Main > Main Forum
Playstation 2 controller (thumbsticks)
Mario Talkington:
Hi...Does anyone know where I can find information about building a Playstation 2 arcade joystick (for a Playstation 2 arcade system I'm making for home) that actually uses the thumbsticks?
I saw that X-Arcade has a controller for PS2, but you don't have enough joysticks...Each PS2 controller has a direction D pad and then two little thumbsticks, also.
Any ideas? Thanks!!
Bob Sanders:
i dont know why you want to do this but you cant use ANY ps2 controllers
you are limited to ps1 controllers because of the "analog" buttons"
interfacing the josticks would seem pretty tricky by any other means that mechanicly sticking a joystick on top.
Dave_K.:
This topic has been discussed several times. The thumbsticks are analog. You will need to either use a Happs analog joystick or 49-way with simple circuit. Both are options are not very cheap. I haven't herd any good way to simulate the analog buttons...but they can be hacked like simple analog ones (your preference if your game requires a light touch on the buttons or not.
BTW you could do the same with the analog joysticks (just hook them up to a digital stick...but then again, you will not have any sensativity.
-Dave
Jakobud:
Now, there is something about hacking a Playstation 2 controller into arcade controls that a lot of people overlook. The PS2 controller is made to fit in your hand. The joysticks are made to be used with nothing more/less than your thumbs. The buttons are made to work with your thumbs, and the shoulder buttons with your fingers. It all works with two hands. Now lets say you simulated the PS2 controls with arcade buttons/joysticks. Two joysticks and all the buttons. How in the heck are you suppose to use this thing with two hands? The newer PS2 games are taking full advantage of all the controls on the controller: both joysticks and all buttons. An arcade joystick requires your entire hand to move it around. SO how do you use both joysticks and then have to take your hand off one of them to press buttons? How annoying would that be. Of course this is not the case for a lot of games, but I think it is for the majority of the games. Think about this, when you want to hack a console controller.
Jakobud
Bob Sanders:
there are only a few types of games that use both stick
3rd person shooter (GTA3)
1st person shooter (007, Unreal Tournament, Time Splitters)
any other game just uses the second stick for a camera
types of games that only use the 1 stick and or the dpad
fighting (tekken 4, Virtua Fighter 4, Capcom vs Snk 2)
Sports (madden nfl, nba 2k2, nhl2002)
Classics are great but why forsake the new games