Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Wheel USB version

Weeks ago, I was needing a second steering wheel, to partner with my MS Sidewinder FF (gameport version), so I spent a few hours surfing the Internet to know if there already was a viable alternative to the Microsoft's Hardware Group proposals.

Some Usenet posts and some WWW sites were writing about a Guillemot Ferrari Wheel with FF, which features loads of bells and even more whistles: you get back shifter paddles (as used in todays' competition cars), dual 8-way POVs (as in most flying joysticks), other general purpose front buttons, and a circular Ferrari logo, to boost your ego. It looks great to some... and hysterical to others, with a mix of platinum / black / yellow and red colors that catch the eye when you are on the shop (but can soon become boring or "cheap").

I don't care about looks, so I tried to check if there were any major design flaws. As you might know, it is easy to buy unusable steering wheels... My rule of rules is "if it doesn't feature the Microsoft clamping system, then DO NOT BUY it". Well, that was a very good start for the Guillemot proposal, as it features a DUAL clamping holding! Great stability.

Unfortunately, a little investigation showed that the internal design has very fragile shift paddles - the contacts are so weak that a massive number of (heavy duty?) users are returning their hardware for replacement of the damaged parts. So the Ferrari gadget was kicked out of my candidates' list.

Afraid of disappointment, I decided to play safe and go for the exact same hardware that already keeps me 100% satisfied in performance, durability and flexibility: another Microsoft Force Feedback unit.

But I had a surprise waiting for me: the Microsoft Hardware Group ceased producing the gameport version of the wheel, and now you can only buy it with a USB interface. Which is good, in theory.

In theory, the USB version allows faster communication / higher bandwidth (12 Mbps for the entire bus) and, above all, it theoretically frees the soundcard from the burden of treating the MIDI signals that correspond to the feedback inputs, meaning that the software is less prone to sound glitches. Yeah, you'll get higher frame rates in most games :)

In the real world, USB might rise problems. The only operating systems supporting it are Windows 9x (with a few patches), Windows ME, and Windows 2000... and you'd better read all about your motherboard's chipset...

I am using Windows 2000 [W2K] with a TYAN S1834 dual P3@733 FSB133 board, and this hardware has, or had, some issues with its integrated USB ports. In fact, it takes version 1.05 of the S1834 BIOS (released in August 2000) to get the board to support USB properly... previous BIOS versions resulted in sluggish performance.

The MSFFW-USB is advertised "for Win98" only, and it comes with the famous Sidewinder Central Software, on version 4. This software is a gamer's dream, allowing all the tweaks you can imagine! The Sidewinder Central is a strong guarantee that your games will be compatible with your input devices.

Unfortunately for many users, version 4 of this software ABSOLUTELY CUTS the gameport support and is NOT available for download from the Internet, contrary to all of its previous releases, who were free and retro-compatible. Sidewinder 4 is only for USB devices and is the ONLY sidewinder release that you can get to work in Windows 2000.

Still, when installing Sidewinder 4 under W2K, you are warned that the stuff was written to work on Windows 98, NOT in Windows 2000... so you must accept the risks of proceeding... and after you do, you get the expected tray icon that shortcuts to all the tuning you might need. Problems until this point: ZERO. The wheel is very easy to unpack, plug and test, and the software is really as perfect as I can imagine it. As always, you can mirror keyboard keys to controller key, choose two OR three axes and record macros...

What about gaming action?

Answer: perfect. Absolutely perfect, as it was with the original gameport version. Dead zones and sensibility for all the three axes can be customized, and all the buttons on the wheel are programmable and can be binded to any keybard key, under any game I can think of! Brilliant.

This wheel was in for a 100% recommendation, however I do have USB problems with it, but the responsibility lies elsewhere... (read below)

Question: What kind of problems?

Answer: random system resets (only) on my main PC (link to how it WAS on 130700), and ONLY when playing heavy-on-the-force-feedback titles, like GP3 (read my GP3 review on days 280800 and 300800). That is it. I had zero problems on my 2nd machine, which is also a very high spec beast...

I'll update this review, when I find out how to run this device with zero problems under the aforementioned system configuration... and that might never happen, as I did try everything, including the use of a Opti Firelink 82c861 PCI USB card (a 4 ports beast, very well established as USB's top compatible gadget)...