Is there a clip-on analogue stick that I can put on my keyboard?
November 8, 2022 2:22 PM Subscribe
I'm getting into gaming on my new PC and wanted to try the mouse/keyboard. Is there a analog stick that could attach to the keyboard and when I tilt it, it presses a key? Or alternatively an external Wii nunchuck type item that would do something similar? It seems like such a simple idea but I can't find anything.
I am a left hander, so I have a left-hand Razer mouse with 12 buttons on the side and it's pretty nice. I'm really enjoying the precision of mouse aiming. But while I can use my right hand on the number pad or the directional arrows, it seems like it wouldn't be that hard to just attach something that sits on one of those things and when I tilt it, it applies pressure to the key. I'd use this for movement, while I use the mouse for aiming.
Alternatively, since this is already a dual hand setup reminiscent of the Wii, is there just a nunchuck type item that I could plug in via USB, so I can use the mouse with my left hand and the nunchuck type thing with my right?
I am a left hander, so I have a left-hand Razer mouse with 12 buttons on the side and it's pretty nice. I'm really enjoying the precision of mouse aiming. But while I can use my right hand on the number pad or the directional arrows, it seems like it wouldn't be that hard to just attach something that sits on one of those things and when I tilt it, it applies pressure to the key. I'd use this for movement, while I use the mouse for aiming.
Alternatively, since this is already a dual hand setup reminiscent of the Wii, is there just a nunchuck type item that I could plug in via USB, so I can use the mouse with my left hand and the nunchuck type thing with my right?
It's not exactly what you're looking for, but there are analog keyboards.
As for a joystick, the PDP one handed joystick seems to be out of stock but if you look around I bet there are a few out there. I think it was originally made for accessible use so make sure it connects the way you want.
The easiest solution might be a fancier normal joystick, like the type people use in flight sims. Some of them have a second analog stick on top, though some are only directional. Poke around, you might be able to find something cool.
Switch Joycons will work over Bluetooth with Windows 10 if you don't mind fiddling with it. You might actually look at a couple VR or motion controllers. I immediately thought of the (defunct) Razer Sixense.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 3:12 PM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
As for a joystick, the PDP one handed joystick seems to be out of stock but if you look around I bet there are a few out there. I think it was originally made for accessible use so make sure it connects the way you want.
The easiest solution might be a fancier normal joystick, like the type people use in flight sims. Some of them have a second analog stick on top, though some are only directional. Poke around, you might be able to find something cool.
Switch Joycons will work over Bluetooth with Windows 10 if you don't mind fiddling with it. You might actually look at a couple VR or motion controllers. I immediately thought of the (defunct) Razer Sixense.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 3:12 PM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks @RonButNotStupid. That makes a lot of sense, I didn't think about that.
So I suppose the other option is a nunchuck to USB style thingie.
Is the nunchuk compatible with Windows 11? I did a quick search for setting up a nunchuk with Windows 11, but only got results for Windows 10. I'd hate to buy an adapter and then not be able to use the nunchuk because Windows 11 doesn't support it.
I gotta ask though, would a game be cool with me using two inputs, (the mouse and the nunchuck)? I guess when you think of it, using a mouse and a keyboard are two inputs.
I was looking through my drawers to see if I could find a nunchuck, and I found something else. It's one of the Occulus controllers, the one with the analog stick and two buttons. This is the version of the Occulus just prior to the current Meta Quest. Would I be able to set that up via bluetooth or something and use that as an input?
posted by ggp88 at 3:13 PM on November 8, 2022
So I suppose the other option is a nunchuck to USB style thingie.
Is the nunchuk compatible with Windows 11? I did a quick search for setting up a nunchuk with Windows 11, but only got results for Windows 10. I'd hate to buy an adapter and then not be able to use the nunchuk because Windows 11 doesn't support it.
I gotta ask though, would a game be cool with me using two inputs, (the mouse and the nunchuck)? I guess when you think of it, using a mouse and a keyboard are two inputs.
I was looking through my drawers to see if I could find a nunchuck, and I found something else. It's one of the Occulus controllers, the one with the analog stick and two buttons. This is the version of the Occulus just prior to the current Meta Quest. Would I be able to set that up via bluetooth or something and use that as an input?
posted by ggp88 at 3:13 PM on November 8, 2022
is there just a nunchuck type item that I could plug in via USB
yes, I recently purchased some devices exactly like this to use with my feet and an Xbox Adaptive Controller. One of them only uses an 1/8" audio style jack compatible with the XAC, but the other one works via USB. I just tested it without the XAC and Windows 10 thinks it's a game controller with an analog stick. JoyToKey recognizes it as well. There's probably other devices like this, I'm aware of at least one other seller, these are just the ones I ended up buying.
would a game be cool with me using two inputs
I don't know if this will work with your Occulus controller, but once you connect it to the PC, check if it shows up in "Set up USB game controllers" settings things (I just typed that into the start menu) and if so try JoyToKey which will allow you to bind controller inputs to keyboard inputs, which may play nicer with some games.
posted by okonomichiyaki at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
yes, I recently purchased some devices exactly like this to use with my feet and an Xbox Adaptive Controller. One of them only uses an 1/8" audio style jack compatible with the XAC, but the other one works via USB. I just tested it without the XAC and Windows 10 thinks it's a game controller with an analog stick. JoyToKey recognizes it as well. There's probably other devices like this, I'm aware of at least one other seller, these are just the ones I ended up buying.
would a game be cool with me using two inputs
I don't know if this will work with your Occulus controller, but once you connect it to the PC, check if it shows up in "Set up USB game controllers" settings things (I just typed that into the start menu) and if so try JoyToKey which will allow you to bind controller inputs to keyboard inputs, which may play nicer with some games.
posted by okonomichiyaki at 4:57 PM on November 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
I gotta ask though, would a game be cool with me using two inputs, (the mouse and the nunchuck)? I guess when you think of it, using a mouse and a keyboard are two inputs.
It'll depend on the game and the drivers for the input devices, but you can usually map the various buttons to whatever keys you want to for each game. So even if the game doesn't support it directly there are ways to make it work.
At one point... twenty years ago! I was playing GTA 3 using a trackball and a left handed keypad (it was a much smaller earlier version of those that are linked, about 10 keys total and a d-pad) for running around, along with a steering wheel and pedal setup for driving, and a flightstick with a twist function that I used for shooting either left and right out of the car while driving. It took some fiddling to get it all set up properly, but it worked great once it was.
posted by Jawn at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2022
It'll depend on the game and the drivers for the input devices, but you can usually map the various buttons to whatever keys you want to for each game. So even if the game doesn't support it directly there are ways to make it work.
At one point... twenty years ago! I was playing GTA 3 using a trackball and a left handed keypad (it was a much smaller earlier version of those that are linked, about 10 keys total and a d-pad) for running around, along with a steering wheel and pedal setup for driving, and a flightstick with a twist function that I used for shooting either left and right out of the car while driving. It took some fiddling to get it all set up properly, but it worked great once it was.
posted by Jawn at 5:00 PM on November 8, 2022
>>(it was a much smaller earlier version of those that are linked, about 10 keys total and a d-pad) for running around,
Probably a Belkin Nostromo, released 2001, bought by Razer, and it evolved into the Tartarus line.
posted by kschang at 2:23 PM on November 9, 2022
Probably a Belkin Nostromo, released 2001, bought by Razer, and it evolved into the Tartarus line.
posted by kschang at 2:23 PM on November 9, 2022
Response by poster: I'm gonna try my Switch right Joycon because I already have an extra unused pair lying around. The only question is, how do I get it unsynced from the Switch and synced to my PC, but also charge it later on, since attaching it to the Switch is the only way I know of charging it without going and buying a third party charging option.
posted by ggp88 at 2:31 PM on November 9, 2022
posted by ggp88 at 2:31 PM on November 9, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
The only problem is, because it's pressing keyboard buttons underneath which only have two states--pressed and unpressed--it's not much of an "analog stick" and more akin to the old digital Atari joysticks of old or the D-pad on an NES controller.
I haven't seen one of those in a long time, but you might be able to find one on ebay.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 2:27 PM on November 8, 2022 [2 favorites]