Logitech/Saitek X-56 Rhino
I can recommand it. Twist on stick and lots of buttons. Perfect for Elite Dangerous and when bought at the right time between 200-250 €.
Take it
Hardware & Technical shopping advice wanted - HOTAS
- Thread starter Lance Corrimal
- Start date
Logitech/Saitek X-56 Rhino
I can recommand it. Twist on stick and lots of buttons. Perfect for Elite Dangerous and when bought at the right time between 200-250 €.
Take it
I recently replaced my 13 year old Fighterstick with a new one. Easily found on Amazon and works fine in Elite.
looks like I'll be going for the X56... there are *two* on the market, the X-56 "RGB" and the X-56 "RHINO", the RGB is grey and the rhino is blue... and it looks as if the blue rhino is way worse, is that so?
Friend of mine has had both. Says they’re great to play with... until they break. Think he’s on his third set now. Lemme see if I can get him over here. Not sure he does the forum thing.
well, the good part is that I'm in germany. 2 years warranty are the law, and even after 2 years logitech support here is nothing but awesome. I've had them send me spare parts for a TEN year old optical mouse for free several times.
Is your friend on discord? I'm on the E
discord server with my commander name....
I have a complete CHPro setup and I have to say that the lack of a twist axis is absolutely not an issue. I don't even bind my pedals for Elite, I just use a "Yaw to Roll" button to give me a yaw axis when I want it (Fighterstick pinky-button, set to press-to-hold). The CHPro stuff is expensive but built to last.
I found the Warthog setup too big for a non-sim-pit but if it is just the twist axis holding you back - seriously, you won't miss it.
I had a Saitek "Rhino" version some years ago, it broke within a week and it's replacement was broken out of the box. I spent more time digging-out all the Saitek drivers etc than I ever "flew" with the controls.
Seems it is a case of taking pot-luck with quality - happily Amazon lets you return duff stuff. 
On the X-56, some people here seem to be quite positive. I personally can only say that the layout is great for ED. I really find it much better than the Warthog which a friend of mine owns. But unfortunately, while others say that the X-56 is all fine for them, i battled with a number of quality issues. I had them returned and replaced more than once.
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That being said, that were all Saitek produced ones. Logitech claims that they changed the internals and the quality issues would be resolved. That would be the new "RGB" stick. So if somebody gets a X-56, take the RGB version, don't pick up the older Saitek thingies. While some people here were lucky, many of them had issues. (Mine broke down more than once, with one time the throttle coming out of the box with buttons being permanent-on. )
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Also, while i can't say if Logitech actually improved the internals on their X-56 RGB, i can say that they did some work on the drivers. The stick i currently have, when i had the last replacement, had some issues with the dead zone on the stick twist. Nothing i did at that time was able to fix it. I worked around it with massive dead zones, both in the center and at both ends of its range. Which turned it into an almost digital input, but did the job for me. But about two months ago, i updated the drivers and software. And after switching to the drivers supplied by Logitech, it finally was possible to properly calibrate the twist and also some other axes became more accurate.
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So that much i can tell: Logitech did improve the drivers. Of course, improving drivers is easier than redesigning hardware. But perhaps, if they spent the effort to fix the driver issues, they also really fixed the issues with the RGB. So if anybody is around with the RBG, i'd be curious how they fare.
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That being said, that were all Saitek produced ones. Logitech claims that they changed the internals and the quality issues would be resolved. That would be the new "RGB" stick. So if somebody gets a X-56, take the RGB version, don't pick up the older Saitek thingies. While some people here were lucky, many of them had issues. (Mine broke down more than once, with one time the throttle coming out of the box with buttons being permanent-on. )
.
Also, while i can't say if Logitech actually improved the internals on their X-56 RGB, i can say that they did some work on the drivers. The stick i currently have, when i had the last replacement, had some issues with the dead zone on the stick twist. Nothing i did at that time was able to fix it. I worked around it with massive dead zones, both in the center and at both ends of its range. Which turned it into an almost digital input, but did the job for me. But about two months ago, i updated the drivers and software. And after switching to the drivers supplied by Logitech, it finally was possible to properly calibrate the twist and also some other axes became more accurate.
.
So that much i can tell: Logitech did improve the drivers. Of course, improving drivers is easier than redesigning hardware. But perhaps, if they spent the effort to fix the driver issues, they also really fixed the issues with the RGB. So if anybody is around with the RBG, i'd be curious how they fare.
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Another vote from me for the Grey X-56. If Logitech ever sell the throttle and stick separately I'll get one next payday. It's the best throttle on the market- when it's working.
I have an old X-55, the one that had the most and worst quality issues and it worked fine for almost three years before the throttle began to malfunction. The stick is still as good as new, almost four years in. I've rewired the throttle and it's working just dandy again. Total pain to do, it felt like I was back in my old job (at one point I had tobodge, er, apply careful modifications, to BAe military controllers). The throttle is a fantastic bit of kit, let down on older models by scandalous cost cutting on the internal components. Logitech say they've sorted the issue and various reviews of the new kit seem to back that up.
I have an old X-55, the one that had the most and worst quality issues and it worked fine for almost three years before the throttle began to malfunction. The stick is still as good as new, almost four years in. I've rewired the throttle and it's working just dandy again. Total pain to do, it felt like I was back in my old job (at one point I had to
Hi, I'm Ozram's friend he reffered to above.
I've had 3 X56's in the space of a year because of reliability issues. My first one (a blue and black Saitek one) broke after 2 months, my second one (a silver and black logitech one) broke after about 6 months (though one of its buttons broke after about 3 days), and my current one arrived with a point of contact in the stick that cause the yaw axis to be sticky and very squeaky (though I fixed that with some electrical lubricant.
Reliability is undoubtedly the worst thing about this HOTAS. I paid $400AUD for mine, and to have it break so frequently is absurd. Don't get me wrong, the HOTAS itself is awesome. The buttons, layout and those glorious little thumbsticks have ruined me for anything else, but I just can't recommend it after all the issues I've had with mine.
If you have to get one, get the logitech branded one (with the silver detailing, NOT the blue) as it does fix some of the reliability issues of the Saitek one, but make use of that 2 year warranty you mentioned, and if an extended warranty is available to purchase than I strongly recommend you do so. You're gonna need it.
Otherwise, look at Virpil or VKB. Their sticks don't have a twist axis so you're gonna need pedals, but I've heard very good thing about them.
I should mention that I play Elite quite a lot so that may be a contributing factor, but my old X52 lasted for ages when I first started playing, and it had already been through hell and back.
I've had 3 X56's in the space of a year because of reliability issues. My first one (a blue and black Saitek one) broke after 2 months, my second one (a silver and black logitech one) broke after about 6 months (though one of its buttons broke after about 3 days), and my current one arrived with a point of contact in the stick that cause the yaw axis to be sticky and very squeaky (though I fixed that with some electrical lubricant.
Reliability is undoubtedly the worst thing about this HOTAS. I paid $400AUD for mine, and to have it break so frequently is absurd. Don't get me wrong, the HOTAS itself is awesome. The buttons, layout and those glorious little thumbsticks have ruined me for anything else, but I just can't recommend it after all the issues I've had with mine.
If you have to get one, get the logitech branded one (with the silver detailing, NOT the blue) as it does fix some of the reliability issues of the Saitek one, but make use of that 2 year warranty you mentioned, and if an extended warranty is available to purchase than I strongly recommend you do so. You're gonna need it.
Otherwise, look at Virpil or VKB. Their sticks don't have a twist axis so you're gonna need pedals, but I've heard very good thing about them.
I should mention that I play Elite quite a lot so that may be a contributing factor, but my old X52 lasted for ages when I first started playing, and it had already been through hell and back.
Update: I've been flying with the X56 since christmas, and I'm quite happy with it, except one thing: there is this slider button on the throttle that Elite doesn't seem to "see". In the Logitech control app it is detected just fine, but elite just does not see it.
Any ideas?
Cheers
[LC]
Any ideas?
Cheers
[LC]
Use the Logitech software to bind it to a key, such as F7, and then bind F7 in game.
I use the slider for the cargo scoop.
I would advise against the thrustmaster t1600 and twcs throttle. The rudder rocker on mine started getting random ghost inputs a few weeks after i bought it. Currently it wont center and pulls consistently to one direction.
Everything else on the throttle and joystick are working fine, but the fact that the rudder rocker axis would fail after only a few weeks points to cheap substandard parts. Buyer beware.