The Powerplay Cruiser was a

joystick A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Also known as the control column, it is the principal control devic ...

released in 1986, during the time that the

Atari ST Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the company's Atari 8-bit computers, 8-bit computers. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985, and was widely available i ...

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...

and

Commodore Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers produced by Commodore from 1985 until the company's bankruptcy in 1994, with production by others afterward. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16-bit or 16/32-bit processo ...

were all popular home computers. It was compatible with many

8-bit In computer architecture, 8-bit integers or other data units are those that are 8 bits wide (1 octet). Also, 8-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures are those that are based on registers or data bu ...

and

16-bit 16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors. A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two ...

machines, and boasted many features that were considered

high end In economics, a luxury good (or upmarket good) is a good (economics), good for which demand (economics), demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises, so that expenditures on the good become a more significant proportion of ove ...

at the time: * Fully

microswitch Comparison of some different switches A miniature snap-action switch, also trademarked and frequently known as a micro switch or microswitch, is an electric switch that is actuated by very little physical force, through the use of a tipping-poi ...

-based operation (clicking with every move or shot) * 8-directional control *

Ambidextrous Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. When referring to objects, the term indicates that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to humans, it indicates that ...

design (

symmetrical Symmetry () in everyday life refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, the term has a more precise definition and is usually used to refer to an object that is invariant under some transformations ...

with two fire buttons positioned at the front end, away from the joystick shaft) * Adjustable

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...

control (a 3-position rotating collar at the base of the shaft, giving manual resistance) * Rugged plastic body & sturdy, long-lasting design (working examples appear for auction on

eBay eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...

and similar sites to this day) * Available in a range of colours/models (all with black cable): ** All Black ** Blue body, red stick, white fire buttons ** Pastel green body, with pastel yellow fire buttons, pastel pink joystick shaft and pastel blue torque controller ** Transparent body, black stick and buttons featuring a rare autofire working-type, as it operates automatically when any of the 2 buttons is held down ** The black and red Cruiser Turbo, featuring an autofire facility
(the pastel version was arguably the most popular, matching the fashions of the era, followed by the sleek black model) Other features included a cable that was longer than that used by many other joysticks, and four strong suction cups to attach the unit to a flat surface, for general stability or to enable control of rare (at the time) games that used the keyboard and other input devices to control play, such as ''

Gunship A gunship is a military aircraft armed with heavy aircraft guns, primarily intended for attacking ground targets either as airstrike or as close air support. In modern usage the term "gunship" refers to fixed-wing aircraft having laterally-mo ...

''. The joystick had two

DE-9 The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smallest connectors used on computer systems. Description, ...

connectors. The primary connector was

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French holding company Atari SA (formerly Infogrames) and its focus is on "video games, consumer hardware, licensing and bl ...

compatible Compatibility may refer to: Computing * Backward compatibility, in which newer systems can understand data generated by older ones * Compatibility card, an expansion card for hardware emulation of another device * Compatibility layer, component ...

, with a shorter grey cable and connector attached to this. The secondary connector is compatible with the non-standard

Amstrad Amstrad plc was a British consumer electronics company, founded in 1968 by Alan Sugar. During the 1980s, the company was known for its Home computer, home computers beginning with the Amstrad CPC and later also the ZX Spectrum range after the ...

built

computers; the Sinclair Interface II and other popular

joystick interfaces were

Market value

The Cruiser retailed in the UK at £14.99 when released, at a time when this was two or three times as expensive as many joysticks with lower manufacturing or design standards, and when most

C64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness Wor ...

games (on

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette (format) (or ''cassette tape''), a format that contains magnetic tape for audio, video, and data storage and playback * Compact Cassette, a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ...

) would cost less than £15 (their disk-based counterparts usually costing £15 or more) and with Commodore Amiga games costing approximately £20-£30. It was therefore a "luxury" joystick, aimed at serious

gamers A gamer is someone who plays interactive games, either video games, tabletop role-playing games, skill-based card games, or any combination thereof, and who often plays for extended periods of time. Originally a hobby, gaming has evolved in ...

who required style and resilience in their

peripherals A peripheral device, or simply peripheral, is an auxiliary hardware device that a computer uses to transfer information externally. A peripheral is a hardware component that is accessible to and controlled by a computer but is not a core compo ...

External links

* *{{cite news , last1=Collins , first1=Barry , title=Is the Powerplay Cruiser the best joystick ever? , url=https://bigtechquestion.com/2017/07/24/gaming/powerplay-cruiser-best-joystick-ever/ , accessdate=16 May 2020 , work=The Big Tech Question , date=24 July 2017 Game controllers