Many computer users are serious about games. Some computer gamesters rush out to buy and configure a single PC just to play a specific game. So many games have a recommended list of graphics cards, RAM needs, audio specs, and joysticks that it makes putting this type of system together a cinch.
Here are some of the more interesting joystick features you can look for:
- Analog versus digital: Serious gamers prefer an analog gamepad, which offers more real-world response than a digital one. Digital joysticks are gauged in absolute measurements. For example, an old digital joystick may register only eight directions, like the standard eight compass directions. But an analog joystick on a gamepad can point in any direction easily.
- The base: Some players like to hold the gamepad in their hands. In fact, that's the reason the gamepad succeeded over the traditional joystick: You hold it. Other players prefer the kind of joystick that sits stable on the desktop. If you want that type of joystick, ensure that the base is either heavy enough to do so or that it has suction cups or some other method of keeping the joystick secure while you play.
- Force feedback: Some gamepads are designed to provide the realistic sensation of resistance as you pilot your spaceship or zoom around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For example, the gamepad "pushes" against you if you try to take a turn too tightly. Or, if you hit a wall, you "feel" that sensation through the gamepad.
- HAT switch: HAT switches are used like a joystick on top of a joystick. In many 3D games, the HAT switch lets you "slide" left and right or up and down. Or, you can use it to position a firing reticule on the screen without changing the player's orientation. Whatever the purpose, having the HAT switch is nice. (Note that some gamepads come with two joysticks, one of which serves the HAT function.)
- Programmable buttons: Some gamepads come with extra buttons that you can assign to specific functions in the game. These buttons come in handy because you can play the game without having to type keyboard commands. Or, by having programmable buttons, you may be able to change the function of many buttons on the gamepad and give yourself control in a way you're more accustomed to.
