I'm looking to replace my (really) old Sidewinder 3D Pro joystick and need some suggestions for a new one. I only really have one requirement for the replacement and that is that it works with Tie Fighter, X-Wing, Wing Commander 3/4/Privateer 1 & 2, and Freelancer.

Thoughts? And thanks in advance.

There's about 30 threads on this subject already. I know the search sucks, but you'll probably find some really good info digging through them. Most people are going to end up saying that not much beats the good Sidewinder Pros though. How much can you spend?

I got this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/ThrustMaster-2960706-Joystick-T-16000-Thrustmaster/dp/B001EAWNKK/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1334751630&sr=8-18, It's great, I'm just disapointed that it doesn't have force feedback.

I have a Thrustmaster T16000m that I mainly use in Freespace 2 and the X series. I'm really happy with it, even if it doesn't have force feedback.

More $: T16000M
Less $: Sidewinder Precision Pro

If you want a separate throttle controller with the joystick, the Saitek X52 is very nice.

What do you think about Thrustmaster joysticks?

Freelancer 2? I still play Freelancer with the Discovery 4.85 mod. There is a Freelancer 2? Or, did you mean Freespace 2?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-Nx9o1yOk

Thrustmaster as in "Hotas Warthog" ( quite expensive material, durable, but I very much doubt that the added precision and quality actually balances the price tag ) , "T16000M" ( accurate, effective but remains fairly basic ) or "T Flight Hotas X" ( inexpensive yet quite complete, but not heavy enough ) ?

Many years ago there was a joystick group test in a UK games mag (PC Review or PC Zone) that incorporated a phallicity test, where a blindfolded model dressed as a nun had a good feel of each joystick and rated them for how dodgy they felt... ;)

True enough. Saitek X series are the other HOTAS , with a much sweeter price.

I use an X45 for .... a lot of time and it still works perfectly. But, each time I change computer / OS, it's a real challenge to configure it. And for some games ( X3 reunion f.i.), it really becomes a p...in the a.. .

The X52 at least has drivers for XP , Vista, 7 32bits and 64 bits. But no one can ensure that there will be drivers for future operating systems

Given the price tag, it's more of a niche product for enthusiasts

Well, a fair bit to think about. Something else...is there a connector adapter for the Sidewinder I do have? My current comp doesn't have a port for it, ttbomk. If I could get an adapter, I wouldn't necessarily need to get a new joystick.

There are db15 (gameport) to usb adapter. At least once upon a time, there were such devices. The problem is, there were 2 or 3 technologies. one was a mere Db15 to Usb but would only work with a few joysticks that had the usb circuitry included ( sidewinder precision pro I think ), others had a converter but would only provide an analog mode

a true usb joystick will probably be a safer bet , espacially as those adapters are unlikely to work with XP, let alone Vista and 7...

Another solution ( for a desktop ) might be one of the few cheap 4 channels sound cards (PCI) on the market. Chinese built, poor sound but... gameport. But still...

edit 2 : for soundcards with gameport, check whether the gameport works with newer OS. It might be limited to XP 32 bits ...