Michal Ždanský Although touch controls for games have gained popularity among casual gamers, there are still genres that would be much better served with a physical controller. This includes, for example, First-person shooters, action adventures, racing games or many sports titles where the precision of control is very important. Basically any game with a virtual directional pad is a pain after a few hours, especially physical for your thumbs.
There are currently several solutions for physical control response. We could see a special joystick stick, PSP-style controllers or a straight game cabinet. Unfortunately, the last two named mainly suffer from poor support from game developers. However, the best current solution is probably Fling from TenOne Design, or Logitech Joystick. These are two identical concepts. What are we going to lie about, here Logitech blatantly copied the TenOne Design product, the matter even ended up in court, but the creators of the original idea did not succeed with the lawsuit. Anyway, we have two very similar products worth comparing.
Video review
[youtube id=7oVmWvRyo9g width=”600″ height=”350″]
Construction
In both cases, it is a plastic spiral attached by two suction cups, inside is a conductive button that transfers induction to the touch surface. The concept is designed so that a coiled plastic spring always returns the button to the center position. The suction cups are then attached to the frame so that the touch pad is in the middle of the virtual directional pad in the game.
Although the Joystick and Fling are similar in design, the Logitech controller is slightly more robust, specifically the diameter of the whole spiral is five millimeters larger. The suction cups are also bigger. While the Fling fits exactly within the width of the frame, with the Jostick they extend about half a centimeter into the display. On the other hand, larger suction cups hold the display glass better, although the difference is hardly noticeable. Both controllers will slide around a bit during heavy gaming and need to be moved to their original positions from time to time.
I see a big advantage of the Joystick in the touch surface, which is raised around the perimeter and holds the thumb much better on it. Fling does not have a completely flat surface, there is a very slight depression and the absence of raised edges sometimes needs to be compensated with more pressure.
Although the plastic used seems fragile due to the thickness of the spring, you don't have to worry about it breaking off with normal handling. The concept is designed in such a way that the spiral is not significantly stressed. I have been using Fling for over a year without any mechanical damage. Only the suction cups turned a little black around the edges. I would also like to add that both manufacturers also supply a nice bag for carrying the controllers
Driver in action
I used several games for testing - FIFA 12, Max Payne and Modern Combat 3, all three allow for individual placement of the virtual D-pad. A significant difference appeared in the stiffness in lateral movement. Both controllers have exactly the same range of motion (1 cm in all directions), but the Joystick was significantly stiffer in motion than the Fling. The difference was immediately apparent - after a few tens of minutes, my thumb started to hurt uncomfortably from the Joystick, while I had no problem playing Fling for several hours at a time. Paradoxically, Fling is helped a little by the absence of raised edges of the touch surface, as it allows you to change the position of your thumb, while with Logitech you always have to use only the tip of your finger.
Although the Joystick is larger, the Fling's placement of the center point from the edge of the frame is more than half a centimeter further (a total of 2 cm from the edge of the display). This can play a role especially in games that do not allow you to place the D-pad so close to the edge, or have it fixed in one place. Fortunately, this can be solved either by placing the controller across, which will get deeper into the display, or by moving the suction cups. In both cases, however, you will lose a piece of the visible area.
Anyway, all three titles played great with both controllers. Once you make your first moves with the Fling or Joystick, you'll realize how important physical feedback is in these games. No more frustratingly repeating levels due to imprecisely riding your finger across the touchscreen and then burning your thumb from friction. As I avoided similar games on the iPad precisely because of the lack of controls, thanks to the great idea of TenOne Design, I now enjoy playing them. We are talking about a completely new dimension of gaming here, at least as far as touchscreens are concerned. All the more, Apple should finally come up with a solution of its own.
Verdike the stigma of virtual D-pads, there is only one winner in this comparison. The Fling and Joystick are both quality and well-made controllers, but there are a few little things that elevate the Fling over the Logitech copy. These are mainly more compact dimensions and less rigidity when moving sideways, thanks to which the Fling is not only easier to handle, but also takes up a slightly smaller part of the visible screen.
However, price can play a big role in the decision. Fling by TenOne Design can be bought in the Czech Republic for 500 CZK, but it is harder to find, for example Maczone.cz. You can get a more affordable Joystick from Logitech for about one hundred crowns less. Perhaps such an amount may seem a lot for a piece of transparent plastic, however, the subsequent gaming experience more than compensates for the money spent.
Note: This test was done before the iPad mini existed. However, we can confirm that the Fling can also be used with a smaller tablet without any problems, thanks to its more compact dimensions.
[one_half last="no"]
The One Design Fling:
[Checklist]
- Smaller dimensions
- Compatible with iPad mini
- Ideal spring clearance
[/check list]
[bad list]
- Price
- The suction cups turn black over time
- The suction cups sometimes shift
[/badlist][/one_half]
[one_half last="yes"]
Logitech Joystick:
[Checklist]
- Raised edges on the button
- Price
[/check list]
[bad list]
- Larger dimensions
- Stiff spring
- The suction cups sometimes shift
[/badlist][/one_half]
We thank the company for lending us the Logitech Joystick Dataconsult.
it looks great... but you probably don't really solve games where both analog + buttons are needed, right? For example, 1st person shooters, etc... but thanks for the tip!
That solves it, you only use one controller for movement, see the video.
I have a fling and he scratched the glass on my iPad unpleasantly.
Me same :(( I'm very upset!! No one use :((
I have been using it for a year and nothing like this has happened to me.
Fling is a godsend! :)
At unnamed Chinese stores, the price is up to $8, which is "trialable". Otherwise a pretty expensive thing... :-(((
Will it fit on iphone4s? Thanks for the reply.
No, there is a special version of Fling Mini for iPhone.
Is this version available in CR?