Hands on: Fling Joystick for iPad and other tablets

2(2)2updated 04:30 am EDT, Sun May 20, 2012 MacNN goes hands-on with the Fling Joystick for iPad

The Fling Joystick for iPad is one of the more interesting accessories available for the iPad and other tablets. With the graphics capabilities of tablets approaching console quality, the biggest hurdle facing in-depth gaming on capacitive touchscreen devices is the lack of physical controls. Similar comments were of course leveled at the iPhone when it first launched back in 2007 without a physical keyboard, but those concerns soon evaporated. However, the volume selling games on both iPhone and iPad tend to be the casual games that rely on simple touch gestures. Yet, there are a number of first person shooters that use virtual single dual stick controls that look appealing, but aren't quite as popular.Unfortunately, most of the FPS titles are not often sighted in the top ten or top 20 games on the iTunes App Store in the longer term, despite the often jaw-dropping visuals on offer. Infinity Blade II, Shadowgun, Dead Space, Nova III and others are among the first games users who want to show off their iPad will show to their friends. Despite this, and the relative gaming depth that they offer the more hardcore gamers out there, this type of gaming seems to have been held back by the lack of physical controllers. In our experience, playing FPS and RPG games on the iPad can just be awkward and a bit off-putting.

Being fans of the Sony PS Vita, with its dual analog controls and quad-core graphics power, we have been keen to give the Fling Joystick for iPad a go. How does it compare to a real analog joystick seen on portable gaming consoles? Does it work as advertised? Does it offer the type of gaming experience that many of us crave on tablets? Is it worth the $20 asking price for one joystick, or is there any point shelling out for a $30 twin pack?

The Fling Joystick comes nicely presented with some quick-start instructions and a nice soft bag to stow the joystick when not in use when on the road. It attaches to a tablet using two suction cups, while its 'flexible engineering resin' spirals and capacitive touch point stretch out across the touchscreen. Some touch screen games allow the player to control where the virtual joystick appears on the screen, so for these games, it doesn

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