Microsoft Sidewinder Plug and Play Gamepad (USB)

by Microsoft

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.7 x 6.9 x 6.4 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004SUG0
• Item model number: C84-00005
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,389 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 3, 2000

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

One of the products that really allowed Microsoft to make a name for itself in gaming peripherals a few years back was its simple but novel SideWinder gamepad. There really wasn't a better gamepad on the market for years (and arguably still isn't). Last year, Microsoft released the SideWinder Pro gamepad, which tried to improve on the formula but actually took a few steps back by attempting too much.

Enter the SideWinder plug-and-play gamepad. While it still doesn't quite capture the innovative flavor of the original, this streamlined--and inexpensive--controller makes an excellent gaming device for simple action and sports games. Best of all, it's USB compatible, meaning it works like a console controller--plug it into your system and start playing. It also means you'll need to have at least Windows 98 (and will only be able to play Windows 98 games) to use the gamepad.

The boomerang style mirrors that of the Pro gamepad, minus the proportional control (which wasn't that great anyway), shift button, or two of the action buttons. But that still leaves the eight-way D-pad, four well-placed action buttons, and two top triggers, more than enough for the type of games to which this controller is best suited. NFL Blitz 2000 was a perfect candidate for the gamepad. We had no problems getting the device to work, and best of all, it was easy and comfortable to play for long periods of time with the contoured controller.

One quibble: the original SideWinder allowed you to daisy chain another controller into it for head-to-head gaming. While you can plug more than one USB device into your computer, this would have been an excellent tradition to continue. But minor shortcomings aside, the SideWinder plug-and-play gamepad is excellent controller for basic games. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Simple installation
• Well designed
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Limited features
• Not daisy chainable
• Need Windows 98

Amazon.com Product Description

Microsoft's SideWinder plug-and-play gamepad has six action buttons, two triggers, and a digital D-pad. Now, you have more realistic interaction with your Windows 95 and 98 games. This pad is perfect for sports and action games where combination moves are a must. Connect it with up to three other gamepads for head-to-head action.

The USB interface enables quick installation so you can dive right into your favorite game.

Microsoft offers a one-year limited warranty on parts and labor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than their Gamepad Pro, worse than the original, May 31, 2000

By 

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

This review is from: Microsoft Sidewinder Plug and Play Gamepad (USB) (Personal Computers)

I have mixed feelings regarding this controller. To Microsoft's credit, it is better (and cheaper!) than the SideWinder Game Pad Pro USB (which looks cheap and has an awful D-pad), however they haven't recaptured the magic from the original MS Gamepad. I'd really like to see the orignal MS gamepad with a USB connector -- is that too much to ask?

The feel isn't too bad, but as a personal preference, I do *not* like the D-pad orientation. It's slightly rotated to the right, whereas the original Gamepad has the D-pad's UP position facing directly up rather than rotated.

Also -- this Gamepad has only *4* buttons (see the picture of it above, it reminds me of a PlayStation controller), not 6 like the orignal Gamepad or the Gamepad pro USB.

This Gamepad truly is plug-and-play if you're using Windows 98 or Windows 2000, since the drivers are pre-loaded on those operating systems. You simply plug it in and it works; just open the "Game Controllers" Control Panel and make sure your system sees it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 1 Step Forward, 1 Step Back, October 15, 2000

By 

Chris Peters (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft Sidewinder Plug and Play Gamepad (USB) (Personal Computers)

Go to Best Buy or some other electronics store and feel this gamepad in your hands - it's the best review you could ever get.

PROS-

- still the best feeling pad in the industry - for many full-sized Americans, this gamepad is heaven on your hands.

- USB (Win98, ME, or 2000 required)

- NO SOFTWARE REQUIRED. You plug this bad boy in, and its ready to go. No downloading updates, no installation wait, no conflicts with other software, guaranteed to work with any game that supports a gamepad.

CONS-

- 4 buttons and 2 triggers. That's it, and its not a lot. If you plan on playing console ports, especially playstation games, you will need to use the keyboard as well. Know what games you will use it with beforehand, and what their requirements are.

- the stiffest D-pad I've ever used. My thumb gets tired after 2 hours. (maybe that's a good thing :) Some people report that buttons stick, but that is a one-time fluke, from what I've seen

- because of the 2 reasons above, not a good reason to trade in your original Sidewinder. In fact, I would recommend getting the original sidewinder instead of this one, if you can find it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great controller at a great price!, June 21, 2002

By 

AMM "adrian_m" (New England, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft Sidewinder Plug and Play Gamepad (USB) (Personal Computers)

What's not to like? This is a lightweight fully functional 6-button USB pad for your PC and it works FLAWLESSLY! It truly is plug-and-play, no installing drivers and minimal configuration is needed. Simply plug the pad in, Windows loads the necessary drivers, go to the the gaming options under your control panel, set the controller ID to 1, and test!

The pad is made of durable plastic and all the buttons, including the D-pad have a nice, satisfying tactile click each time you press them. The D-pad is similar to the one on the XBOX standard controllers which is good news. No analog or rumble features are included, and guess what? YOU WON'T MISS THEM!

This is the PERFECT controller to use for your emulation gaming needs! MAME, SNESX, MAGIC ENGINE, etc all work FLAWLESSLY with this controller. The games play perfectly and there are no issues or lag times associated with any moves. The setup matches the SNES pad perfectly, even down to the two triggers on the back. NEO GEO games are dead on as well.

So, don't listen to the whiners who claim they need 20 buttons/rumble/and analog on their gamepads. For emulation and general PC gaming, you can do better feature and price-wise than with the MS Sidewinder pad! BUY IT TODAY!!!!