Tag Archives: joystick

This Might Be The MOST Advanced PC Flight Simulation Game Controller You Could Legally Buy

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Any more advanced and the FBI would probably put you on a watch-list for purchasing it…

If the idea of recreating scenes from Top Gun in your flight simulator program excite you, you’re aware that a keyboard or gaming controller probably won’t cut it. Meet the VelocityOne Flightdeck from Turtle Beach, a HOTAS (Hands On Throttle-And-Stick) controller that gives you the most lifelike flight control experience money can buy. Aside from simulating G-force during flight, this bad-boy is capable of putting you front and center of the action. Maybe pair it with a VR headset and you’re golden!

Designer: Turtle Beach

Designed as a comprehensive control system, the VelocityOne Flightdeck ushers in the future of flight and space combat simulation on Windows 10 and 11 PCs. While it’s unfortunate that it doesn’t extend to Xbox consoles like its predecessor, the VelocityOne Flight, PC gamers will rejoice at the prospect of diving into their favorite flight simulation titles with this true-to-life setup.

Featuring 15 axes and a staggering 139 programmable functions, the VelocityOne Flightdeck offers a level of customization that caters to the diverse needs of virtual pilots. Whether you’re soaring through the skies in X-Plane, navigating the intricacies of Microsoft Flight Simulator, or exploring the vastness of space in Elite Dangerous, this HOTAS setup has you covered.

Central to the Flightdeck’s appeal is the innovative Flight Touch Display, a first-of-its-kind feature that combines real-time simulation status with advanced customization capabilities. This allows users to configure up to 39 extra button functions, enhancing the HOTAS experience across major combat simulation titles. The device boasts 139 programmable functions, offering an unmatched level of customization.

The VelocityOne Flightdeck is engineered for precision and durability. It utilizes non-contact Hall effect sensors for the main movement controls on both the stick and throttle, ensuring long-lasting accuracy and performance. This technological choice is crucial for maintaining consistent, precise control over time, setting the Flightdeck apart from competitors.

Beyond its core functionalities, the Flightdeck enhances user experience through additional features like adjustable RGB lighting and Turtle Beach’s signature audio advantages. Users can connect any 3.5mm headset to the system, enjoying functionalities such as Superhuman Hearing®, audio EQ modes, mic monitoring, and game and chat volume balance. The adjustable RGB lighting allows users to customize the ambiance of their gaming setup, further immersing themselves in the virtual skies.

The Flight Hangar companion app is a significant value add, enabling deep customization and performance tuning. Available for Windows PCs, it allows pilots to create and transfer comprehensive configuration profiles directly to the Flightdeck. This feature ensures that the system not only meets the immediate needs of users but is also future-proofed through easy firmware updates.

The Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightdeck commands a premium price tag of $399.99. While this may seem steep, the investment is justified by the device’s unparalleled performance and feature set. Pre-orders are currently open, with the HOTAS setup set to hit store shelves on February 23, 2024. The VelocityOne Flightdeck is also part of a broader ecosystem that includes headsets, controllers, and other gaming peripherals, all designed to enhance the gaming experience.

The post This Might Be The MOST Advanced PC Flight Simulation Game Controller You Could Legally Buy first appeared on Yanko Design.

Man Builds Remote Controlled Bed So He Never Has to Leave It

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I’ve heard of couch potatoes before, but never bed potatoes. But here to prove there is such a thing, a 39-year-old man from China named Zhu Jianqiang went and built himself a joystick-controlled bed so he never has to get out from under the sheets to go about his day. Talk about a genius!

The bed moves about as fast as a walking human and gets an impressive 30 miles to a full charge (there’s plenty of room for a large battery). It can tackle steep grades thanks to its large tires and braking system and includes a motor for raising the incline of your head and a canopy for staying out of the sun. Now it just needs a mini-fridge and I’ve found my dream bed!

In the video, Zhu even takes the bed down to a pond to do a little fishing. That’s cool. At least until he accidentally steers himself into the water. Then it’s less cool and more cold and wet. Unless, of course, it can transform into a submarine bed the way James Bond’s would.

[via TechEBlog]

The Furbtroller: A Fully Functional Terrifying Furby XBox Controller

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Because dreams really do come true, and that means nightmares as well, engineer Chad Etzel went and built the unholy Furbtroller: an Xbox controller modded using Furby body parts, including eyeballs and mouth for joysticks. I only hope by the time you’re reading this that it’s already been cleansed with fire and wiped from the earth.

Chad says he was originally inspired to build the controller after fellow gamer Ben Bayliss made a rendering of a Furby-themed Xbox controller (seen above), and decided to take that inspiration to the next logical step. That step being the abomination you see here. Never before have I wished the internet axiom ‘What Has Been Seen, Cannot Be Unseen’ wasn’t so true.

Could you even imagine trying to actually play a video game with this nightmare? Forget about beating a boss in Elden Ring, I’d be more concerned with destroying the monster in my hands. I’ll be honest – I’m seriously considering starting a Patreon for Chad and contributing if he promises not to make any more controllers in the future.

This racing wheel-inspired gaming controller is the logical evolution professional gamers deserve

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In the sea of similar-looking gaming controllers and joysticks, budding designer JinYoub Woo has revamped the perspective of a basic gaming controller’s form factor. He calls this concept design, the John Varvatos Joystick and it looks more like a prop from the Star Wars franchise.

Immersive content for gaming has skyrocketed the demand for this industry and the analysts predict a revenue generation of $260 billion by 2025. Now, that tells me, the gaming industry is going big (if it already isn’t) in capturing the interest of people who never took gaming too seriously. Youngsters are perceiving gaming as more than just a vent for entertainment, and professional gamers have a lucrative gold mine in their sights – turning the highly addictive pass time into a hardcore profession. For excelling in any professional sports, you need the right tools, and the gamepad or joystick is the most important weapon in the arsenal.

The basic design of gaming controllers hasn’t changed much in all the decades since it first burst into the scene with the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1983. Fast forward to current times and the Sony DualSense Controller, Logitech F310, Nintendo Switch Pro or the Xbox Core Controller is a testament to the fact. The designer’s inspiration for the controller here comes from a mash-up of John Varvatos perfume (that’s a strange reference point) and the Sony old-school controller.

A unique hollow bottom section like the steering input of a sophisticated spaceship or even a racing car is what intrigues my interest. The shape is more ergonomic for comfort during long hours of play and gives the controller a futuristic persona. The directional pad and the input buttons have a muted feel, while the Menu button and other game buttons take the form of a rollable metal button right in the middle on either side. The bumper buttons are ergonomically placed on the top corners but could have been a bit further to the edge for big-handed gamers.

Since there is a substitution in the materials of the design, the controller is automatically lighter as compared to other popular options on the market. I would want this in my hands for long hours of action gaming on a weekend, that’s for sure. Plus it looks make it a worthy addition to every gamers arsenal.

Designer: JinYoub Woo

 

The post This racing wheel-inspired gaming controller is the logical evolution professional gamers deserve first appeared on Yanko Design.

This ergonomic joystick-shaped mouse was inspired by the way our hand holds a pencil

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It’s just common sense… your hand’s much more dexterous when you’re holding a pencil versus holding a mouse. Try writing your name on a piece of paper with a pencil, versus on the MS Paint program with a cursor and you’ll see the difference! The fact dawned on Seoul-based designer Foxtail Gihawoo too, that the best way to make a mouse that’s ergonomic as well as precise, was to rely on the pencil-grip technique.

Gihawoo’s Ergonomic Mouse looks like a joystick at first, until you realize that it’s meant to be held at its base like a thick marker instead of at the tip (where one would normally hold a joystick). It sports neat curved surfaces for your hand to rest on, with left and right-click buttons both resting under your index finger in a manner that may require a bit of getting used to. To left-click, simply press the upper button, and to right-click, move your finger slightly lower to hit the lower button. The scroll wheel finds its place naturally under the middle finger, which means you can scroll and click together without shifting fingers around. Ultimately, the design comes with a grippy rubberized surface around its sides, boosting dexterity, and even though the mouse isn’t ambidextrous, one can easily manufacture left-handed variants for people who require it.

Designer: Foxtail Gihawoo

BMW-inspired dockable joystick designed to help you control your autonomous vehicle in the future!

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Autonomous vehicles are going to be the future of transportation. Or at least partially autonomous ones. And a lot of those we are already seeing around us today. But an SAE level 5 automation is still a distant dream. Until then, partial manual control or at least some form of human intervention will still be needed. But that doesn’t mean the control interface has to be the same. In a substantially advanced self-driving vehicle of the near future, we can quite possibly replace the steering wheel with some other form of control mechanism. One such concept has been developed for BMW by designer Lars Welten while interning there.

Lars draws cues from Oculus Rift’s VR controller to build the form of the joystick and embeds within it the signature design language of the BMW brand. The output is an astonishing product that molds the polygonal surface features quite well into a demanding ergonomic layout. He visualizes the use of concrete/stoneware material as the highlight of the rich design with other parts made in anodized aluminum and polycarbonate. The use of leather and Alcantara adds to the premium feel that goes well with the luxury interiors of BMW’s autonomous vehicles.

Remember, autopilot, be it in cars or airplanes, is just a commonplace terminology. And it doesn’t mean that the vehicle can run completely on its own. That kind of technology has not been developed yet. But little advancements over time like this concept joystick will surely take us there someday. In fact, BMW has applied for a patent of an airplane like steering joystick quite recently. The future might be closer than we think!

Designer: Lars Welten

Thrustmaster unveils official Airbus gear ahead of ‘Flight Simulator’ release

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In anticipation of Microsoft’s new Flight Simulator, Thrustmaster has unveiled “licensed by Airbus” gear that’s perfect for proper plane geeks. The new brand, TCA or Thrustmaster Civil Aviation, includes a modular sidestick, dual thrust lever throttl...

Modder Made Working GameCube Joy-Cons for His Nintendo Switch

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The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic little gaming system, with a great library of exclusive games, and the ability to switch between a portable and home console in one. The standard Joy-Con gaming controllers that come with it are pretty good already – if a little small for those of us with bigger hands. Now after seeing a number of fake renders of the idea, some has gone and built a set of Joy-Cons based on the classic GameCube controller.

Shank Mods really wanted to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a proper GameCube controller, so he set about the complicated and time-consuming task of chopping up a real GameCube Wavebird wireless controller to convert it into a Joy-Con. He sliced the controller in twain, then ripped out the guts and replaced them with the electronics from the Switch Joy-Cons. That way he was able to preserve the style and feel of the GameCube joystick, while preserving the full functionality of the Switch’s controllers.

But as you can see in the build video below, I’m vastly oversimplifying the work that was required. The project took months, and he had to basically redesign the entire interior of the Wavebird, and custom 3D print various parts to make everything fit and hold in place securely.

The end result is really impressive – the controller splits in half and mounts to rails on the side of the Switch, as well as a central rail for joining the controller halves back together. I’d love to see Nintendo offer a series of retro style controllers like this for the Switch, but for now, we have to leave it to talented modders like Shank to get the job done.

[via SlashGear]

Atari shows off joystick and controller for its retro VCS console

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When the Atari VCS team decided to remake the retro console, it knew the controllers would be just as important as the box itself. After all, there's no gaming accessory quite as iconic as the Atari CX40 joystick. Earlier this spring, we got a glimps...