I have no official source, but it was always mentioned that the patent was holding independent companies to release a FFB stick. Won’t say names, but brands that make pedals and joysticks. And these brands usually are built by players themselves. There was even a post a couple years back in Il-2 saying that the patent would expire in 2019/20 or something, that we could see some models released in the 2020s.
So as far as I know, it was too expensive for them to pay royalties to release a FFB stick.
Because it makes no sense. FFB is not something out of this world. There is no reason for these brands to don’t make a FFB stick other than royalties. Yes, most DCS titles are fly-by-wire, but warbirds and WWI planes get a whole different feel with FFB. We all know buffeting and airframe shaking won’t make the stick to shake (Butkicker), but it is a compromise.
Perhaps it is a urban legend, but then why we don’t see FFB anymore?
I don’t think you understood my point so I’ll remove my waffle and give it to you straight…
Microsoft held the patent for force feedback joysticks. The patent troll is a lie when it comes to why Microsoft discontinued the Sidewinder FFB2. Further to this, Microsoft bought in to the very company that people accuse of patent trolling and shutting them down.
I’ve backed this up with two links, one is a wiki link about the court case where the “patent troll” sued Microsoft and Sony. All the information there can be verified with more specific searching of the internet that will show various technology and game media reporting the same thing nigh on 20 years ago when it was occurring.
The second link is to the force feedback joystick patent held by Microsoft during the time period when apparently they were being stopped from making these joysticks because supposedly someone else held the patent.
Well, since it is our de facto FFB topic… Has anyone here experienced issues with XPForce? It’s preventing MSFS to launch on my side, locking it on the first two frames of loading, and the addon’s support hasn’t answered me in weeks
Yes, to no success: the weirdest thing about all of this is that when I tried it in late march, it worked perfectly on the first attempt… then I bought the licence and it decided to never work again, despite doing the cleanest uninstalls humanly possible. The only hint I’ve got is that it doesn’t block MSFS’ launch when I don’t have my sidewinder FFB 2 plugged in. I used the ForceTest software to check up on my joystick, but it’s working perfectly fine…
Well… after an unhealthy amount of reinstalls, trying to understand everything that happened and was going wrong or not, it turns out that this was the issue: having any of my control option (stick, throttle or rudder pedals) on my USB hub made the plugin block the sim! It’s a shame because It was really helping me with my cable management, but I now have to use it for miscellaneous USB ports instead of just my controllers if I want XPForce to work… Even reaching this result wasn’t easy after you gave me this idea as I encountered a plethora of weird bugs (game loading freezing at different points of the loading depending on which software I was launching as admin for example), but now it’s finally working well! Thanks for the help
I would like to implement a Force Feedback solution into my Cirrus II controller. I already created my own Little controller board for it to convert it from serial to USB HID controller which works great but lacks the Force Feedback. Mechanically, the yoke allows to be modified to FFB easily. However, what I’m struggling with is the software support. I that XPForce can be used for this purpose which allows the support of directinput controllers. Sometimes the FFB2 Joystick is disassembled and used. I would like to avoid this to have a proper implementation with stepper/dc motors. Is there a Open solution to FFB in this day and age that allows to build your own Yoke/Stick/Wheel? Which controller can be used?
I found the MMOS controller at virtualracing.org but it looks like it only supports one axis.
The current implementation is quite similar to an actual feeling you get on a piper PA28, however lacking the different loads you get with the speed/trim you fly (where force Feedback is needed obviously).
Is there a link to click to upvote this? I realise that few people have FFB devices, but unless they are supported, there never will be.
FFB is important for a realistic simulation.
And another one here. In fact, I have two of them. Do you use XP Force? It really isn’t bad at all and gives the G940 a very useful FFB aspect. Also, don’t forget the G940 lighting mod for FSX. This works very well in MSFS too.
