Sidewinder

SideWinder is a collection of gaming devices from Microsoft that include a steering wheel, numerous standard joypads, many strange, oddly shaped specialized gamepads, driving wheels, joysticks, and even a voice module. These items are of high manufacturing quality, and really great usability, with drivers available for PC and Mac. These pads, which are practically gaurenteed to work without a hitch on Windows, are great on the DirectX platform, as they can assure game publishers every device will automatically work with their software.

Many of these devices take advantage of a "force feedback" feature to make them more "interactive" with the games. These models are quite expensive, and are not worth the distraction, IMO. One of the notable problems with the joystick is that it does not cater well to left-handed individuals, as a friend of mine always complained about such.

Side"wind`er (?), n.

1.

(Zool.) See Horned rattler, under Horned.

2.

A heavy swinging blow from the side, which disables an adversary.

[Slang.]  

© Webster 1913.