Microsoft Sidewinder Game Pad for WIN95
Bottom line: The Microsoft Sidewinder Game Pad for WIN95 is a specs-and-price decision rather than a crowd-consensus one in the joysticks & game port category. Check the specification table below against one or two close alternatives — on price and spec fit, not on star ratings.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
Before you buy
- Check the listed dimensions, connectors and platform compatibility against your setup before ordering
- Used and vintage listings vary by seller and condition — check the listing photos, description and return terms before buying
Manufacturer description
The controller is brand new in its original packaging. Only thing keeping it from being listed as new is the fact that there is a cut on the top of the box and the plastic at one corner has peeled off a bit and the top of the box is bent. Other than that the packaging is original and unopened. I've taken several photos to show conditions but more can be provided upon request.
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored Microsoft Sidewinder Game Pad for WIN95 using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the joysticks & game port category. Microsoft's joysticks & game port lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for joysticks & game port of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Full Specifications
| Brand | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Color | Black |
| Model | 486-00001 |
| Manufacturer | Microsoft |
| ItemPartNumber | 486-00001 |
Ready to buy?
Microsoft Sidewinder Game Pad for WIN95 is vintage hardware; the used and vintage market on eBay carries most of the live inventory. Prices and condition vary by seller and move in real time, so we link the live listing rather than quote a cached price. It also has an Amazon listing — check it for current price and availability. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
Read our analysis
SpecPicks coverage that features this Joysticks & Game Port.
Related Joysticks & Game Port
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Build a Silent Windows 98 Gaming PC With a CompactFlash IDE Drive
- Forza Horizon 6 PC Benchmarks: What GPU Hits 60 FPS at 1440p?
- Sub-$300 4K Mini-LED Gaming Monitors Hit the Mainstream
- Why a Game Boy Clone Ran Too Fast — and the DIY Fix Makers Are Building
- RTX 5090 and Ryzen 7 9800X3D Benchmark Showdown: 2026 Performance Deep Dive
- Self-Host Jellyfin on a Ryzen 5 5600G Mini Build in 2026: Measured Power and Transcoding
- Wired vs Bluetooth Headsets for Competitive FPS in 2026: The Latency Math
- Why Nvidia Killed 3dfx — and How Voodoo Still Shapes Every GPU Launch
- Did Anyone Actually Ditch iCloud or Google One for Self-Hosting?
- GLM-5.2 on an RTX 3060 12GB: Can the New Open-Weights Leader Run Local?
- Raspberry Pi Zero W vs Pi 4 for a 2026 Cyberdeck: Which Board Fits?
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- Best 4K Monitor for Reviewing AI-Generated Images on an RTX 3060
- Best Gaming Mouse for Warzone & FPS Esports in 2026
- RTX 5080 vs RX 9070 XT
- Best Budget SSD for a Gaming PC in 2026: SATA vs NVMe
- Second Streaming PC vs NVENC: What an Old i7-9700K Is Still Good For
- AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 'Gorgon Halo' 192GB: What 192GB Unified Memory Means for Local LLMs
- Best Wired Gear for Tournament-Legal LAN Play in 2026
- Can the Ryzen 5 5600G Run Local LLMs Without a GPU?
- Best Gaming Mouse for FPS Esports Under $80 (2026)
- GPT-5.6 Sol Matches Fable 5 at 1/3 Cost: Local-Rig Fallout
- Best 1440p 240Hz Gaming Monitors in 2026
- Best USB Microphone for Streaming in 2026: QuadCast 2 vs Yeti
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090