Which joystick should I buy?

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I've been thinking about playing some flight/combat sims, so I require a joystick.

Currently I'm considering

- logitech 3d pro extreme (cheap, boring)

- saitek cyborg x (cheap, faggy looking, but compact)

- saitek x52 (big and expensive, but includes throttle and shitloads of functions)

or something else?

Well if you're going to be playing DCS A-10C Warthog, then the best thing available is the Warthog Hotas by Thustmaster. It's a fully functional replica of the HOTAS setup on the A-10C, and the sim is configured to automatically recognize the HOTAS setup and configure binds accordingly.

If that's too expensive, I highly recommend the Saitek AV8R. I've been using it for the last 18 months and haven't had any reliability issues -- a major problem with logitech joysticks -- plus the dual throttle and built in switch panel are both very nice. The joystick is only $40 too. Apparently they stopped manufacturing it within the last few months, so you might have to look around a bit, but it's well worth it.

Also, if you don't have TrackIR, I highly, highly recommend it. It really is as essential to modern flight simming as a joystick is.

Saitek Cyborg Evo. I use the Force Feedback version for years. It's not as cool and big as the x52 but it provides you with everything you need. Plus lefthanders can use it equally good and you can fit the stick to your hand measurements.


On a random sidenote:
Just stumbled about this thing. The price is insane. It's 50 € and I bought it two years ago for 20 € (new).

Hotas Warthog + TrackIR = heavan

Of course, if this is your first time getting into flying you may discover that you don't like flight sims after all (seen it happen on sim forums, much butthurt was had), so this would be wasted money. Start small and if you enjoy it, spend more on an upgrade.

A USB 360 controller. Joysticks are irrelevant these days, but having a 360 controller helps play a lot of games on PC whose controls just work better with a pad (things like racing games, for example).

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/space-sim-joystick.50561/

I ended up buying a logitech attack 3 for around $30. Worked well enough for my purposes (playing I-war 2 and a couple other space sims). Only major complaint I've heard is that after a year or so they tend to loose accuracy and calibration becomes impossible.

Yeah, I would not recommend Logitech sticks for reliability reasons. If you're fine with buying a new one every 6-12 months, then go for it, but otherwise steer clear. And KC's recommendation might work for space sims, and maybe IL-2 Sturmovik, but honestly, you're going to want an actual joystick for anything more simmy than that.

I might go with the cyborg evo then. Don't need a joystick for space sims; I play IW1 and 2 just fine with a keyboard. I was actually surprised how easy they were since everyone said a joystick is necessary.

The only problem are flight sims where the atmosphere tends to cause airplanes to pitch or roll constantly, requiring me to tap the direction buttons all the time to correct it, which is kind of doable but very tedious.

Cyborg Evo is a good choice. Especially I-War 2 is excellent to play with that stick. But when your sole purpose is playing die-hard serious business sims you should think about getting one with a separate throttle for maximum enjoyment. But no need to get something like that as a starter when you don't know how much time you will spend on sims.

For Elite Frontier I recommend this thing I mentioned above in combination with a mouse. It allows you to programm the thrusters and all other important keys in a convinient configuration on it. Really improved FFE for me.

If you can find it (probably will be cheap)



Cyborg 3d gold, i have it 9 years, still works like the first day i bought it.

If you can find it (probably will be cheap)



Cyborg 3d gold, i have it 9 years, still works like the first day i bought it.

If you can afford it, go with x52. If you run it on Windows you can map so many keys on it that you don't have to touch keyboard.

If anyone's interested: http://www.getgamesgo.com/product/il-2-sturmovik-cliffs-of-dover

I think this is a good price for a game that was released in a less than perfect state. Haven't really played much of it, but as far as I can tell there seem to be a couple of lively servers for it, so I guess the community hasn't abandoned it.

That's a great deal for Cliffs of Dover. Just make sure you have a fairly beefy video card, because performance in that game is GPU dependent. The initial release was a disaster, but they've really come a long way with the updates -- check the official 1C forums for the latest patch.

Look for CH Products. Old school, solid controllers. I have a Fighterstick and it's great. I wish it would have more axis wheels though, but you can always buy the throttle quadrant as well.

33% off on Black Shark 2 and A-10C over on GetGamesGo: http://www.getgamesgo.com/

UPDATED MY JOURNAL

So I got a saitek cyborg fly 5 or whatever the fuck and it's a really janky piece of shit. Unstable, creaky plastic with a too hard spring that makes small adjustments impossible. I have to hold it down hard with the other hand so it doesn't tip over when pitching ugh.

I am disappointed. I guess I should've gone for the x52 or something.

Out of curiosity, which games are you playing with your joystick?

hide the sausage

It doesn't look to different from an Evo and I have a hard time to believe that the spring is too hard, more the opposite.
Have you calibrate it properly?

I tried it in I-War 2 and DCS: A-10.

In I-War 2 it was useless. It's just better/faster to fly with a keyboard. In DCS it was a bit better but I guess DCS is just a pain without head tracking.

Man, seriously, CH Products. Get one.

Are there any decent wireless joysticks around ? been thinking of setting up a MAME arcade box linked with hdmi to the TV, controlled wireless (bluetooth ?)

Head tracking makes a huge difference. The pilot workload is very high in the A-10, so if you have to be switching between mouse look mode and mouse interaction mode all the time, and take your hands off the stick to do anything, then you quickly get overwhelmed. With proper hardware though, flying the A-10 is much easier and very satisfying.

What is a headtracker?