| Sidewinder Precision Pro Manufactured
By: Microsoft
Retail Price: $69.99
Review Date:
05-18-99
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| As I mentioned before, my favorite stick of all time was the Microsoft
Sidewinder 3D. It was affordable and packed with features. It was one of the
first real controllers I had and I used it up until last year when I replaced it with the
many other controllers that led me to create The Control Center. The Precision Pro
is the next generation of the Sidewinder 3D. It holds all the same features as the
3D Pro and adds an ergonomic stick (thank you Microsoft!), shift button and USB support.
The Sidewinder Precision Pro is a very versatile controller. It
offers basic 2 axis stick controls, a throttle and rudder capabilities giving the user a
total of 4 axis's of control. The weekend flight-simmer can afford this controller
and the sims to go with it without compromising on control. It also is an
appropriate controller for racing sims, space sims and arcade shooters although I'd look
for another type of a controller for first-person-shooters.
The comfort of the stick is quite an improvement from the 3D
Pro. The stick is molded to the contour of most peoples hands. this is a two
handed controller- with one on the stick and the other controlling the throttle and base
buttons. The base is not heavy but because it is wide it stays well put on the desk
while in use. Your right thumb gets a workout during heated play. Three of the
four stick buttons and the 8 way hat switch are placed on the front of the stick.
Even with them in the same location they are arranged in a way that they are
accessible without being crammed. The base buttons are similarly setup.
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Features 95%-
- Ergonomic molded stick
- 8 programmable buttons + a shift button
- 8 way hat switch
- throttle
- stick-twist rudder
- USB or Gameport connection
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Appropriate For-
- Flight Sims (MS FlightSim 99, MS Combat Sim, Flight Unlimited II,
etc.)
- Space Sims (Descent Freespace, Forsaken)
- Others (Motocross Madness, NFS3, etc.)
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System Requirements
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486/66MHz or higher processor, Windows 95/98 (98 required for USB), 8mb RAM,
SoundBlaster compatible soundcard with game/MIDI port or USB port |
Price
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At its full MSRP of $70 the PPro offers a great controller, features galore
and support. Through 1/1/00 Microsoft is offering a $20 rebate on the Precision Pro.
This brings the price of the MS PPro under $50. (Microsoft is one of the few
companies that actually pays it rebates in a timely manner too!)
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Warranty-
1 year.
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Performance 89%-
I tested the PPro with both the USB and gameport
connection. I did not see a noticeable difference in either but find the USB
connection much more convenient. I have both a joystick gameport hub and a USB hub
but most will find the USB the way to go if they have the capability. The throttle and rudder controls are especially useful for fight sims.
I used the PPro for both Microsoft FightSim 98 and Combat Sim with great success.
The buttons and the shift feature should keep your hand off the keyboard for all of
the critical functions in the sims. The hat switch is very useful for seeing what is
going on in areas around you while in flight.
One of my favorite games is Motocross Madness and the PPro is
a great device for this game. It did take some getting accustom to because the stick
has a different return-to-center mechanism than others. It seems as if it has more
tension at center and it decreases as you reach the outer edge of the range. I
initially was taking turns to sharp but eventually adjusted to the feel of the stick and
was winning races again.
I also used the Precision Pro with Descent Freespace and
Forsaken. With both games the rudder function was used to control ship roll and the
throttle for forward movement. In Forsaken it is a bit difficult to keep the ship at
a standstill because the throttle center must be hit exactly. Freespace didn't have
this issue because none of the ships have reverse mode.
I even tested the PPro with a few racing sims. I always
prefer a wheel for driving games but wanted to test the versatility of the controller.
It did well in NFS3, Midtown Madness and DethKarz. Virtually every game I
tried the PPro with setup and played well. Its a very versatile controller that
plays well once you aquatint yourself with it.
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Setup 95%
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Setup of the Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Pro straightforward. If
using the gameport connection- Assure you have the latest drivers for your soundcard and
the latest version of Direct X before beginning. Also consult the Microsoft website
to make sure your soundcard is not one of the incompatible cards before beginning.
Insert the driver and software CD and follow the instructions on the screen.
Upon restart you should check the game
controller setup screen and make sure the Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Pro is selected
as device #1. There is no calibration required.
Setup for USB is even easier. Forget any
compatibility issues. Just assure you have Windows 98 and your USB ports are active
in both your BIOS and Windows setup. You do not even need to install the software
for the Precision Pro when connecting with USB unless you wish to take advantage of the
advanced programming features of the controller. The ID for the Precision Pro is
already part of Windows 98 and will be detected and displayed in the game controller setup
automatically. If you wish to use the profiler software- insert the controller
into a free USB port and insert the Sidewinder CD. Follow the onscreen instructions
and restart the system. No calibration in necessary for either USB
setup.
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Software 90%-
I already had the Microsoft 3.02 version of the drivers and
profile utility and used that for the testing of the unit. Since I remove all
manufacturer's drivers when I perform testing to prevent conflicts I was required to
install the software. I used the Microsoft Motocross Madness CD that came with the
Sidewinder Freestyle Pro. The CD autoplays upon insertion into your player and
installs easily. There is a single required restart and the drivers are set to use. The profiler software operates through loading a keyset for each game
or sim you use. Buttons on the controller can be assigned either a single keystroke
or a series of keystrokes to execute when the button is pressed while playing. Some
people find the profiler useful but I prefer to use in-game button assignment whenever
available. In order to activate a profile you must select the "SW" icon in
your system tray; select the appropriate Microsoft controller and check the appropriate
profile. The profile is active until you un-check it or select another. The
3.02 software comes with profiles for a variety of current games. You can create
your own or download them from the net.
I preferred previous versions of the profiler software that
allowed you to assign profiles to game executables. With this option you did not
have to manually select the profile you wanted to run. During setup you would
specify the game executable and the profile would load whenever you ran the game. I
assume this option was dropped so you could have multiple profiles for the same game.
To find user created profiles for download visit one of the sites listed on the
Links page. Microsoft also offers a small download that removes the profiler from
your system tray, freeing up resources for those that don't use it.
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Documentation
(not rated) -
I did not receive the full retail package for the Microsoft Sidewinder
Precision Pro. However, if the joystick is similar to other Microsoft controllers I
have reviewed you can expect a CD case guide describing basic installation. The
Sidewinder profile software also includes an extensive on-line manual and guide.
This is where most of the information can be found. It includes an introduction,
section on the software and "More information". Within these files are
details on how to create and use profiles, troubleshoot problems and setup your Microsoft
controller. The on-line documentation is great
but it is no substitute for a comprehensive manual. I would prefer to see each MS
controller come with a printed manual with the information contained on the on-line
help. Very few people read the manual and far fewer seek on-line help.
Microsoft has a very extensive website for its Sidewinder
controllers. Be warned, it is very extensive and sometimes difficult to navigate
because of its size. I have provided links to some of the most commonly sought pages
from the site on my Helpful Microsoft Controller Links page.
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Overall Rating 91.25% -
The Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Pro is a wonderful
joystick. It offers the benefit of both a digital gameport and USB connection along
with a great set of features. Its a comfortable stick that offers advanced button
programming and throttle and rudder control. I recommend the MS PPro for flight
simmers and general gamers.
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Pros-
- Features, features...
- USB or digital gameport connection
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Cons-
- Incompatibility with some gameports.
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1 Stick
- Not Recommended
2 Sticks - Functional
3 Sticks - Recommended with some issues
4 Sticks - Recommended
5 Sticks - Highly Recommended!
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| Similar to-
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Buy the SideWinder Precision Pro Joystick
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