First home sim/game w/FFB?

[Nick Hill]

Here is an interesting question that is deceptively hard to pin down an answer to:

What is the first sim/game for home use (PC, console) that supported FFB effects?

I believe one of the earliest examples of FFB was in an arcade game (Hard Drivin', perhaps), but I'm really curious to know the first time this feature cropped up for home use.

I think the first home wheel with FFB was the MS Sidewinder, but it's not even completely clear to me when that was released.

 

[Ho3n3r]

Here is an interesting question that is deceptively hard to pin down an answer to:

What is the first sim/game for home use (PC, console) that supported FFB effects?

I believe one of the earliest examples of FFB was in an arcade game (Hard Drivin', perhaps), but I'm really curious to know the first time this feature cropped up for home use.

I think the first home wheel with FFB was the MS Sidewinder, but it's not even completely clear to me when that was released.

Misinformed guess: Grand Prix 3. Maybe F1 1999 by EA Sports.

 

[diablo2112]

Pretty sure I played Grand Prix 2 (Microprose) with the Microsoft Sidewinder when it was released in late 1996. Spent hundreds of hours with that game.

 

[alfye20]

My memory tells me that I played with FFB in Midtown Madness and Need for Speed II.

FFB was a thing on flight sims before racing sims

 

[David Wright]

Part of the picture must be Grand Prix Legends. It did not initially support force feedback. Force feedback was introduced with patch 1.1 on 5/5/99. I think GPLs claim was it was the first to use "physics based" ffb which gave you feedback on the tyres grip, while previous titles used "canned effects" i.e. you are on surface X so supply feedback Y.

 

[Nick Hill]

Wow, great feedback - thanks! Interesting to note it was patched into GPL...that give you an idea that it must have come out right about the time FFB was becoming a thing for racing games.

And I definitely remember hearing about FFB for flight sims quite a bit before hearing about them for racing sims.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Curios myself. I see 1997 NFS II on the list, but it's probably not the first.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PC_games_with_force_feedback_support

 

[Nick Hill]

Curios myself. I see 1997 NFS II on the list, but it's probably not the first.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PC_games_with_force_feedback_support

Yeah, tricky, right?

I've been on that page too. Definitely *not* an exhaustive list, but still provides clues.

I've googled pretty extensively and there seems to be no clear answer. There seems to be general agreement that Hard Drivin' was the first game to employ FFB in an arcade setting (circa 1989), but on the home side it seems much muddier.

I have to wonder if the fact it was patched into some games might add to some of the confusion. To answer definitively, it might take some README diving.

 

[alfye20]

MADNESS games from Microsoft and some rare Ubisoft racing games must be the first.

I remember to play Motocross Madness with a FFB joystick. Then Monster Truck Madness II came with an option to choose FFB for joy or wheel.

Then I remember F1 Grand Prix Simulator from Ubi or the sequel Monaco GP Simulator to be mind blowing before GrandPrix3 hits the shelves.