Reviewing the Weirdest 90s Controllers
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Promos
Join us in War Thunder for FREE at playwt.link Get an exclusive bonus using our link - thanks for supporting the channel! Deploy a cloud server in seconds using Hetzner with $20 off using code LTT22 at linustechtips.hetzner.com You know, maybe mouse and keyboard isn't the best way to game. Perhaps we've got it all wrong. Well, that's what Thrustmaster and Microsoft thought, so they made these atrocities. Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group. ► GET MERCH: lttstore.com ► SUPPORT US ON FLOATPLANE: floatplane.com ► AFFILIATES, SPONSORS & REFERRALS: lmg.gg ► PODCAST GEAR: lmg.gg FOLLOW US --------------------------------------------------- Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: @LinusTech Instagram: @linustech TikTok: @linustech Twitch: twitch.tv MUSIC CREDIT --------------------------------------------------- Intro: Laszlo - Supernova Video Link: youtube.com iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com Artist Link: soundcloud.com Outro: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High Video Link: youtube.com Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi Artist Link: youtube.com Intro animation by MBarek Abdelwassaa @mbarek_abdel Monitor And Keyboard by vadimmihalkevich / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mechanical RGB Keyboard by BigBrotherECE / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mouse Gamer free Model By Oscar Creativo / CC BY 4.0 geni.us CHAPTERS --------------------------------------------------- 0:00 Intro 1:40 FragMaster Unboxing 5:08 Anthony's computer 5:32 FragMaster Setup 6:35 Playing Half-Life Day One 9:00 It actually works now 9:41 Sidewinder Dual Strike 11:21 Dual Strike Setup 12:30 Playing with the Dual Strike 14:58 Outro
The video opens with a playful look back at the late 1990s era of gaming hardware, exploring two infamous attempts to replace the mouse and keyboard for first-person shooters: the Thrustmaster Frag Master and the Microsoft Sidewinder Dual Strike. The hosts recount the era’s lack of a standard control scheme, noting how many players experimented with joysticks and unusual bindings as developers pushed the limits of what a gaming setup could be. The Frag Master is introduced as a curved joystick-like device with multiple axes, back paddles, front buttons, and a driver CD, all wrapped in a package that hints at a grandiose but flawed vision. They highlight early software integration, including a tutorial overlay that guides players through bindings, even when they conflict with traditional mouse controls. The hosts set the stage for hands-on experimentation, acknowledging that these devices aimed to outperform a mouse and keyboard but often fell short in practice. The opening segment frames the central question of the video: did these peripherals advance gaming, or were they endearing misfires that became a cautionary tale for hardware design?
Topics · gaming hardware · retro tech · technology history · video essay
Questions answered
- What was the Frag Master intended to replace in gaming, and how did its design attempt to achieve this?
- The Frag Master aimed to replace mouse and keyboard interfaces for FPS games by using a multi-axis joystick with back paddles and front buttons, offering advanced movement and targeting controls through a unique binding scheme and software integration.
- How did the Sidewinder Dual Strike differ from the Frag Master in terms of usability and setup?
- The Sidewinder Dual Strike provided a more traditional joystick-based interface with USB connectivity, adjustable sensitivity, and a built-in tutorial, making it feel more polished and easier to calibrate than the Frag Master.