This joystick interface manufactured by Kempston Data is a peripheral that provides the PCW with a control port, making it much more comfortable to play certain games on this computer.

As we already know, Amstrad PCW computers lack a native joystick connector. Hence the need for an interface that would allow players to use this type of device, which is exactly what the manufacturer Kempston solved with their dedicated interface.

The unit could not have a simpler appearance: it is a small plastic box with a joystick connector on one side and a bus connector on the other. It does not even include factory-printed instructions, as it does not need them due to its plug-and-play nature.

Its operation is even simpler. With the computer completely turned off, insert the interface's bus connector into the expansion bus located at the back of the machine; next, plug your joystick's connector into the interface's joystick socket... and you can turn on the computer and start playing!

And right here is where the disappointments begin: it is necessary to find software that explicitly recognizes this joystick interface. In this scenario, it is striking that Fairlight does not support it, despite a message appearing during its loading screen claiming that it does. Otherwise, Steve Davis Snooker works correctly with the interface on an Amstrad PCW 9512, but it fails with Head Over Heels on the 9512 model, given that the game fails to load and displays a warning accusing the user of using an illegal copy.

In short, it is a very interesting peripheral but one that historically could not be fully utilized—a limitation that is not the fault of its hardware, but rather the lack of support from game developers of the era.

Conclusion: Impossible to be any easier to use. Its biggest weak point is the scarcity of compatible entertainment software that recognizes it. Among the most prominent games that can be played optimally with the interface are Head Over Heels and Steve Davis Snooker.