It can be quite difficult for a hardcore PC gamer to adapt to a gaming console. One of the hardest things to do for a PC enthusiast is to adjust to playing video games using a joystick instead of a standard QWERTY keyboard. Until recently, gamers had no other alternative but to let gameplay suffer thanks to poor joystick setup schemes - that is, until the SmartJoy FRAG was released for the Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox.

So what exactly does this contraption do? The SmartJoy FRAG allows gamers to use a standard PS/2 mouse and keyboard (which are not included when you purchase the device) with their console of choice, thus allowing PC gamers to once again feel at ease playing video games. The fully-customizable device converts your joystick’s control scheme into a familiar PC keyboard configuration.

Upon arrival, the SmartJoy FRAG comes pre-installed with a dozen keyboard configurations for various popular first-person shooters. If the keyboard setup you’re looking for isn’t featured in the device’s memory, then all you need to do is configure the unit yourself. It’s fairly easy to program a new control scheme on the SmartJoy FRAG, as it’s achieved by simply holding the Esc key and tapping in the keyboard commands that you want. It’s also nice to know that the unit can be reset to its factory default setting at any time by pressing a few key combinations on the keyboard. Read more…

The For the Gamer column is a weekly article that I write for [here] magazine based out of Moncton New Brunswick, Canada.