Saitek SP550

Most people appreciate that adding posh graphics cards and speakers to a PC for gaming purposes is an expensive business, but few think about the costs involved in buying games controllers. Although budget controllers can be had for as little as a fiver, they're inevitably tough to set up and miserable to use.

Buying a reasonable gamepad and joystick could set you back £60 but most people simply don't want to invest that kind of money in playing games. For that reason, Saitek's offer of a joystick and a gamepad for £30 looks like a great option for the pocket-money gamer.

The most novel feature of the SP550 is the fact it combines two devices in one. Sat on the desk, it simply looks like a fairly ugly joystick, but if you pop the buttons in, the joystick bit pulls away, leaving a fairly ugly gamepad. When you want your joystick back, it's a simple matter of pushing the two halves back together.

When you separate the halves, Windows notices the difference and updates the control panel accordingly. If you try to switch in the middle of a game, though, expect a roller coaster of blue screen crashes and other signs of PC distress. We recommend you choose the type of controller you want to use before you fire up your software.

The SP550 is USB only, so owners of PCs using Windows 95 will have to look for another solution. USB does mean it is very simple to set up. Just make sure you have your Windows CD-ROM on hand to provide the drivers.

In use, both the joystick and the gamepad are pleasant to use. The joystick is sculpted and comfortable - providing you are not left-handed - and well weighted. A throttle control and point-of-view hat makes it a natural for flight simulations, and a choice of eight buttons means you can customise the controls until you feel comfortable. In gamepad mode, it also has eight buttons, with two under the shoulders as on game-console controllers.

The SP550 has been tickled with the ugly stick and simply doesn't have the build quality of rival Microsoft controllers. That said, it represents value for money and, most importantly, is very pleasant to use.

Contact
Saitek: 01454 451900 www.saitek.com

ALSO CONSIDER

LOGIC 3 PHANTOM 2 JOYSTICK
£25
Not yet reviewed

See also:

Logitech Cordless Wingman Gamepad

A great gamepad at a good price.  20 Mar 2002

Logitech Wingman Interceptor

An ergonomic moulded grip and more buttons than you could ever want. What more could you want froma humble joystick?  03 Feb 2000

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