Spinner Also for PC driving games?

[creepfactory]

Just checking with Spinner owners here if they ever use the spinner in their cabs for PC/windows driving games like pc Need for Speed Etc.? Seems they would be a blast! Anyone ever hook up like a removable plastic mini-steering wheel on thier spinner for this also? I HATE most pc driving wheels I have tried, they are all so stiff, and frekin noisy too! And force feedback works on a wheel in an arcade cab that's welded to a 500 pound frame, not some dang slimsy clamps on your desk, they just make the desk shake all over. So that's why I thought a light touch with a sensitive spinner may be even more fun, and less tiring than a big pc wheel. but what does everyone think?

[Lilwolf]

I dont' have a spinner myself right now... waiting for a good one to hack on ebay...

but just a note here.

I got 3 pole position steering wheels on ebay for less then the price of a new spinner.  Including shipping...

Sure I had to hack them.  But if you want driving games... look at getting a real wheel.  You usually pay more for shipping then for the wheel itself.

[Minwah]

I don't think spinners will work with most PC driving games, since a spinner is essentially a mouse (optics) and PC steering wheels are effectively analog joysticks (pots).  Even if it did work it wouldn't be 'right'...

What you could do is wire up a pot to your gameport, and use a spinner style knob.  I have done this, and it works excellently for ~270deg driving games (as well as paddle games of course).  The only drawback is that is does not self-centre.  This should work equally well with PC games as with MAME.

[menace]

i ended up putting a switch on the mouse port and hacked a PC steering wheel so it would screw into the control panel when i want to play a driving game--now, i just flick a switch and my second mouse (spinner) becomes a 360 steering wheel and it works quite well.  Only draw back is that it doesn't have the same "weight" as an arcade steering wheel so it spins a little too easily--makes turbo very tricky, but iron man stewart's off raod is a blast!  I'm in the process (i.e. too lazy to get around to it) of adjusting the sensitivity settings for each game, which should help.