Joysticks for use with VR for controls of in game

[Lesthegringo]

Hi all, this is something that people using VR may be interested in.

I am always on the lookout for things that will augment my experience in the racing, but with VR one of the biggest issues I had was the need to lift the VR headset when I want to adjust some settings. I have made button boxes with buttons on them that have a lot of patterns cut into them to give tactile cues as to what they do. However for some things like brake bias, ARB etc a simple solution that was very easy to identify by touch was still not obvious to me.

Recently I saw a couple of cheap joysticks on Ebay, and thought I would have a look and see if they were any good. To my pleasant surprise, they are actually pretty good. One was exactly the same type you used to get on the old PacMan arcade machines, and came complete with a USB controller board and ten very large button switches. By mounting it with the joystick lever horizontal on a fascia behind the wheel I now have a really easy to find solution to the BB and ARB adjustment. It is so easy to locate and use that I have no hesitation in recommending it for anyone looking for a similar solution

Here's what I got

Arcade Game DIY Parts Kit Delay USB Encoder JoyStick Button Hot | eBay

This is a professional and simple DIY kit for your Arcade DIY Project. With wide compatibility, the kit will perfectly fit for all the System & for with RetroPie System. But need with your Original Joystick's help.

www.ebay.com

Cheers

Les

 

[Elaphe]

Arcade sticks are generally 8 way and too sensitive in my opinion. There are several mini-joysticks used mainly for controlling industrial machinery which would be more suitable. 2-way momentary switches are very cheap and can also be very handy for those functions that involve increasing or decreasing values.

 

[Lesthegringo]

The one I got actually isn't capable of 8 way, the microswitches are arranged so that only one can be operated at a time. However I can see what you mean about 8 way sticks not being suitable.

The problem with the two way toggle switches is that when you are going by feel alone, you don't know if it is an up/down or left/right switch as the actual toggle lever is cylindrical. I have used them on previous versions, and on my flight sim rig, but for VR use I ended up removing them. There are non momentary toggle switches that have a blade shaped toggle lever that would be ideal due to being able to feel which way they actuate, but not being momentary they unfortunately aren't usable



Les

 

[Michael Krone]

I bought one of those ARC Controllers with a couple buttons, ignition switch, and a 4 way joystick, along with a bunch of 3d printed things from a guy here a few months back. Sure sent me down a whole new rabbit hole.

 

[Lesthegringo]

I was playing around with the joystick today (I'm one of those people who can't stop tinkering) and noticed that on the underside of the joystick, held by a circlip, is a plastic 'bi-conical' bush. It has two conical faces, with the small ends in the middle. one cone is larger major diameter than the other, and in this case the smaller of the two cones was the upper one, which is what actuates the microswitch levers. If you reverse it, with the larger cone it does indeed perform as an 8 way joystick, as the larger cone will touch two actuating levers.

So, if you do get one that is 8 way, have a look to see if you have the reversible bush, that may 'convert' it to a four way switch

Les