The Joystick Is BACK, Yo

How we miss the humble joystick! Definitely our preferred control method, at least when it comes to X-Wing. Sadly, the peripheral has been on the wane in recent years…until Mad Catz went mad at CES.

They’ve announced not one, but two new joysticks. The first is called the Saitek Aviator Flight Stick, and is targeted at the Xbox 360 and PS3 (though it’ll also work on the PC). Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. just got a lot more appealing. The second is more to our snooty, refined and Wing Commander-seasoned tastes, however, and is called the Cyborg X.

It’s for the PC. And looks like it’ll murder you the second you touch it. Looks like it’s not only time to dust off the office copy of Falcon 4.0, it’s also time to start praying this signals a return to fashion for what is still seen by many as an unfashionable input device.

The Saitek is due this month, and will cost US$40. The Cyborg, meanwhile, is listed only as appearing in “Q1 2009″, and will set you back US$50.