5. Joystick

Joysticks were originally used by pilots as part of an aeroplane's controls and the technology was developed to let computer gamers experience a more realistic game environment.

You can move joysticks in many directions and the joystick tells the computer which direction it has been moved into. They also have one or more buttons whose position when pushed can be read by the computer.

Joysticks can also be used for controlling machines such as cranes, trucks and powered wheelchairs.

Advantages

• They give a better gaming experience for racing or flying styles of computer games

Disadvantages

• Some people find joysticks more difficult to control than a traditional mouse.
• Joysticks are not particularly robust and can break easily if too much force is used on them.