Ten-One Design Fling Joystick for iPad 2 Review
If you're into gaming like me, the iPad and other touchscreen devices have never been sufficient for gaming mostly due to the lack of any physical control. Now Ten-One Design is looking to somewhat fix that problem with the Fling, a joystick that you can attach anywhere on the screen to give a bit of extra precision. It looks promising, but does it actually deliver? Keep reading after the jump to find out!
You can get the Fling in one of two packages, 1 for $19.99 or a pack of 2 for $29.99. Inside the packaging, you'll get the Fling along with a little carrying pouch for travel. The Fling itself has a dominantly plastic construction and it feels sturdy in the hand. Also on the Fling there are two suction cups to mount it anywhere on your iPad or any other tablet you may use. The center of the joystick seems to be made of a magnet covered by a thin plastic layer, which gives the effect of touching the screen.
The Fling mounts pretty easily onto the surface of your iPad 2, and if you're using a screen protectors, there's no problems with lifting or bubbling. Even with a screen protector on my iPad, the Fling sits firmly in place and the suction cups won't come loose until you take them off yourself.
The real question is though, does it actually work? The short answer is yes. I used the Fling with a variety of games including Spiderman, NOVA 2, and Grand Theft Auto and in every game it worked like a charm and really made playing the game a lot easier and gave it more precision. The Joystick feels great during use, since the center is concave, your thumb fits naturally into it and its comfortable as well. One problem however, is that the Fling's spring action is a bit loose, it should be a bit stiffer. The feel of it resembles the Slide Pad on the Nintendo 3DS to me, since both are about the same size and just as stiff.
Overall, the Fling is a great product that does exactly what it advertises. It improves control and precision of gaming on the iPad and although it is a niche product, the price is reasonable enough to give it a shot. I'm impressed with how well it works with the games on the iPad and if you really are into gaming on your tablet, the Fling is definitely something you should get.
