Joystick Question For Flight Simmers

Grumps82

Grumps82

Grumps82

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Joined
30 Aug 2006
Posts
3,370
Hello again people.

Ok im looking for a good quality joystick for the pc. I havnt got any flight games yet but i am intending to get IL2 Sturmovik & Flight Simulator X.

I have these three joysticks in mind :

1. Thrustmaster HOTAS

2. Saitek X52 Pro

3. Saitek X52

Now my favourite out of the lot is the Saitek X52 Pro, my reasons for this are because according to reviews it is a better and tweaked version of the X52. They have ironed out the flaws and listened to customer feedback.

On the subject of feedback i notice that none of them have force feedback at all.

Is force feedback really important in a joystick. I have a Logitech Momo Racing wheel and i cant imagine it without FF.

I think the Thrustmaster is a bit OTT, and it is really stretching my budget.

Could you guys give me some advice on the three please.

Like i said, i will probably go for the X52 Pro unless you guys have any other suggestions.

Thanks again for eveything.

The Cob
 
I don't know much about combat flight sims but MS Flight Sim series really is a hardcore simulator, there's a lot of learning involved and the more you put in the more you get out of it. I'm just saying this because if you're the type of action gamer that likes to get straight into the swing of things it might not be for you and it would be a shame to have spent ~£100 on controllers that will end up in the back of a cupboard.

I have the X52 controllers and they're fine, perhaps a bit biased to single engine combat aircraft. The only problem I had was installing updated drivers which caused all sorts of problems, so I ended up going back to the originals as supplied on the CD. I first started on the Saitek Cyborg Evo stick which was a good basic stick with built in throttle (reccomended), and then I went to the X52.

In all honesty my preference is for 'flying' small single / twin turboprop planes and so I would have been better saving up for some of CH's products such as the yoke, throttle quadrant and peddles.

In summery, get the games you mention and a good quality basic stick (Cyborg Evo !?), work out whether flight sims are for you and if so what sticks would work best for the type of flying you enjoy the most.
 
I have the x52pro, it's very nice and will be loads better when the new programming software comes out for it, works very well in IL2 but as stated does have a bias towards single engine aircraft.
 
Ok thats great thanks. Does that fact that not having force feedback make any difference, like i said earlier i cant imagine not having it on a wheel.

Does it immerse you like it does for a wheel?.
 
I've never had a stick with forcefeedback to compare it against, I do see quite a few comments on the IL2 forums that say it's a mixed bag though, great for immersion but really bad for helping your aim. I keep looking at those buttkicker things as an alternative but they're so darn expensive over here in the UK.
 
Thanks for your help and information

I read a few more reviews and i decided to go for the X52 Pro. I also bought IL2 1946. Cant wait to play it now.
 
Been using the X52 for a couple of year now, can't fault it. Excellent response, even to fine movements and centres well.

Although if you're buying now you may as well go for the X52Pro. I'm tempted but can't really justify it for just an LCD display and a few tweaks.
 
Yeah i looked around and read reviews carefully. Glad i went for the X52 Pro now.

I ordered it today and i got an email saying its been despatched. It not set for delivery until wednesday. Surely it wont come early, will it ?.
 
I wouldn't hold your breath on the X52 Pro having it's flaws ironed out. I've asked the official support guy on the saitek forums specific questions about said flaws (deadzone problems, rotary and slider accuracy problems, etc.) and he responded with "I cannot confirm these have been fixed."

It does look the nuts, though, and it does have a more solid feel (and build) over the x52 norm, but will more than likely suffer the same problems.

The thrustmaster is good. It's tried and tested over the past 15+ years, so by that alone it must be good to still be around. Price shows this, however.

My X52 has been awesome, to try and balance out my earlier critique, btw. Really happy with it.
 
Lol, i was getting worried as i was continuing to read your post.

I did like the look of the Thrustmaster stick but i prefered the price of the X52 Pro and the fact it has more buttons.
 
Have you looked at the CH range of Joysticks ?

Most of the hardcore flightsimers usually use the Cougar or CH hotas setup.
 
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Well I can at least say that the pro has no deadzone other than what you give it, as for accuracy all I can say is that it is certainly leagues above and beyond my old X36 :)
 
I have a Saitek X52 setup and generally very pleased with its performance. Much finer control than the cheapo £9.99 'sticks Game sell (or at least used to). Not really got to grips with much programming, haven't even set the clock.

If I had one slight gripe it's that the joystick tension can't be adjusted and as built it's just a tad slack for my taste. The throttle though is superb, real sense of being in charge as you nudge that 747 on to the runway and push forward.

Only other concern is that the stick gets used much more than the throttle and is likely to wear out first, requiring replacement of the whole unit.

It also draws a fair amount of power. On my Packard Bell the weenie 250 watt PSU couldn't keep up resulting in the LED's flashing on and off at times.

Not that I've installed Vista yet, but I haven't checked Saitek site to see if they have any drivers yet.

Overall I would rate this unit 90%.
 
which stick depends on how serious you are about flying.imho you get what you pay for.i've used several logitech and saitek sticks and although they are ok at first the pots wear quickly and flying becomes a chore.although a mate has the X52 and swears by it.
i had a MSFF2 for ages and it was superb but alas died and instead of resorting to fleabay(they not made anymore) i dug deep and got a CH combat stick.i estimate its had over 1000 hours of use and is stil sweet to handle.
 
Just bought and set up the CH Yoke for my old man, foot pedals are on their way. I'm very impressed, (although i must admit i'm hardly an expert). Feels very responsive, and not as flimsy as i was expecting.
 
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