had any problems.

Thanks, I appreciate the recommendation. Thrustmaster is certainly seeming like a good price-to-performance brand, though some have lackluster reviews it appears.

Not at all affiliated, but I love the Thrustmaster t.16000m dual stick bundle. I got this. I'm sure you can find this bundle other places as well.

I was just going off of Amazon prices when I made my post. To get the T150 with the T3PA pedals you're going to be spending $319, https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-Feedback-3-Pedal-Progressive-Resistance-PlayStation/dp/B06XP1JZ53/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1500501698&sr=1-2&keywords=t150+pro . Although after your comment I looked it up and Gamestop does appear to be selling T150 Pro sets for $250. http://www.gamestop.com/accessories/thrustmaster-t150-pro-limited-edition-racing-wheel-only-at-gamestop/131351

For the g29 you're going to be spending $265. https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Driving-Force-Racing-PlayStation/dp/B00Z0UWWYC/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1500501761&sr=1-1&keywords=g29

So in that case it just comes down to whichever wheel you prefer. People say the T150 has better feel, I've never used one so I honestly don't know. But I know Logitech has a better reputation when it comes to their wheel's longevity, and their warranty is good for an extra year over the Thrustmaster (once again, if you live in the EU though you're going to be getting a 2 year warranty on both because of their consumer protection laws.) I live in the US though and the 2 year warranty is what really made me go from wanting to buy the T150, to actually buying the g29. If I'm spending that much money on something I want to make sure that it lasts for as long as possible, and the warranty makes sure that at the very least least I'm getting 2 years of trouble free usage out of it. And for real, the g29 really does feel good, I mean the g25/27 was the standard wheel for enthusiasts for years. The technology may be old, but it's tried and tested, and it works well, just not as well as a belt system.

I would think that would be a nightmare. You're going to want a stick. The T-Flight HOTAS is fairly inexpensive and works pretty well. The only thing that really annoyed me with it was that it had a catch in the center of the throttle. If you have any mechanical skills, and maybe a dremel, that's fairly easy to remove.

Probably the least expensive stick I'd go for would be this one.

But if you're serious about enjoying the flying the T-16000M is well worth the $102.

I use 8bitdo's NES30Pro. I only play retro games through Retroarch, but it's awesome. The phone is really heavy when using the clamp, however. Still better than on-screen controls of course.

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Bluetooth-Controller-Classic-Joystick/dp/B018K3Q4KS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542337043&sr=8-1&keywords=nes30pro

I posted earlier (sorry for duplicate comment!) but I use the Steelseries Nimbus. It charges with a lightning cable too. Great battery life.

It’s awesome.

• 2x Dualshock 4 controllers with charging dock
  
  
• Blue Microphones Yeti Black with pop filter and windscreen
  
  
• Logitech Gaming G Saitek X52 Pro Flight Controller
  
  
• Razer Nostromo PC Gaming Keypad
  
  
• SMOKTech X Cube II 160w vape with two sets of 18650 batteries, as well as a nice 4 battery LCD charger, and two juice tanks
  
  
  All are cleaned and in excellent condition; I take care of my shit :) Pics upon request
  
  
  Edit: Everyone else is parting out PC builds and I'm selling a vape. lol

IF you are perhaps interested in dual sticks, which i HIGHLY recommend for games like Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous, much more than a typical HOTAS setup... Amazon has dual T16000m's on sale for 90 bucks... thats a great price, IMO. https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-16000M-SPACE-SIM-STICK-pc/dp/B076XKZML8/ref=sr_1_25?keywords=thrustmaster&qid=1559234690&s=gateway&sr=8-25

sure but the warthog is also triple the price of the CH.

$284 just for the warthog joystick

http://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-HOTAS-Warthog-Flight-Stick-PC/dp/B00CBVHJ00/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1397531164&sr=1-1&keywords=warthog+joystick

which is FAR out the reach of even most hardcore gamers.

vs $97 for the fighterstick.

who cares what it looks like. I want quality and performance before aesthetics.

At that pricerange, I believe that that the Fanatec CSL elite would be your best option:
https://www.fanatec.com/us-en/bundle/product;bundle_id;153

Should you get into simracing or perhaps prefer a more familiar feeling wheel, you can purchase other steering wheels like this one that can mate to the CSL elite.

I wouldn't go any lower than the Thrustmaster t300rs if you value somewhat familiar feedback:
https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-Officially-Licensed-Feedback-playstation-4/dp/B00O8B7D02?th=1

If you enjoy Karting, keep an eye open for these in-development sim titles:
Kartcraft
Kart Racing Pro

For F1, Codemasters 2017 title probably won't be out until much later this year but most F1 fans prefer the F1 mod for the original rFactor (warning: dated graphics and lots of setup) and even the F1 models in Automobilista (also based on rFactor engine). I personally don't play either of these racing modes so it's all hearsay so perhaps someone that plays in an F1 league might be more knowledgeable on the subject.

The X52 is in that price range if I recall. Been using mine for a couple of years now with no issues. Had to remove the indent in the throttle because it was driving me crazy but thats really easy to do.

I really want a full yoke and pedal setup to make life easier for simming but the X52 works really well abd is leaps and bounds over the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro I used to use.

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Saitek-Flight-Control-System/dp/B01LY285ZH/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542501836&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=saitek+52&dpPl=1&dpID=41aijb9PAtL&ref=plSrch

I know for 2, it'll be double the budget, but I haven't found a better stick for the money.

Qanba Carbon

• [Pro] Size - The stick feels right. Sometimes, the cheaper you go, the smaller the unit gets (See: Hori Fightstick Mini). This unit is a very standard size, offering great balance (you won't topple it over) when you're playing on a hard surface.
  
  
• [Pro] Mods - If you ever wanted to upgrade the internals, the stick can be directly replaced with a Sanwa JLF. The buttons are a standard 30mm size (Sanwa, Seimitsu, etc).
  
  
• [Pro] Price - At $60, nothing else comes close.
  
  
• [Pro] Stock parts - The internals (as-is -- buttons, stick) function very very well. There may not be any reason to ever change the parts.
  
  
• [Neutral] Availability - These units go in/out-of-stock quickly.
  
  
• [Neutral] Housing - It's plastic. I'm not sure what anyone is expecting for $60.
  
  
• [Neutral] Versatility - It works on some devices, but not all. If you're only using this for PC / RetroPie, you're fine. If you wanted to multitask this unit for everything under-the-sun, this might not be the right stick.
  
  
• [Con] None really.

I don't wanna upset you. Unfortunately yes, you can't use your Rift controllers to control throttle/stick in DCS at the moment (not sure about future). But give it a try with a cheap HOTAS and it is a blast for sure.

I found a few joysticks for you on Amazon:

Logitech 3D Pro - refurbished

Logitech 3D Pro

Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS

Logitech X-52 Pro

Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS on DELL - the best ever HOTAS

I bought this one:

SteelSeries Nimbus Wireless Gaming Controller for Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AZC3III/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yNiRzbW8ACDWB

Came yesterday. I bought a used one for 30 bucks. Worth it for sure..it looks and feels like an Xbox controller..and there are no R3 and L3 but if you double click on the analog on the screen on your phone it works. I'd recommend buying it..felt really good and is worth the price imo.

I see that you're not having a good time with the PS4 controllers although they are toted as one of the better controllers for fighting games. If you're looking to get a more serious controller, something custom could be what you're looking for. I've personally never gone that route so I don't have any personal suggestions. I do know that SonicFox uses Battle Beaver Customs so do what you will with that information.

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I first bought a fightstick because I thought it would be more fun to use than a controller. To an extent, it is. There is a whole learning curve that goes into it. If you think you're half decent now, you'll be trash on the stick until it becomes as comfortable as using a controller. It took me a month to be able to play semi-efficiently and another 2 weeks after to get back to my previous playing level. I researched a bit and picked up a Hori RAP N from Amazon because the NOIR button layout better accommodates large hands. I suggest you don't skimp out and buy a really cheap stick. The parts matter a lot. The cheapest I would suggest would be the F300 Elite since it still uses Sanwa parts. My issue ended up being not able to consistently hit diagonals.

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I then discovered the hitbox after purchasing the RAP N and being a keyboard warrior / PC gamer, I had to try it. I checked out both the hitbox and the mixbox and without trying them out, I didn't know which one I'd prefer. I reached out to Aaron from AllFightSticks and he made me a custom layout that includes both the WASD layout from the mixbox and the "space bar" from the hitbox. I also managed to maintain the NOIR layout and keep the larger button size (official hitbox uses smaller buttons). It wasn't cheap but it's been well worth every dollar spent on it. I can use it on any system without added accessories, it's completely metal so it's durable, and it was made to my exact specifications. Ever since I got my hitbox, I haven't gone back. Added caveat of a hitbox / mixbox is that to do an IAD is essentially pressing WD>D or spaceD>D on your keyboard.

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If you have any questions or want to see pictures of the box, let me know and I'll send you a link

I use dual T.16000m's for my setup and have been heavily considering getting some pedals to complete it. I cannot afford anything crazy like MFG Crosswinds. I'd like to spend a max of $100 on pedals, if possible.

Would a Thrustmaster T3PA be a good option for the game and would it function well enough in a Space Sim environment?

Or should I wait and see if the CH Pro Pedals come down in price a little bit more?

Canda Amazon

American Amazon

Works good for me. One hand on the wheel and one on a mouse to look, turn signals, cruise control as well being a naga I can set the number to other things like lights, wipers, map controls etc...

I use this, easy to set up, great range, up to 4 ps3 controllers at once, great for emulators as well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00DSFW5MA/ref=pd_aw_sbs_1?pi=SL500_SS115

I can't think of a decent Xbox One stick at that price. Maybe EVO weekend something may go on sale, but you may be best off getting a Mayflash F300 and upgrading the buttons and stick when you see fit or getting a Mayflash F300 Elite which already comes with Sanwa parts.

Mayflash F300 Elite on Amazon

Dirt Rally is about as awesome as it comes IMO. I f'ing LOVE that game. Be prepared though...if you get a steering wheel and a seat, you're looking at around 400-600 bucks.

Driving Chair:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077PMH7DL/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1W6FFIBXHB164

Steering Wheel:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XP1JZ53/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

For anyone wondering, it's a T300 RS wheel, TH8A Shifter and T3PA pedal set. All from Thrustmaster. The chair is a Challenge from Playseat. And a PSVR, obviously.

Edit: /u/StephenSchleis requested that I add Amazon links, so here you go.

https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T300RS-Officially-Licensed-Feedback-Racing/dp/B00O8B7D02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480328681&sr=8-1&keywords=T300+RS

https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-TH8A-Add-Gearbox-Shifter-Xbox/dp/B005L0Z2BQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480328694&sr=8-1&keywords=TH8A+Shifter

https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T3PA-3-Pedal-Wide-Pedal-Add/dp/B00KX75W9O/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1480328694&sr=8-4&keywords=TH8A+Shifter

https://www.amazon.com/Playseat-Challenge/dp/B009ZELZDS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480328735&sr=8-1&keywords=playseat+challenge

Bonus tip, the T3PA pedals come with the conical brake mod. It’s well worth installing. Also, cut out a piece of carpet and stick it to the pedal base for a bit of extra comfort.

I'm using a DS3 controller along with this Bluetooth adapter.

The adapter has a switch to choose between one of two modes.

In Xinput mode, the adapter supports a single DS3 controller and works out-of-the-box (w/o VirtualHere). I've never run into any problems in this mode.

In Direct Input mode, the adapter supports up to 4 controllers, but requires VirtualHere. Although I also haven't run into any problems in this mode either, I haven't tested it very much.

One thing you may want to add is some info regarding Ethernet-over-powerline which can be a great alternative to Wi-Fi (when hardwired Ethernet isn't an option). The current standard is called HomePlug AV2 MIMO with a claimed theoretical speed of 2000Mbps - this is what to look for if you're buying a new adapter.

There are two AV2 MIMO chipset manufacturers (that I'm aware of), Broadcom and Qualcomm. Broadcom-based AV2 adapters tend to outperform Qualcomm (according to this review), but the adapter manufacturers don't usually tell you which chipset they use. These two adapters are Broadcom-based. The first has a built-in AC filter so you can plug additional stuff into it w/o affecting the speed, the second is cheaper but has no filter (but a 10 foot extension cord makes a pretty effective filter).

Finally, in my own experience, I've found AMD hardware encoding to be much more susceptible to dropped packets and jitter versus software encoding. If your network circumstances aren't ideal and you're getting dropped frames, try software encoding.

edit: formatting

Excellent answer, thanks.

I have the following coming this week:

Qanba joy stick

Sanwa GT-Y Octagonal Restrictor

Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT-SK OEM Red Ball Top Handle Arcade Joystick

Basic, middle of the road stuff. I was thinking of doing one of those Raspberry pi inside of a fight stick setups, but I kind of like the look of the Vilros mini NES.

Thanks again for the response.

I was recently looking for my first fight stick and, like you, was looking for something more affordable. After doing some research I finally settled on the Qanba Carbon. It's right at $60, and I've been really impressed with it so far. Now granted I haven't played on any other fight stick than this, so I have nothing to compare it to, but it's been great so far. Also, it's important to note that this isn't a universal stick, but it works for ps3, pc, and android.

With a budget stick, you're going to get the following:

• Shitty parts that will fall apart quickly.
  
• Shitty parts that you cannot swap out.
  
• Missing functionality like L3, R3, Touchpad buttons, inability to switch stick to left stick or right stick mode.
  
  Buying a budget stick is kind of like trying to play a PS4 game with a PS2 pad: You can play for the most part, but there are going to be times when you'll be forced to grab a PS4 controller.
  
  Now, that being said, you can get decent sticks in the sub-100$ category, such as:
  
  
• Mayflash F300 Elite. Has quality parts, but missing L3/R3 buttons.
  
• Qanba Drone. Shitty parts, but can be modded with better ones. There's an EVO edition that comes with good parts. Surprisingly, has all the functionality of a higher end stick.
  
• Mayflash F500. Big brother to the F300, comes with a plexi. Requires that you plug a controller into it to use. Missing some functionality (L3, R3 buttons). Easily upgradable with better parts.
  
  If you want a stick that has quality parts and is not missing any functionality, your best option is a Hori RAP 4 Kai. They are often on sale at prices near (or below?) 100$.

The HOTAS 4 isn't the same as the T.Flight Stick X. But yes, I still think that is also still available.

HOTAS 4 is the PS4 re-packaging of the old HOTAS X. And there's to be a HOTAS One that is the XBos re-packaging of the same updated stick. I don't know if anything but the paint and the proprietary save card ports is actually updated, but it might be slightly better than the decade old HOTAS X.

WOW! Thank you everyone for the advice you've given me.

I'm not even gonna start the game for a bit. I'm moving to a 2BR place at the end of the month, and the second bedroom is gonna become my VR space.

I think I'm gonna save up a bit and get this chair and this HOTAS setup.

Then I'm gonna get lost in space.

LOL, you say it as if Thrustmaster isn't in the same boat.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/poll-thrustmaster-t300rs-gte-reliability-poll.329969/page-3

https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-Officially-Licensed-Feedback-playstation-4/product-reviews/B00O8B7D02 (note: even the 3+ star reviews often are deducting points for reliability reasons)

This sucks. The G27 was (is?) great with only the wheel encoder wheel ever really being a problem, which has a permanent fix available (albeit requires decent technician skills to fully disassemble the wheel to get to it and then put it all back together properly).

Now, it seems both the G29 and Thrustmaster 300 wheels have atrocious reliability and durability and it's not even narrowed down to just one issue.

I guess I'll have to pray my G27 makes it through to the next generation of wheels where they finally get this shit sorted and make a decent wheel.

I still don't get why everyone complains about the gear drive vs. the belts in the G29, real cars have similar gears in the rack and pinion, nobody's car steers off of a belt. I don't know where people get the idea that gears are somehow a dated mechanism, timing belts were perfectly available when the first FFB wheels were created, they just weren't chosen. In fact, the reason you don't see gears in other wheels is because Logitech has a patent. When other wheels claim their mechanism is superior to gears, they're throwing you a sales pitch because they're not allowed to use gears. IMO, the Logitech FFB feels great, but much is left to the owner to set it up right for each game as developers are notoriously lazy when it comes to optimizing wheel settings.

well im assuming you are from the USA(please correct me so i can giv you appropriate advice and prices) The Mad Catz TE2+ is onsale for $179 a great premium stick with all the features i listed i paid $300cnd for mine and love it it recomend it over the panthera because they are so similar, but if u want a bigger sturdier base go for the mad catz, if u want a smaller one the panthera.

the qanba obsidian is $180us a great deal

The Pokken controller is fantastic for playing, but not for building. The lack of joystick makes using the cursor impossible.

Rather then that snes looking one, Id go for a 8bitdo device.

wired SN30

wireless SN30

wireless N30 (more colors, different shape)

Better build quality, actual customer support for any issues, and they here is a bunch of colors on the horizon, plus a whole line of controllers with grips. but those aren't out yet.

Thanks! I normally use BING so I will see if google can provide better results. This is the first results..

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https://www.amazon.com/Easyget-Encoder-Joystick-Illuminated-Buttons/dp/B00WAY9848

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I am looking for just the led not the whole kit.

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back to BING i guess. Thank you!!

The SteelSeries SRW-S1 is a bit of an oddball, since it's an accelerometer based wheel instead of a steering column, but it's far cheaper than most wheels and doesn't require pedals. It's pretty good as a bridge between a full blown wheel and a controller.

I got this one a couple weeks ago as my first wheel and so far it's been worth it the money. I'll definitely want to upgrade when I have the money but I think the thrustmaster is a great starter.

Can't find the hardware thread so

First off lemme say that no one I know is dropping $120+ on something for little ol' me.

But if someone will spend a little less and then I can plunk some better buttons in there, that sounds great to me. I'm looking at these 4 options right now:
https://www.amazon.com/Qanba-Controller-Fight-Stick-Drone-PS4/dp/B01I0GEDEY/

https://www.amazon.com/Carbon-PlayStation-Android-X-Input-D-Input-Joystick/dp/B01HSQE7IY/

https://www.amazon.com/Mayflash-Arcade-Fightstick-Joystick-F300/dp/B019MFPLC0/

https://www.amazon.com/Qanba-Q1-PS3-Joystick-Fightstick/dp/B00BXPIO1S/

Doesn anyone have any experience with these out of the box and after modding? Any issues? I will also be using this to play GG and possibly BB if that makes any difference.

I use my TWCS with a Warthog and T.Flight Rudder pedals. It's a fabulous combo, and works great.

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https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-HOTAS-Warthog-Flight-Stick/dp/B00CBVHJ00/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=warthog+joystick&link_code=qs&qid=1561977857&s=gateway&sourceid=Mozilla-search&sr=8-1

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$201 out the door for the stick...

Cant comment on the 2 you listed but the Logitech X52 PRO is on sale right now for $99 on amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZ1MQTL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_TI1MAbMEQSZ95

I have the non-pro version and love it. Enough buttons for just about everything.

Amazon had it on sale around thanksgiving/christmas time. It went from 300, to 250, to 230, to 215 to 200? I think was the final price at once point.. I held out til it was 215, didn't regret it one bit.

WOW Evidentally it went all the way down to 160 at one point last year on Amazon:

http://camelcamelcamel.com/Thrustmaster-HOTAS-Warthog-Flight-Stick-PC/product/B00CBVHJ00?context=browse

I just purchased the Pein mounts a couple of weeks ago for my TM Warthog HOTAS and they're great and not too expensive.

Also, they easily unclamp for when your husband needs to go into work mode.

https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Joystick-Throttle-Hand-Control-Game-Device/dp/B07KJCC4Q7

Please note that you will need two of these mounts; one each for throttle and stick.

I hooked a DualShock 3 up for wireless P2 to mine. Anything that's USB and most bluetooth controllers work fine. For a bar you may want to consider something like this:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222068642

Plus

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WAY9848/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_c0nezbKN0E68M

And a Pi3 would get you an awesome bartop console for under 150

Dude, $80 gets you one of these and it's 100x better than trying to steer in the air or using a thumbstick.

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FB5R1AQ/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stppvp_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=d45777d6-4c64-4117-8332-1659db52e64f&pd_rd_wg=cRUvO&pf_rd_r=MKE6WV44ZQE02CJJ93C4&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B00FB5R1AQ&pd_rd_w=aFLy4&pf_rd_i=force+feedback+wheel&pd_rd_r=72cd1861-ea3a-4363-b872-5a7f1a74d3a7&ie=UTF8&qid=1542583773&sr=2

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If you don't have room for all that, this would still be way better (I have one) as it has gas/brake paddles and can be used in any racing game.

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https://www.ebay.com/itm/BNIB-SteelSeries-Simraceway-SRW-S1-Gaming-PC-Steering-Wheel-Controller-FREE-SHIP/283266355553?epid=115153567&hash=item41f3fd9161:g:k~sAAOSwL49b8apr:rk:3:pf:1

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As to feedback, way too early to tell anything about the game you've got going there. A game like Test Drive Unlimited or the old Midtown Madness game from msoft would be cool in VR.

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I think it is. From what I've read the pedals of the G29 are 100x better. I found the G29 for $199 and the best I've found with the Thrustmaster 150 Pro (medal pedals) was $202, the regular t150 with the plastic pedals is $149.

Links:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/logitech-g29-driving-force-racing-wheel-for-playstation-3-and-playstation-4-black/4223000.p?skuId=4223000

https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T150-PRO-Racing-Wheel-PlayStation/dp/B06XP1JZ53?th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-Force-Feedback-Racing-PlayStation-4/dp/B014US02ZA?th=1

Just get one of these 8BitDo SNES controllers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748S3GXG

They're great (disclaimer: I actually have the NES version--https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018K3Q4KS--but should've gotten this one for its superior L and R buttons).

Controllers are OK, however playing with a HOTAS is significantly more enjoyable and immersive. If you have any intentions of upgrading to VR (highly recommended) at some point, a stick/throttle is basically required.

I personally recommend the T.16000M Hotas, affordable ($100) and enough buttons to keep your hands off the keyboard entirely.

A friend recently bought the Saitek X52, currently on sale ($100). Generally less recommended than the T.16000M due to durability, but another solid HOTAS.

Thrustmaster: https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T-16000M-FCS-HOTAS-Controller/dp/B01KCHPRXA

Saitek: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Saitek-Flight-Control-System/dp/B01LY285ZH (also available in black)

That reminds me.... I got one of those steelseries F1 wheels that I would love to mount on a yoke. It has like a million buttons. Would make a sweet space freighter or TIE bomber/Ywing controller. If only I could find a yoke for cheap, no way I'm butchering a new one.

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/uk-videogames/2011/dp/B006IR6NH8/image1_large._V140829819_.jpg

I can't compare them as I haven't used the other brand. I got this 2P set based on the reviews. The buttons have screw rings on the back to tighten it. The easiest part about this set is the encoders. I was gonna a build one out if an Arduino but this is plug and play and saved me countless hours trying to make that work.

Get'em while they're hot ...

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Saitek-X52-Flight-Controller/dp/B01LZ1MQTL/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

https://www.amazon.com/Saitek-X52-Flight-System-Controller/dp/B000LQ4HTS

Edit: Opps ... didn't fully read your post ... mobile phone :P

Re the PS2 cable: I don't know if the cable is the same as a PS2 standard cable, I recall giving away my old X52 to a mate and giving him a standard PS2 cable but he said it was a different pin-out, so buying spares from an electronic store / PC store may be an option if you modify the wiring and use the original connectors. You could also look at making a base plate for both the Stick and Throttle with guides to secure the ends of the cable. There's lots of options you can explore.

For a few dollars more I'd go with something like this 8Bitdo Zero. I haven't tried it myself, but I do have the 8Bitdo NES30 Pro and it works great with all the Gear VR/Android/Windows games I've tried it with, and can be started in different modes (XBox 360 controller, Bluetooth Gamepad, etc).

For people whose PCs don't have Bluetooth, who don't want to dedicate their Bluetooth adapter, or who want a simpler solution, I highly recommend the Mayflash Wireless Adapter for Dualshock 3. Just plug it in, use the hardware switch to select either Xinput or Dinput, and play.

My Bluetooth adapter is tied up using my Wii remote for Dolphin and I didn't want to have to constantly switch between standard Bluetooth for Wii or this wrapper, so I got it. And it's worked flawlessly since.

The F300 is fine for your purposes. There is also an Elite version available (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CXJ77DT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GKnEDbK4M736R) that already comes with Sanwa parts and costs about the same if you were to mod the non-Elite model.

I recommend the Hori RAP N (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A8L6O0U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wHnEDbPEFHNYX) as well, since it's about as as cheap as a new F300 Elite, has a better button layout, and already comes with quality Japanese arcade parts.

Hi there! Please remove everything in your links after ref= including ref=. If you'd like a copy/paste:

https://www.amazon.com/Qanba-Controller-Fight-Stick-Drone-PS4/dp/B01I0GEDEY

https://www.amazon.com/Carbon-PlayStation-Android-X-Input-D-Input-Joystick/dp/B01HSQE7IY

https://www.amazon.com/Mayflash-Arcade-Fightstick-Joystick-F300/dp/B019MFPLC0

https://www.amazon.com/Qanba-Q1-PS3-Joystick-Fightstick/dp/B00BXPIO1S

Not only does this make your post much easer to read, it also removes any unintentional advertising links.

We're going to keep this post removed until you can edit, thanks!

Thank you for the reply and information. I use J Pein mounts for my TM WH. Is that a mount that your triple MFD would be able to be made to fit to?

Link for reference:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KJCC4Q7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2r2xDbXZXAPP8

Thanks in advance!

You can buy a Mayflash adapter which basically makes you PS3 controller work exactly like a Xbox 360 controller; you never have to mess with any software on your PC.

That said I wouldn't bother with it if you're getting a 360 controller since that's a far better controller for racing games anyway. Just thought it's worth a mention

haha yeah, all of a sudden these look useful

Thanks!

I bought this set of controls, an Open-Box 24" monitor from my local MicroCenter, and everything else was pretty standard, i.e. regular Raspberri Pi, a cheap case for it, the cheapest speakers I could find on Amazon, etc

I'll shill for my own company and recommend the Nimbus. I admit I'm a biased source but it is really an excellent Bluetooth controller.

Personally I run with a G29 and a GT Omega Pro Cockpit RS9. I got the G29 2.5 years ago when they were £150 more expensive than they are now, and overall I spent about £400 on the cockpit and about £300 on the wheel.

Nowadays, you can probably get a G29 for £150-£200, and a low end racing stand for about the same, which would be in your budget.

G29: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Driving-Force-Racing-PlayStation/dp/B00Z0UWWYC

Thrustmaster T300RS: https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-Officially-Licensed-Feedback-playstation-4/dp/B00O8B7D02?th=1

(Bear in mind, the pedals are awful, very recommended to get another set, especially if you play other games that need a clutch)

Budget Racing Stand: https://www.gtomegaracing.com/wheel-stands/gt-omega-steering-wheel-stand

Racing Cockpit: https://www.gtomegaracing.com/gt-omega-racing-driving-simulator-cockpits/gt-omega-art-racing-simulator-cockpit-rs6

Providing you have a chair, that's probably the best you'll get on a budget for a wheel stand. It's a preorder though, so you will have to wait a week to get it.

Logitech \> Thrustmaster for wheels imo because they are so much more reliable. With TM, you're basically at a 50/50 whether it'll break in 2 years time, Logitech stuff run forever.

But overall, that's about $350, which is less than your budget. so if you want to spend the extra $200 on a higher end Racing Stand then it's obviously up to you. If I was in your position, I'd go with the G29 and the cockpit, but if you don't really play all that many racing games and this is just for GT, then I'd go G29 and the budget racing stand.

I think I have this sorted out. Let me explain what I was shooting for, in case anyone is thinking about a similar setup.

First, the goal was for a bartop setup with a pair of arcade-style sticks built in. I got these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WAY9848/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The set came with a pair of 'zero delay' USB encoders, that when hooked to the Pi together, produce the wonky results I described earlier. I finally found the solution in a previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/RetroPie/comments/4p3uzo/2_zero_delay_usb_encoders_not_working_together/

The solution is a simple addition to a text file, noting the USB ID class of your type of controller.

The second goal of my build however, was to have a pair of external USB ports to plug in wired controllers like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VAHYQY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 to play more console-centric games. The problem I kept running into is that many of the console emulators will only recognize the first two input devices. The external controller ended up always being #3 and wouldn't work.

The solution here is to use the USB port ordering on the Pi itself to dynamically (at boot time) reorder the controllers so you can use the one(s) you want. I can't find the link to the video I found describing the order, but if you're looking at the USB ports head-on, they are upper-left, lower-left, upper-right, lower-right ordered as 0, 1, 2, 3, respectively. RetroPi will number the controllers in that order, so generally anything plugged in to 0 and 1 are the inputs recognized by the console emulators.

In my situation for example, I wanted the SNES emulator to use the game pad(s) if plugged in, otherwise use the sticks. Since the zero-delay encoders needed extra power for the LED-lit buttons, I used the flat panel monitor's built-in hub to daisy chain them. The monitor's host USB connection went to port 2 (upper right) on the RPi. The two console controllers then, when connected, get ports 0 and 1 - making them the first two inputs.

Mk. Thanks for all the feedback about this. I have found some 8bitdo controllers that are much cheaper on the US amazon compared to the canadian one. If the one that you own is either one of these, are they good?

Wired

Wireless

I play on a full HOTAS setup, including the chair. Just getting a HOTAS changes the game completely, it's so much more responsive with a joystick and throttle.

You can get a HOTAS for only $40 so it's not thunderingly expensive. But if you want the HOTAS that they literally use in the ship cockpits, it'll cost you about $200.

I'm using this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R481CVY/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works but kinda meh. Also note that Beach Buggy and Cuphead support 2 controllers. I ordered the Amazon Basics XBox One clone this morning which I read works fine.

Buying Elite just after Christmas will cost more, and deliver less, than pre-ordering now.

The current cost of the game in pre-order is £35, at release it will be £39.99. The pre-order also includes an Eagle fighter, a paint-job and day-one decal (if that kind of thing interests you).

If the T-flight mentioned by Funkyjunk doesn't appeal (it probably should, especially for the price) then the standalone joysticks:

• Logitech Extreme 3D Pro
  
• Thrustmaster t16000m - uses Hall-effect sensors for X and Y axes like the more expensive sticks
  
• Defender Cobra M5 - a very nice stick that should be available from VKB but may be just outside your price once tax/delivery comes in to it.
  
  Might work for you too. If you later become ridiculously wealthy you could add a separate throttle like the CH Products Pro for example.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/8Bitdo-Gamepad-Nintendo-Windows-Raspberry/dp/B07R481CVY?ref_=ast_bbp_dp

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edit.. i mean is not the best of the 8bitDo controllers, but its the best you can get for 25 or less

Get two t16000's and this racing wheel + pedals. You only really want the pedals from this set up but they are the best pedals you can get for cheap. The reason you get this wheel too is that if the pedals ever go, you can plug the t3pa's into that wheel. Someone might say that you should go with flight pedals instead, but you don't need the side to side rudder action that is the main function of flgith pedals and most flight pedals out there have serious drawbacks unless you shell out the big bucks. RIght stick x = yaw, y = pitch, z = roll. Left stick x = horizontal strafe, y = vertical strafe. Your pedals are set to forward and reverse strafe.

I have one of these 8bitdo SFC30 controllers and I absolutely love it. I've used it so much over the last year and a half that I'm very likely going to buy one of their NES30 Pro controllers. I think the NES30 Pro is better suited for PSP emulation and for use with a lot of indie games I have on steam (e.g. Rogue Legacy, Binding of Isaac, Risk of Rain).

Yes you can use the CH throttle with 3D pro to make it a hotas. The difference between the fighter stick and the combat stick are; The Fighter stick replaces two of the buttons on the Combat stick with 4 way hats.

Combat Stick = 3 axis and 18 buttons (six push buttons, one 4 way hat switch, and one 8 way point of view hat)

Fighter Stick= 3 axis and 24 buttons (three push buttons, one mode switch button, three 4 way hat switches and one 8 way point of view hat).

Ch Pro Throttle = 3 Traditional push buttons, 1 mode switch button, 3 4-way directional hat and 1 8-way POV hat switch

Depending on what you're playing you may not need all the hats on the Fighter Stick if you get the pro throttle. If you're not looking to spend a lot and are happy wth 3-d the Pro throttle seems to be a nice addition.

Later on, down the road, if you want to upgrade you could get pedals and by the warthog stick separately. Or just buy a new hotas and sell the CH throttle on ebay.

if you're doing flight sims and like your stick I would get the CH throttle and either make your own or purchase a head tracker, (track IR). For flight sims, it's more essential than rudder pedals

Actually a good price for the T150 Pro, it's at $175 with the promo code and CamelCamelCamel has the lowest price on Amazon at $199.99.

That being said, from what I've read the T300 is a considerable upgrade to the T150. Much better force feedback and the wheel on the T150 isn't interchangeable. Could be a good purchase depending on how hardcore of a sim rig you want.

only 3 hours left!!

EDIT: Best price on amazon for this EVER.
http://camelcamelcamel.com/Thrustmaster-Officially-Licensed-Feedback-playstation-4/product/B00O8B7D02

I'd recommend the Mayflash f300 because it works with pretty much anything and can be upgraded with more high quality parts later if you want. the elite version already has high quality parts if you want to skip that step.

I think you're on track! I used to buy the encoder separately from all the buttons and joysticks, but now there are a lot of options for bundles. I just finished my first bartop (my 4th machine overall). That was also my first pi. That pi bundle came with usb controllers, so that's what I used in that cab for now. May switch out later.

I'm building a small console machine now, and this is what I bought off Amazon. The little easy-get kits, with the zero-delay usb encoders. I've used the zero delay encoders before, and they are a great cheap alternative to the $30/$40 encoders.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WAY9848/ref


The 4.3mm and 6.8mm reference, was that in reference to the dimensions of the cherry switch? That is too large to be in reference to "how far button travels before triggering the switch".

Sometimes there is also a measurement on how much presssure takes to activate the switch. This amount of pressure can make it feel more/less realistic to an original arcade machine. My unskilled fingers cannot tell the difference...

For those who got trolled googling rs300 and only got bicycle wheels, rims, and actual steering wheels (since above comment didn't provide links), it's the Thrustmaster T300RS

It's even cheaper off of Google Express, and first time Google Express shoppers can get 20% off


Imo, the GT version only shows up $35 more for me, looks like it'll be worth it saving up more for that

Edit: fixed links

yeah i have one for gaming on my ipad, i recommend it as well. it’s also a little cheaper on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AZC3III/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PKDRzb5TJM9BB

http://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T-Flight-Stick-Flight-PC/dp/B000U1OOH4
Kind of underatted stick. It's essentially just the right side of the hotas X. It's the same nice durable quality and it takes up less desk real estate for less money.

It won't work out of the box, you either need some drivers like MotionJoy, BetterDS3, SCPToolkit, or this adapter which make the PS3 controller looks like an Xbox 360 controller (including rumble, etc).

I opted for the adapter, and so far everything works well. I use it in several games on PC (Fallout 4, Skyrim, GTA V) and it works out of the box.

That's all you need for a flight/space sim. Not everyone is who is interested in flight sims is also going to be interested in driving sims, so trying to group them together as being the same cost is disingenuous.

But if you wanted to go on the racing sim side of things, you could get a wheel and pedals for $70, which is still far short of $300 even if you bought both.

Keep in mind, you don't need any of that. There are people that not only get by with a 360 controller, but prefer such. You can also spend way more than $300 if you've the inclination, but trying to put enthusiast pricing as the baseline is a pretty poor way to make a point.

Over at /r/hotas the Thrustmaster T-Flight sticks are favored due to a far better sensor mechanism.

Stick only for $27 US

Stick + Throttle for $40 US

Okay, so I got him a Raspberry Pi for Christmas and he had turned it into a computer that plays old video games... the expensive thing is the [kit] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WAY9848/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3H4BZNET2W15O&coliid=IV0C0R3WPE2V4) to make an arcade box... the other thing is just like a [kit] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HTE5SGA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3H4BZNET2W15O&coliid=I2MWBUGE8CSI4K&psc=1) [of] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ICNY0FW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3H4BZNET2W15O&coliid=I1248L5W0OGC1S) things to do other projects with it.

Yes it has paddle shifters. Here is the wheel I got. It does only have 180 degrees of rotation but since all I really play is F1 and a little Assetto Corsa it hasn't bothered me.

I use this and it works wonderfully with a PS3 controller, either wireless or wired. I've been able to set up pretty much everything just how I had it on the PS3. No janky drivers from sketchy sources needed.

https://www.amazon.com/Mayflash-Wireless-PS3-Controller-Adapter/dp/B00DSFW5MA

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FB5R1AQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is what I bought, haven't used it yet other than testing GTA V with VorpX and an xbox controller emulator, however it's supported by Project Cars, which I also own yet haven't played yet.

It's a good buy for your price range to include the pedals as well.

And if your in the 150 range, I like
Saitek X52
Lots of buttons!
If you don't get a HOTAS with a ton of buttons, you will want to get something like voice attack and then you can set it up yourself, or you can buy setups / and voice packs (some recorded by william shatner and others!)

The best and cheapest solution is a Dualshock 4 controller, give it a try i personally went from fightsticks back to controllers. If you really wanna get into fightsticks then choose one of these:

1. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06WWMFL56/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2Y60EJ5VI534L
   
   
2. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Obsidian-Joystick-PlayStation-Fighting-Officially/dp/B01N9JMYPX/ref=pd_cp_63_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9ACNS7WRHAX9BGRQ3384
   
   
3. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Official-PlayStation-Licensed-8-Button-Arcade/dp/B00NHDSINS/ref=pd_cp_63_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9ACNS7WRHAX9BGRQ3384 default buttons and joystick suck so i suggest replacing them with sanwa or seimitsu ( will cost you an extra 35 euros from ebay )

There's the Xbox One S or a Dualshock 4 controllers. They're both Bluetooth and people sell mounts for them for your phone like this: https://www.amazon.com/Nyko-Smart-Clip-PlayStation-DUALSHOCK-Controller/dp/B00FLLFGO8?

Otherwise, I use a 8Bitdo SN30 Pro which has a seperate phone clip designed for it: https://www.amazon.com/XFUNY-Bracket-8Bitdo-Handgrip-Telescopic/dp/B078TWMQFM/ . It's a smaller controller and easier to fit in my pockets than the proper DS4/XBOX controllers.

Though I think the real problem is you're on iOS, and Apple doesn't allow Bluetooth controllers that aren't on their MFi program to work on iOS. Searching on Amazon for mfi controller, looks like Steelseries has a few. But I've got no experience with that.

Awesome! The buttons and joysticks connect to a USB encoder that connects directly to the powered USB hub. The powered USB hub is then connected to the Pi. This is the same buttons and joysticks that I used https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00WAY9848/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478364885&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=arcade+joystick+and+buttons&dpPl=1&dpID=61OqcBVFq7L&ref=plSrch.

Total beginner?
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro.
Has all the bits needed and won't break the bank.

As with most things you can pay more to get better but as a casual player the 3D Pro does the job well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Extreme-Pro-Precision-Joystick/dp/B00CJ5FPTA

The Gamevice and the Rotor Riot both use the Lightning connection. The rest use Bluetooth.

For the ones that use Bluetooth, apparently the SteelSeries Nimbus is the best one.

Well, $40 is definitely tight unless you find one on a sale you may not find a name brand one for the price. The Steam Controller often dips to $35 on Steam's major sales, however, I think they're phasing out the steam controller, making fewer, or ramping up for a version 2 because they've been notoriously hard to get a hold of from third party sellers outside of Valve, or outside the USA.

If you have bluetooth you may or may not end up getting a wireless one. All the Xbox One/PS4/Switch Pro controllers should be bluetooth out of the box so those should work on PC whether they're name brand or generic though. A generic of those may be your best bet for that price. 8bitdo also makes this one a bit cheaper, but it won't have full size triggers or handles but the price is right. https://www.amazon.com/8Bitdo-Gamepad-Nintendo-Windows-Raspberry/dp/B07R481CVY/