Gameport on new PC

[trekking95]

I know this is not really related to arcades (but neither was my Atari joystick question) so anyway:

I was using my USB sidewinder to play a tank game and I found the slide on it wasn't very good for the turret movement. So I found an old one with a better slide but it is the 15 pin gameport style, which none of my computers have had for quite a few years. So is there a way to still use it?

Like could the old soundcards with the gameport be used? Or should I buy one of these usb converters?

I have heard there is sometimes a lag from those, is that true?

Or what other things would work?

Actually when I get the Tron joystick and spinner (since this game only uses basic controls) I will rule that game! 

Thanks!!  

[Jack Burton]

As long as your pc has the correct ports there is no reason you couldn't use an old soundcard with a gameport.  I use one every day. 

Does your pc have a pci port?

[trekking95]

As long as your pc has the correct ports there is no reason you couldn't use an old soundcard with a gameport.  I use one every day. 

Does your pc have a pci port?

I have not had my PC that long so I am not sure, but from what the manual says it should.

My old Pentium 3 (not being used, just have since it was my first computer) has the sound card with the gameport.

So how would you go about doing this? Just stick it the slot and it works? Or do you need drivers? Also would it interfere with the built in soundcard?

I have also heard that Windows 7 wont work with gameports. Is that the same with the soundcard ones?

Still have XP here so I could enjoy it while XP lasts! 

[BadMouth]

I have the USB to gameport adapter that you linked to.
I'm using it as an interface for a positional gun.
Haven't noticed any lag, but I am not a hardcore gamer (and it's attached to a giant 2-handed positional gun).

It's plug and play; just shows up as a generic joystick.
It will only handle one joystick though (old gameports could handle two with a splitter cable).
The buttons on the second joystick will show up as buttons 3 and 4 on joystick #1 if you hook two up to it.

"Not compatible with Logitech Wingman Joysticks, Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback joysticks"

A cheap soundcard is around the same price.  Just depends on whether you want to mess with installation and drivers.
I don't know about windows 7 working with the gameports on soundcards.  Sounds like a question for google.

[kahlid74]

As long as the slot exists on your motherboard and drivers are present, it can work.  I would look potentially at a new joystick though??

[trekking95]

Well the joystick I have is logitech wingman attack, I don't think that will work? Why do you think its that way?
So with the buttons 3 and 4 thing is that with the adapter or with the soundcard?
And what if you have more than 2 buttons on the first stick, would it show up as the number after the highest one on the first stick?
Is that the same if you have both a gameport and USB running at the same time?

Well I have the soundcard so what all is involved in the drivers and what not?

I have the USB to gameport adapter that you linked to.
I'm using it as an interface for a positional gun.
Haven't noticed any lag, but I am not a hardcore gamer (and it's attached to a giant 2-handed positional gun).

It's plug and play; just shows up as a generic joystick.
It will only handle one joystick though (old gameports could handle two with a splitter cable).
The buttons on the second joystick will show up as buttons 3 and 4 on joystick #1 if you hook two up to it.

"Not compatible with Logitech Wingman Joysticks, Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback joysticks"

A cheap soundcard is around the same price.  Just depends on whether you want to mess with installation and drivers.
I don't know about windows 7 working with the gameports on soundcards.  Sounds like a question for google.

[trekking95]

As long as the slot exists on your motherboard and drivers are present, it can work.  I would look potentially at a new joystick though??

Never bought a new joystick as I don't use them much. Find a game that it works with, play until I get tired of it and the stick goes back to the shelf.

The USB one is the only the second one I have, after the gameport one. It came from a thrift store, the gameport from some people that didn't want it.

For the few games I play with it I never wanted to spend on a new one, but I might someday since my PC can handle the games you would want a new one with.

[trekking95]

Someone please let me know about how to do the PCI soundcard card install!!

[lanman31337]

Your best solution is going to be getting a gameport to USB adapter.  Windows 7 doesn't support gameports.

[kahlid74]

Someone please let me know about how to do the PCI soundcard card install!!

It's pretty straight forward.  Find an open PCI slot (generally white slots) insert it in with the computer turned off.  Turn the computer back on, the card will be recognized by Windows and it may ask you to search the internet for drivers.  Go ahead and let it.  If it finds them awesome.  If it doesn't, you may have to go to the soundcard's website and see if they have drivers.  If they don't have drivers then you need to search on it and see if someone ports you drivers.  If no one did then you've got to go with the usb to gameport adapters.

[drventure]

I did some looking into this awhile back, as I have a perfectly fine Gameport MS Sidewinder force feedback wheel that was a great driving wheel.

Long story short, Game ports and any OS beyond and including XP just don't mix well together. Spend the money and buy usb stuff to replace it.

You'll get OK results if you have a NON-forcefeedback device, and use a gameport to USB adapter (I used one for a while with a logitec flightstick), but as I understand it, the drivers just aren't there for gameports under xp and beyond. USB pretty much supplanted them.

And as far as ANYTHING forcefeedback, that requires 2 way communication through the gameport, which apparently just isn't possible under the new OS's, and definitely does not work under any USB to gameport adapter that I could ever find.

But I'll watch this thread. It's entirely possible I've missed something. I've got a MS Wheel that would love to have a second life!

[lanman31337]

Beyond XP, Microsoft quit support on gameport since USB covers so much more.  Some people are trying to work on a drive to get Creative devices to work on the gameport, but it's not fully functional.  Gameport to USB should work, but you'll lose any force feedback.

[Thenasty]

don't bother with another soundcard, just buy the game port card (pci). 

[trekking95]

Your best solution is going to be getting a gameport to USB adapter.  Windows 7 doesn't support gameports.

But I have the Logitech Wingman Joystick, the one that adapter won't work with. Why is that?

Or is it just the force feedback Wingman?

[drventure]

As far as I know, most standard gameport joysticks +should+ work with a USB adapter. It's those with FF that I know don't work.

[trekking95]

As far as I know, most standard gameport joysticks +should+ work with a USB adapter. It's those with FF that I know don't work.

Its just the listing for that adapter says it won't work with that joystick. But its likely worth a try.

[trekking95]

One more question:

I gave up on buying an adapter since my old joystick was not that good. But today at goodwill I found one of the old Gravis Xterminator dual control joysticks!! You know, the ones with with controls for both sides, all the different buttons on each side, a thumb stick for the left hand and a "some sort of stick control" on top of the joystick. Yeah, I got that one.  

With all the buttons, axes and what not do you think it would work with the gameport to USB adapter?
The one they sell on Amazon.com (link here) comes with an adapter, but it looks smaller in the plug end and has no switch like the eBay one.
Think there is any difference?