MSRP: $109.99

Force Feedback: Is it a necessary feature or just a silly gimmick? At one time, when the technology debuted, it seemed like a necessary feature. Reviewers waxed eloquent about how motorized force feedback really added to the game experience and they slammed new games that omitted this crucial feature. Well, despite the fact that force feedback technology has become a part of every game released (mainly because of its incorporation into DirectX) game designers are no longer spending a lot of time refining it. The bottom line for me has always been “is it a vehicle simulation of some kind that features a road or a machine gun?” then I want to use a force feedback stick. As time goes by I've been growing more and more discontent with my old MS Force Feedback Pro, it's loud, it vibrates the desktop, its footprint is enormous and that wall-wart plug takes up two valuable wall sockets. Oh, it also isn't USB compatible. Oh, how I wished for an improved version….

First, a little history: Microsoft entered the peripheral market as it enters every market, with a bang. The Sidewinder line of products quickly asserted themselves as among the best, if not the best, joysticks, gamepads and steering wheel you could buy. They almost single handedly made force feedback trendy and an added feature in all games after the first force stick came out (see above). Though Logitech and a few other companies still release competing products, the MS benchmark is the basis of comparison, the bar to hurdle. Well, the bar just moved a bit higher.

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