The disadvantage of the force feedback system is that complexity and the price of the force feedback hardware. Nowadays the price of the technology has come down and some joystick manufacturers like CH Products and Microsoft have started to offer force feedback joysticks to PC gaming market. Force feedback is typically implemented using an electrical motors which will move the joystick under the computer control. Each mechanism is composed of a DC brush type motor, gear train, and linkage. The force feedback effect controlling is done using microprocessor inside joystick and optical sensors which sense stick movement.
Typical solution is to replace the pots with digital encoders.
Normal computer joystick interfaces are typically input only interfaces and so do not normally support force feedback devices quite well. The force feedback joystick manufacturers have overcome this limitation by also adding a serial port interface to the joystick to support those extra functions. Because moderm PC joystick ports in soundcards have MIDI interface functions built in the same connector. Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback Pro joystick has selected to use that MIDI interface to control the joystick force feedback functions. Because Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback use MIDI channel 6 for force feedback controlling MIDI music which has information on this channel can cause all kinds of side-effects to the joystick.