Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad Pro (USB)

by Microsoft

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.8 x 3.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002JXBF
• Item model number: C18-00002
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Anyone looking to bring a little console feel to their PC should check out the Microsoft SideWinder Gamepad Pro. This sturdily constructed silver boomerang of a gamepad can endure many hours of healthy abuse and still supply quick and responsive controls.

One of the great things about the SideWinder series has always been the ergonomics of the joysticks, and the SideWinder Gamepad is no exception. The grip is comfortable, and the buttons and directional pad are all within thumb's reach. The USB interface makes setting up the gamepad a snap, and the SideWinder configuration software lets you set up your gamepad to operate differently for each game installed on your system with the SideWinder game profiles.

The SideWinder Gamepad Pro also includes a shift button, which allows you to program twice the amount of functions per button. About the only thing we didn't like about it was its D-pad design. It felt a little too mushy, and had a lack of tactility to it. It also had a tendency to wiggle around, causing our fingers to slip a bit. Other than that, we thought the SideWinder Gamepad was a winner, and a must-have for serious or casual gamers everywhere. --Dan Simpson

Pros:

• Sturdy design
• Comfortable grip
• Excellent SideWinder configuration software
• USB port connector

Cons:

• Mushy, slippery directional pad

Amazon.com Product Description

The Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad Pro is a video game pad controller with digital control for sports and fighting games that require the fastest response. Proportional control is perfect for racing games and advanced, next-generation sports games. It has been ergonomically designed to feel comfortable for hands of all sizes even after hours of play. Its features include six action buttons, an eight-way cross-key pad, and two trigger buttons for games running on Windows-based or MS-DOS-based games that run within Windows.

Included SideWinder software enables players to map complicated multibutton combo moves or keyboard strokes to a single button on the pad. The Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad Pro also allows players to daisy-chain, connecting up to four SideWinder game pads at the same time for multiplayer applications while maintaining full functionality in each pad.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the Best, January 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad Pro (USB) (Personal Computers)

I found the controller to fit in my hands well, but the use of the controls is so-so. The D- pad is a little "mushy" and will sometimes make you make errors. But the overall setup of the controller was good, and the USB is nice, but if I could change my controller I would go for the original one.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Horrible D-pad...., December 27, 1999

By 

Bored (here) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad Pro (USB) (Personal Computers)

The D-pad is very unaccurate and a pain to use.I found it easyer to use the mouse and arrows.Using the floating d pad makes ur thumb hurt after 1 minute...otherwise the rest of this controller is good.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Gaudy appearance, cheap feel, *awful* D-pad!, May 31, 2000

By 

M. Gleason (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft SideWinder Game Pad Pro (USB) (Personal Computers)

All I want is the original MS Gamepad with a USB connector (instead of the obselete gameport connector). This version of the Gamepad has USB, but that's about all I can find positive to say about it.

The D-pad is definitely the worst implementation I've tried in years. It's incredibly mushy and difficult to precisely control, so the whole controller causes one wrong move after another. Further exacerbating this problem is that the D-pad is rotated slightly to the right, so the Up directional is pointing to North-Northeast rather than due North.

It does have 6 regular buttons, but I still prefer the Microsoft Sidewinder Plug and Play Game Pad USB which has only 4 buttons but a better D-pad. The appearance of the controller is a matter of personal taste, but the attempt at making it some futuristic chrome design fails miserably IMHO with the cheap silverish painted plastic. To me, it looks and feels more like a $5 mouse more than a high-end game controller.

One other good thing about this controller is that it is USB and the drivers are already pre-installed with Windows 98 and 2000, so you simply plug it in and go.

Still, I stronly recommend you take this controller for a test drive before you buy it.