| how_much_i_spent_so_far | arcade-controllers-prices |
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Title | Game / System | Comments | Dev | |
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Logic3 PS Dominator + Dual PSX to USB | Operation Flashpoint Mig Alley PS2 Flight Smulators Heatseeker Wii IL-2 Sturmovik Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Star Wars: Racer Wing Commander: Prophecy Descent II Red Faction Sega Sky Target CodWW2-Dogfight Mission Battlefield3-Dogfight Mission | 🎮 plug & play Worked OOTB on Mac/Win via standard USB HID. Great for retro fighters and 2D arcade. No driver headache. | ||
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Lotus Gamester Wheel + Xbox to USB adapter | Racing games (PCSX2 / Dolphin) Colin McRae Rally 2 Colin McRae Rally 3 Sega Rally Champonship Mobil1 Rally Championship PS1 Grand Prix 4 Rally | ⚠️ driver dependent Works on older macOS (10.15) with 360Controller, but Big Sur+ lacks support. On Windows works with x360ce. Great force feedback potential. | |
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iPad Air 2 + Gamevice Controller(xbox360hid) | ⚠️ driver dependent x360ce. | |||
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2x Wireless Game Controller Dual Vibration For Android TV Control, PC and Game Box. | |||||
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2x Wiimote+Nunchuk with Strap + Wiimote | Operation Flashpoint: Project IGI | ||
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PlayStation 3 Move Starter Pack + Move Navigation Wireless Motion Controller + PlayStation Move Charging Station + Move Racing Steering Wheel + 2x PS Move Gun Accessory Controller | Jedi Knight Dark Forces 2 Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Prince of Persia 3D remake Nosferatu: Wrath of Malachi remake Sword Fighting Games | https://github.com/thp/psmoveapi https://github.com/shinyquagsire23/OpenJKDF2 | |
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Top Drive GT+ Steering Wheel & Pedals for Playstation & Playstation 2 | Colin McRae Rally 2 Colin McRae Rally 3 Sega Rally Champonship Mobil1 Rally Championship PS1 Grand Prix 4 Rally | ||||
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Super Bike Controller HORI PS2 PS1 PS Playstation 2 HP2-08 | Excitebike 64 Sno-Cross Extreme Championship Motocross 2001 featuring Ricky Carmichael PS1 EA Sports Superbike 2001 Motocross Madness Moto Racer World Tour PS1 | ||||
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TAITO JET DE GO controller PlayStation PS1 | JET DE GO Microsoft Flight Simulator | Fo commercial flight simulator apps | |||
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A-2.4GHz Wireless Optical Pen Air Mouse Adjustable 500 / 1000DPI For Computers | Drawing/3d Modelling | ||
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Reload Extreme Assault Rifle Wii/Marines Modern Urban Combat Wii + Rifle Set | House of the Dead 2 Ghost Squad Evolution Dead Space Extinsion Virtua Cop 2 Crisis Zone(NAMCO) RAMBO - SEGA ALIEN EXTERMINATION Marines Modern Urban Combat Wii Moh Vanguard Wii Cod:MW Reflex Wii | 🏆 best recoil alternative Affordable arcade recoil gun using standard Wiimote + gun shell. Works with Bluetooth + Lichtknarre. No $500 import costs. powerwavegaming (Rifle Wii) | ||
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Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro Joystick + Logitech C922 Pro Camera + Fang ZBoard by Ideazon | Operation Flashpoint Mig Alley PS2 Flight Smulators Heatseeker Wii IL-2 Sturmovik Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Star Wars: Racer Wing Commander: Prophecy Descent II Red Faction Sega Sky Target CodWW2-Dogfight Mission Battlefield3-Dogfight Mission |
gameport-adapter OpenTrack - Head Tracking AITrack - Face/Head Tracking vJoy - Virtual Joystick DroidCam - Phone as Webcam |
| Controller | Best For (Primary) | Also Good For | Avoid For | Why It's Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro | Arcade flight combat | Wii flight games (with adapter) | Precision sim (deadzone issues) | Machine gun recoil — only joystick that does this |
| Lotus Xbox Steering Wheel | Casual arcade racers | Kids / parties | Hardcore sim racing | No setup — pick up and play on sofa |
| GT Driving Wheel | Sim racing | Time trials | Quick sessions | Force feedback + pedals — but needs dedicated space |
| Logic3 PS Dominator | General flight/combat | Everything else | Force feedback | Compatibility — works on everything out of the box |
| PS3 Move | Lightsaber / sword games | Motion-controlled core games | Pointer / shooter | Absolute 3D tracking — camera sees the sphere |
"No console. USB + coding = universal best controllers for the best gaming experience."
This is the realization that the speedrunning community, the arcade preservation crowd, and the DIY retro scene all eventually arrive at. Consoles are just locked-down computers with proprietary controller ports. Once you remove the console, you unlock:
- Any controller (from any generation, any brand)
- Any game (from any platform, any era)
- Any screen (from a 9.7" iPad to a 120" projector)
🔓 The "No Console" Stack
Here's what you've actually built:
| Layer | Your Solution | Why It's Better |
|---|---|---|
| Input | Any USB controller (PS3 Move, Sidewinder, Lotus wheel, Gamevice) | No proprietary lock-in |
| Translation | USB adapter + x360ce / 360Controller / Lichtknarre | Software fixes hardware incompatibility |
| Processing | Any PC (even an old one) | Streaming offloads heavy lifting |
| Display | iPad / TV / monitor | You choose the screen size |
| Games | Emulators + streaming + native PC titles | Every game ever made |
Consoles are the middleman you don't need.
🏆 The "Best of the Best" Controller Hall of Fame
Based on your research, here's the universal USB arsenal — no console required:
| Genre | Best Controller | Why It's the Best |
|---|---|---|
| Rail shooter / light gun | Wiimote + gun shell | $30, wireless, Lichtknarre gives arcade-perfect tracking |
| Lightsaber / sword | PS3 Move | Absolute 3D tracking — camera sees the sphere |
| Arcade flight combat | Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro | Machine gun recoil — nothing else does this |
| Casual racing | Lotus Xbox wheel | No setup, pick up and play on sofa |
| Sim racing | GT Driving Wheel | Force feedback + pedals for serious laps |
| General flight / space sim | Logic3 PS Dominator | Works on everything, no driver headaches |
| Fighting / platformer | Wired Xbox 360 controller | Gold standard for PC, zero latency |
| Streaming handheld | iPad Air 2 + Gamevice | $30, 9.7" screen, 10hr battery |
| Motion pointer / party | Wii Remote + Nunchuk | Bowling, tennis, shooting — still unbeatable |
💻 The "USB + Coding" Translation Layer
The magic isn't the hardware — it's the software glue that makes everything talk to everything:
| Problem | Your Solution |
|---|---|
| Wii Remote over Bluetooth | WiimoteHook / DS4Windows |
| OG Xbox to USB | 360Controller (macOS) / x360ce (Windows) |
| PS2 to USB | Dual PSX to USB adapter (HID native) |
| Light gun pointer | Lichtknarre (arcade-perfect tracking) |
| Any controller to any game | x360ce (emulates Xbox 360 controller) |
| iPad as streaming screen | Moonlight / Steam Link / Parsec |
This is the universal translator that console makers pray you never discover.