PC Driving Games Hardware:

Force Feedback

Handlebars

Wheels

Sight & Sound

Modems

Cockpits

Links

Digital Game Controllers:

Until recently, all joysticks, wheels, pedals and other game controllers used potentiometers (or pots) to sense the position of the controller, this information was then sent to the PC. The pots rely on springs and bungee cords to give resistance to the user's inputs. Pots are essentially electro-mechanical devices. They sense the physical position and send an electric signal to the computer. Like all mechanical devices, the pot is subject to friction, and eventually wear out. As they wear out, the pots (and therefore the controllers) imputs get less accuarate, and can result in on-screen jerking or unreliable game controls. The springs or bungee cords are also subject to wear and tear, and can also degrade or break or after heavy or prolonged use.
Digital controllers are devices that use electro-optical sensing methods, and are more accurate than conventional mechanical controllers. They replace the electro-mechanical pots with electro-optical devices that are not prone to normal mechanical wear-and-tear. Digital controllers may need no calibration, they are usually resistant to the type of signal noise that creates the need for re-calibration associated with non-digital controllers. The digital signals sent by the digital controllers sensors can be processed more directly by your computer. Normal joysticks etc, send analogue signals, which must be transposed into digital signals by the computer, which takes up valueable CPU cycles and time. Digital controllers can therefore, improve game performance by freeing up the computers CPU, allowing it to spend more time on such things as game graphics, and less time reading and transposing the controllers input signal.
Likewise, digital game ports work in conjunction with analog controllers to produce the same type of digital signals as a digital controller. By performing all the analog to digital work for the CPU, digital game ports reduce the load placed on your PCs CPU, therefore improving overall game performance. If you are happy with you current controller, but you are interested in improving game performance, and in more accurate inputs, you should consider purchasing a digital game port.

Handle Bars:

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Several motorbike handle bar type controllers are now available for the PC, which can be used with the many motorbike racing simulations and arcade games. One example is the Ducati Corse Controller (see picture below) available from This Ducati Website. Created to provide all bike enthusiasts with a more realistic virtual racing experience, it offers movement sensations (not sure if it is actually force feedback though?). Most are USB and PS2 compatible. Shop around....

Ducati motorbike handlebars anyone?

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How about these bars which are new and from Thrustmaster (below). They are the first handlebars which offer leaning and turning driving styles. You can sit-on the base to keep the thing still, or you can use it on a desktop. Features include Rubber textured handles, a 4 way D-Pad for additional control, 11 buttons (within easy to reach of the handlebars), 1 analog lever (brake), 1 analog handle (throttle), 1 digital lever (can be clutch or brake).The bars connect to your pc via a USB connection.

Thrustmaster "Freestyle" handlebars:

Force Feedback:

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Digital controllers and digital game ports can enhance a controller's input and accuracy. You could argue Force Feedback works in reverse, taking electrical signals from the computer and converting it into a physical sensation (force) that is transmitted to the user (feedback) via the controller. Force Feedback controllers use electric motors and gears or belts to provide resistance for the controller. The motors used are devices capable of receiving electrical inputs from the PC. The electric motor provides constant resistance that equals the resistance that would normally be provided by springs or bungee cords. This means Force Feedback wheels can be used with sims that don't support Force Feedback.
It is argued that programs that offer Force Feedback support provide a better gaming experience. By sending signals to the motor, Force Feedback controllers can simulate bumps, crashes, and vibrations normally felt as part of the actual activity being simulated. A Force Feedback controller provides tactile vibrations and movements which serve as a physical response, which enhances the gaming experience and can add to the realism. If you are about to buy a new controller, you should consider purchasing a Force Feedback one. They are not cheap, they are not perfect, some are better than others, the technology is still advancing in this area, but they can add that extra dimension which makes a game that extra bit special?

Sight & Sound:

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Having a nice set of speakers with either surround sound or a big sub-woofer can really add to the games you are playing. (Provided you have a sound card that supports these features of course?) As can having a larger screen to watch the action. PC monitor screens of up to 21 inches are not uncommon now and they really do make a difference to the picture clarity and resolution if you have a good graphics card (2D, 3D or combined) to go with it. Or you could try hooking up your PC to your TV (if you have a TV-Out feature on your graphics card?) for that big screen feeling. Or how about hooking up your PC to your stereo to really beef up the sound effects.
Experiment using the equipment you have available to find the best set-up for you, it can make a big difference to your enjoyment of a game or sim. Try also altering your monitor refresh rate, or the screen resolution to get a better picture. Ensure you have the latest drivers for your monitor, sound card, and graphics cards. PCI graphic & PCI sound cards are prefered to older ISA type cards, as they have less of a cpu load, and games therefore perform better with them. Likewise AGP graphics cards are prefered to PCI cards, as AGP has a faster connection to the cpu (66 or 100MHz as opposed to only 33MHz for PCI) and also leaves a PCI slot free, and because of the faster bus connection, allows graphics data to be processed faster.

Modems:
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Most PCI internal modem cards are "Winmodems" of "Softmodems". That means some of the modems functions are carried out by the CPU, and not the actual card, this means for things like on-line gaming, these modems are not as good as others because the cpu is doing a lot of the work, and has less resources to use on the actual game, which results in poor on-line gaming performance. This may manifest itself as "lag" or low pings.
Older ISA internal modems are usually not "win" or "soft" modems, and are therefore usually faster for on-line gaming than the internal PCI type. However, the fastest modems (not including ISDN, ASDL or Cable modems) are external Serial port or USB type modems, as these are completely self contained, and are not restricted by any internal conflicts, etc. The only disadvantage to using an external modem, is that they take up a small space on your desk, and may need a separate power supply.

General Gaming Hardware Links:

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Last updated - July 2008

PC Driving Games Hardware:

Digital Game Controllers:

Ducati motorbike handlebars anyone?

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Thrustmaster "Freestyle" handlebars:

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