There are several games out on various mobile App Store which require players to use “virtual joysticks”, where you must slide your thumb along a smooth surface to simulate moving a “real” joystick. Unfortunately, this system has never worked well for me. ThinkGeek finally has a solution for us gamers yearning to use real joysticks on our iOS devices: The Joystick-IT. Basically, the Joystick-IT is a small joystick made from milled-aluminum which a padded base and suction cup. The base is capacitive screen-compatible and it the entire stick pivots on the suction cup. Installing the Joystick-IT is very simple. Just make sure you clean the surface of your iPad or Android tablet carefully and then pop the stick onto it. It holds very well, even when inverted, and should not pop off accidentally. Moving the Joystick-IT is a very nice experience – whether it be Galaga or Pac-Man, the movement felt natural and I saw immediate improvement in scores over the standard virtual joystick. The only think you have to be careful with is that you position the Joystick-IT exactly on the on-screen virtual stick. Otherwise, of course, you will not get the Joystick-IT to contact the virtual stick when in use. You can also use multiple Joystick-ITs on your screen at one time, suffice it that the game offers more than one virtual joystick.
The Joystick-IT for iPad and other tablets retails for $17.99 for one and $29.99 for two. ThinkGeek also makes a Joystick-IT for mobile phones, which is a bit smaller than the tablet model.
LINK: Official Product Page
