Editing Microsoft SideWinder (section)

=== Freestyle Pro ===
[[File:Microsoft-SideWinder-Freestyle-Pro-Gamepad.jpg|thumb|SideWinder Freestyle Pro gamepad]]
The Freestyle Pro, released in 1998, was a unique gamepad, as the up-down-left-right directions in analogue mode were controlled by the physical movement of the controller, more precisely by the absolute pitch and roll position of the pad. (Similar behavior would later be found in the Sony PlayStation 3 [[Sixaxis|SIXAXIS]] line, introduced in 2006.) Games such as ''[[Motocross Madness (1998 video game)|Motocross Madness]]'' (which was bundled with and designed for the controller) profited from this physical interaction. The left side of the controller features an eight-direction d-pad which function varies depending on which mode the controller is on.

The control pad had a total of ten digital fire buttons: six buttons controlled with the right thumb (named ABC XYZ), two shoulder buttons (one left, one right), and two buttons controlled with the left thumb, one named ''start'', the other marked with a ''[[shift key]]'' symbol (as the SideWinder software allowed to use this button to ''shift'' controls for the ABC XYZ buttons - on the driver side, it was just an action button like the others).

A ''sensor'' button switched the control pad between analogue mode (green [[LED]]) and digital mode (red LED). In analogue mode, the x- and y-axis were controlled by the analogue controller movements, and the D-pad was used as a [[hat switch]]. In digital mode, the D-pad controlled the x- and y-axis like a traditional digital control pad (therefore, there was no hat switch function in digital mode).

Due to the release in 1998, at which time [[USB]] was just taking off, the Freestyle Pro supported both [[game port]] and USB connection. Without the adapter, the controller's cable ended in a game port plug. The sale box contained the game port-to-USB adapter for free.