Pocket PC Gamepad Poll

[Dan East]

As some of you probably noticed in another thread, I mentioned that in the near future I would begin work on a hardware and software interface to allow PSx controllers to work with Pocket PCs.

I have received the needed hardware and will begin designing the prototypes over the next couple weeks.

At this time I would like to conduct a poll to see who would be interested in purchasing such a product. I can only release the following information at this time, so assume the following when you vote:

The product will be a MadCatz PSx controller (non-analog), hard-wired with a special adapter to connect it to your Pocket PC. There will be a bracket that will allow you to attach your Pocket PC to the controller, in either landscape or portrait orientation, so the controller and Pocket PC will be as one unit. It will come with a driver which runs on the Pocket PC that allows various button mappings, which can be saved on a per-game basis. Assume a cost of $35 USD.

I would be open to using other brands or models of controllers, but the MadCatz costs less than the official Sony controller, and I would avoid any potential issues from selling an official Sony product that has been modified so it will no longer work with a PSx.

I would also be open to just selling an adapter with no modified controller or mount included.

Dan East

[Registered]

Hell yea I'd buy that. I'm especially liking the portrait or landscape orientation capability. Can't wait to see how the prototypes will look (that is, if you'd like to share pictures)

[Dan East]

Once I have the prototypes working properly, I plan on doing a "public" beta of sorts. I will probably sell "beta" versions of the controller at a reduced price to a select group for beta testing. I would provide free ROM upgrades if the embedded software has to be modified after those controllers are sent out. I have no way of testing compatibility with every type of Pocket PC. When you factor in all the various games out there the number of combinations of games and PPC models is massive. So testing would have to occur on a fairly large scale to weed out any problems.

Dan East

[Kevin Gelso]

I'd buy it but im a little worried about the mad catz controllers. I owned one and it broke. Now if I bought ur adaptor only and plugged in a ps to xbox converter and used an xbox controller would that work? i dont own ps2 so im use to xbox controllers. Im glad that sumones doing this finally!

[Dan East]

Based on the specs of the PS controller I feel confident I can use my hardware to interface it with a Pocket PC. However an XBox controller is really a USB device. USB has many communication layers and other issues that would make interfacing it much, much more complex than a PS controller. I would esentially have to create an entire USB host device for XBox controller, which would be a pretty large undertaking for me at this time.

I do not have the specs yet on the GameCube controller to know how realistic it would be to interface that hardware. My gut feeling is that it uses a fairly simple serial protocol such as used by the PS, meaning it would also be much easier to interface than an XBox controller.

So basically PS is a sure-thing, GameCube is probable, and XBox is very unlikely, as far as what interfaces I can produce.

Dan East

[Alexander]

Toshiba models have USB-host capability.

[Kevin Gelso]

Ah, k thanx anyway dan. I'll still buy one!

[spiral]

i'm curious how you would design different ports for each pda? Wouldn't that be very time-consuming and thus not very profitable?

[deciever]

yea I don't think I have had a madcatz product that lasted longer than a week and even some of my friends bought some madcatz stuff and they even had problems. So it is not a small thing like well it was a bad apple they all suck. Nonetheless I fully support you cuz I'd really like an awsome gamepad and I would assume I can just simply cut the cord and rewire it to an officail sony controller? or maybe if you use some kind of plastic that clicks on to the wires through some kind of pin holes for easy access? I would say just keep the regular psx port would work but it would more compact without it. Buying a xbox2usb converter wouldn't help over coming the usb layer problems?(not really like it is doing converting vs rewireing). Also awhile back I had found some diagrams of how to convert psx to usb and it went in to very great detail. It had lots of images and text...at this moment I am having a hard time finding it again if it would help let me know

[Chad]

Very nice Dan! I would definitely buy it. But may I suggest that you make an adapter so you can use two controllers? That would rule. Also it would be cool if you could buy one adapter for interface with all the controllers... but whatever, if I need to buy a PSX controller I would'nt at all mind.

[hockeydude]

This would be awesome. Since my Axim has HORRIBLE controls, I need something like this. I have a PS2 so im used to the controller. The mount idea is also an excellent idea!

[gsc_]

i'm curious how you would design different ports for each pda? Wouldn't that be very time-consuming and thus not very profitable?

same here, theres alot of different connector types... can you tell us anything like which ppc's will be supported, good luck!

[Chad]

Another suggestion Dan. What if you made some sort of cradle/connector thing so you wouldn't have to hold it in your lap? I will post a brilliant Paint produced image shortly.

[Caesar]

Perhaps some sort of cradle could be attached to the controller so you could slide your ppc into it and hold it like a gameboy.

[egarayblas]

Dan,

I kinda liked the idea so yes I'm probably going to buy one. In addition, what's the possibility of doing a bluetooth version of this controller? Are you looking at creating one also?