Microsoft SideWinder Dual Strike

Categories > Leisure

Overview - Click to show/hide.

Where to buy - Click to show/hide.

Add review, rate or discuss - Click to show/hide.

Best gamepad EVER!
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
This gamepad is the best I've ever seen/payed with.

Should be mandatory in a first-person shooter game as well as roleplay. (Played NWN/Diablo serie with it)

Very sad that Microsoft stopped the production (AFAIK) of this jewel and never replacer it with anything else (which mimic the mouse)

Obsolete GameController - don't buy it
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
Having purchased a new VISTA PC, I thought I'd try the new game demo LOST PLANET. Remarkable graphics for a first person shooter game, so I tried this game controller to navigate. Ugh. It was designed for win98, and isn't supported by MS. No recent drivers, and you can't easily turn right/left, or look-shoot up or down. Modern games do lots more than this old junk can handle.

Microsoft's loose hat...
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
First of all, this is to say this is the only controller of its kind, and very good at what it does for FPS games. But, #1, the buttons could be laid out better, and #2, the hat switch will fall off. It gets expensive always replacing the controller, so here's an easy way to fix the hat switch for good:
Once it breaks off, get yourself 4 things: a medium paper clip, a tube of superglue, wire cutters, and a pin vice (one of those tiny hand-drills, with a bit the size of the paperclip wire). Cut up the paper clip so you have three pieces each a half-inch long. Drill three holes in the hat-switch base, laid out like a triangle, and three corresponding holes in the place where it broke off. Apply superglue to the ends of the paperclip peices, and insert them into the hat switch holes, then line them up and glue it into the holes in the base. Voila! It will never break on you again, and you can enjoy your Dual Strike at least until someone comes out with something better.

Awkward but worth it
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
This pad is very awkward to get used to but I loved it. I played Half-Life with it and was amazed at the fluid ease that it gave me. Recommended for thos who are tired of sitting at the keyboard.

Great controller, wish it was made better though.
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
I found my Siderwinder:Dual Strike at a local Biglots for $10. It was and still is the best damn controller I've ever had. Though I do have a gripe about the hatswitch. I not only used my DS to play driving games like Need For Speed and Knight Rider, but I also used it for my SNES and Game Boy Advance emulation. I configured the hat to be my D-pad, this worked for a while and I was happy until the switch broke off.

Now it has a screw in it, and the up direction doesn't work anymore. I still use the controller but only to play racing games and Quake. My suggestion to Sidewinder would be to make a different version of this gaming tool but with an NES cross-type directional pad instead of the hard plastic hat. Aside from that one defect this controller kicks the crap out of any game-pad or wheel that I've ever used.

You can map any button to any key. You can use the swivel as your mouse, which is very useful in First Person Shooters. You can also use the shift key which can allow you to have two different functions for one button. Being able to map buttons to keys is great for ZSNES or any game that will let you choose which key does what.

Maybe if we sent enough emails to the Microsoft people they would remake this awesome controller.

Good comfort for FPS games
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
When playing FPS (first person shooters) games, you are usually hunched over your desk with one hand on the keyboard, and one hand on the mouse or trackball. This device allows you to lean back, sit comfortably and play hours on end. The pad is versatile enough to incorporate all the essential functions of any FSP. However, you tend to lose some precision relative to a trackball, i.e. this device will probably not increase your Quake II Railgun kill ratio. In addition, the hat switch does break too easily and too soon. However, I was able to extend the life of my pad with superglue. Overall, I don't see anything on the market that gives you the ease of play for FPS games, which is why I give it 4 stars, but I would recommend buying two so you have a back up when the 1st one breaks, "and it will break"

Interesting Product
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
I bought this after reading the review in MaximumPC. They were right -- you have to use this controller for about a week before you get the hang of it. I only use it with Q3A and it was frustrating at first, but now I could not imagine playing without it.

Direction of the Thumb
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
I picked up one of these controllers several months ago, just after it first came out. I used it to play UNREAL Tournament and QUAKE III Arena. I really enjoyed the ability that a direction button (left thumb) and a mouse-type trigger movement (right hand)gave to strafing. My ability to move, shoot, change weapons and generally avoid other's shots simultaneously skyrocketed. As well, the programmability of the mechanism and option to change certain features of the DUAL STRIKE in the software interface allowed me a great deal of comfort in customizing to my own playing needs. Though my overall impression was favorable, there were small, annoying problems. First, no lefties. You gotta learn right-handed triggering. I'm right handed, but I had gotten used to moving with arrow keys and a mouse, which righties use right-handed. And if I didn't shoot with the mouse, I'd shoot left-handed with the keyboard. Second, the left-handed movement button is like a joystick, you just set your thumb on it and move the thumb around. Sounds cool, and it is, because you get that 8-way movement without missing a beat. But I think the plastic they use in the manufacture of it is a little weak, or I'm super-strong. I broke the button off twice. I'm good with super-glue, so I fixed it twice. I noticed that the shaft the button is attached to is a little long, which might contribute to the problem. Third, and finally, it is a Microsoft and a USB product. That means that it will usually be first on the list of gaming devices and when you least expect it your other USB devices will stop responding , in favor of the Dual Strike. And don't forget that the targeting swivel on the right-hand is, technically, a mouse input. Yes, you will have to abandon your mouse use and just get used to using the controller exclusively. Oh, and I did have problems outside of games. I sometimes couldn't use my mouse, but I could use the DUAL STRIKE. But that can be remedied pretty easily by turning the DUAL STRIKE off in your device manager. USB makes this a breeze to turn off and on without rebooting and it still works.

Close, but no cigar...
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
Microsoft went on on the limb for this one. Try to fit a mouse and a keyboard on a controller.... This idea was genius, but unfortunately missed the mark. The only complaint that I had with this controller was the fact that they should of added a spring mechanism to "re-align" the controller back to the center position. When you are in the heat of the battle of Unreal Tournament or Half-Life, your hand will be in this wierd prostrated position (which is very uncomfortable) until you reset your view to center.. Other than this minor problem, this controller gives you the closest I have seen to the mouse-and-keyboard combination. Keep working Microsoft!!

There are better pads out there
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
It was with great mourning that I retired my Gravis Xterminator, and now I feel like crying a river and pursuing some means of electronic resurrection or wizardry to bring it back... I was looking for a controller (whether gamepad or joystick) that took advantage of USB technology and provided proportional control for driving/racing sims as well as flight sims like X-Wing Alliance and the new Crimson Skies. I looked around and decided on the Dual Strike, seeing that it had some decent reviews and, if I took the time to get past the 1.5 hour learning curve for its radical design, I'd have an awesome controller on my hands that would let me do darn near anything.

Frankly, I was disappointed every step of the way. Unlike my old Gravis, the Dual Strike's "schemes" (where you control the function of the programmable buttons) have to be loaded seperately under the Game Controller every time you decide to play a different game--the Gravis automatically adapted, recognizing the programs loading up.

When I began to use the buttons, I realized how poorly they were actually placed. All to often, trying to press one button, I'd wind up pressing another at the same time. The button (top button on right side of controller) is almost completely inaccessable, and futzing around with the shift-key during the middle of a firefight is downright dangerous. The triggers where your index fingers rest are a nice attempt to provide what other controllers easily offer, but fail in that they activate during rough moves when you least want them to, and you forget they're there when you most need them because they just feel like a solid part of the Dual Strike's shell.

The proportional control (the swivelling part on the right) does take a while to get used to, and once you do, it's a truly innovative idea when it comes to FPSs. Great idea, offering a lot of flexibility and control. Unfortunately, the "center" position is without any form of guidance in the form of internal resistance. You've got to futz around until your character finally stops moving to know when you've found it, nothing intuitive about it at all. This was especially problematic when I tried to use the controller for Need for Speed: High Stakes and X-Wing Alliance. Frankly, there's too much going on in sim environs, and a greater requirement for an auto-centering proportional control, than that which the Dual Strike provides.

There are better pads out there... You're paying a mid-range price for a high-tech gimmick on a pad with below-average performance. I'm inclined to give the pad only 1-star, because I was really looking for something to help me out on the sims, but to be fair it ranks about a 3 when it comes to FPSs, but they really have to figure out how gamers use the buttons to make this a decent FPS pad.

Good While It Lasted....
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
I agree with all of the reviews up until now. The product was GREAT for playing games like Quake 2 and other shoot 'em ups. But, the fun only lasted until the thumb directional pad fell off. After looking at how it happened, it's easy to see that it (the thumb pad) was definitely under-engineered. It's only held on by a small piece of plastic (approx. 1/8" in diameter), and it is easily broken during normal gameplay.

I got more than 10 hours of use, but it definitely didn't last as long as I expected from a product from Microsoft. I have purchased other Microsoft hardware, and I'm very happy with the durability of those, just not the Dual Strike.

New, unique, and top of the line controller
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
The dual strike is the best controller ever made for first-person perspective. I'm currently playing Deus Ex and am able to crawl around, shoot and gather with great precision because of this controller's unique two-handed motion. I've found it ergonomic (no sore fingers) and natural to use. Plus it lets you program any function to any buttons. Truly a well-designed product!

EXPECTED BETTER FROM MICROSOFT
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
This Controller has to be by far, the WORST by Microsoft. Within 5 days, the swivelling Point of View hat had broken off, which didn't really bother me as I couldn't get the controller to work with half of my games! If you want to try it, it isn't a bad price if you like throwing your money. My advice: STAY AWAY! FAR, FAR, AWAY!

Superb
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
When I got this "banana shaped" item I thought that I never would enjoy to play with it. But after twenty minutes of intensive playing I loved it! The only bad thing is that you have to play several minutes with it to know how it works.

BUYERS WARNING and I love it
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
I have now owned 3 dual strikes the thumb pad is *very* poorlycrafted. The store I bought it from offered a replacement guaranteefor 4.00 so I bought it, and I'm glad Ill be getting my fourth dual strike today. Why you say because is an incredible tool...If it wasn't for the thumb pad I'd throw my mouse, keyboard and joystick out the window. Its a dream pad...If Microsoft can beef up the thumb pad they have a serious winner. If not, Ill just keep exchanging them for a year then get my money back!

Thumb pad breaks off way to easily...with maybe 10 hours of game play consistently Don't buy one without a purchase extended warranty. In fact don't buy one unless you have lots of free time to keep exchanging it. END

The Right Controller for the right game...
Review Source : AmazonUS
Review Type : User from other site
For those of you who remember a similar tilt axis namco controller for the playstation will already know that this controller was made for, Racing games. The one I bought it for was Episode 1 PODRACER, just sit back and play with an almost uncanny similarity to the actual game vehicle. Sure it takes getting used to but it is definately worth the time. It's not going to replace the keyboard and mouse for games like Quake and Unreal but I have yet to find a controller that does.

The controller is great for freeing yourself from your desk to the comfort of your couch with one device to control. I have successfully configured the game to play for games like Soul Reaver, Slave Zero and Star Seige.

-=j=-