After all, you don't need a racing wheel if you only run flight simulators. If you're into sports titles or action games you should consider a gamepad. These inexpensive controllers resemble Nintendo and PlayStation controllers and are designed with jumping and running moves in mind. Weekend pilots and those studying to become Jedi Knights should get a joystick. The extra money will get you more throttle and rudder controls, as well as additional programmable buttons.
More sophisticated joysticks can even replace gamepads.
For erstwhile Jeff Gordons out there, nothing but a racing wheel with pedals will suffice. Less expensive wheels usually rely on a PC's game port, which is slower and can bog down some titles. Pricier wheels use the USB port for quicker turning response. No matter what type of controller suits your playing style, several models from different companies are available in each category. Gravis, which offers a full line of gamepads and joysticks, was not able to get a controller to us in time for this roundup.