Welcome to the third and final installment of our look at gaming-oriented hardware. In the May issue, we chose Saitek’s Cyborg and Microsoft’s Reclusa as this year’s hottest gaming keyboards. We had a tougher time in June selecting the world’s top gaming mice, but ultimately anointed Logitech’s feature-filled G9 and Microsoft’s comfy Habu as the best of an impressive lot. But as cool as gaming keyboards and mice might be, neither are mandatory pieces of gear. Gamers who frequent the type of games where keyboards and mice play a key role can quite comfortably get by with standard, all-purpose units.

However, some games require controllers that are specifically built for play. This is the realm of joysticks, gamepads, and steering wheels — joysticks for flying and driving, gamepads for sports, and steering wheels (obviously) for driving. Granted, casual players can make do with a keyboard and mouse for just about anything, but those who want to excel — especially in the world of hardcore flight and racing simulations where smooth, exacting control is mandatory — know the advantages of a good stick or wheel far outshine the cost. And as for sports, well, let’s just say that nothing beats a good gamepad.

Joysticks, as a whole, aren’t as plentiful or as innovative as they used to be. That’s not to say there aren’t solid sticks out there, but the build quality at the high end of the curve, the originality, and the overall selection generally aren’t what they once were. And why is that? Because, in the heyday of the venerable joystick — the late 1990s — the PC reigned supreme as the gaming platform of choice. Thusly, there were more games in general, and definitely more that appealed to flying and racing simulation addicts — the type of player that preferred a realistic rather than “arcade” experience and knew he needed a top grade stick to be successful.

Does that mean you should entertain the idea of buying an old school stick via the used market? Probably not. Many now-antiquated units may have been robust and, in some cases, downright beautiful, but they simply won’t work — at least not without a lot of hassle — on a modern PC. Back then, sticks plugged into the computer via an interface called a gameport. Today, all peripherals of this ilk connect via USB. Though gameport-to-USB adapters exist, they aren’t always reliable. Moreover, Microsoft’s latest operating system, Vista, doesn’t support gameport-based devices at all.

But don’t worry too much. Truth is that because of the dearth of recent joystick innovation, many of today’s sticks are tried and true oldies but goldies that in some cases have simply been mildly tweaked and updated from gameport to USB connectivity. Still, we bemoan the loss of true greats such as Logitech’s early WingMan and Microsoft’s SideWinder Precision models.

Before you buy, you should determine the features you need. If, for example, you intend to use your stick primarily for flying, and especially if you play realistic simulations rather than quick-action arcade games, you’ll want to consider a unit with a twist-action handle for easy, analog control of your aircraft’s rudder. You’ll likely also want some form of onboard throttle — which usually appears as a sliding or pivoting lever — so you don’t need to resort to your keyboard’s number keys to adjust your airspeed. 4-way and 8-way “hats,” generally located near the top of the handle, are equally nifty tools for looking to your left and right or above while you’re in the cockpit.

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