we are floating in space. Currently, I have a Saitek X52 HOTAS. However, two buttons don't work on it any more, but it's been a fantastic HOTAS. As a result, I am looking to upgrade. I'm not thinking of going Warthog, as it's too expensive. So, it's either another X52, or a Rhino X56.
I've read that the X56 Rhino 'caters' for modern space sims.
Does anyone have experience of the difference between them?
Are there any Rhino users that can vouch for its usefulness in ED?
Please give me your experiences/advice regarding this matter.
I've never used an X-52. I'm glad to hear you liked it, I have a bit of a soft spot for Saitek myself, it's good to hear from another happy customer. (The forums can be so negative, it's a breath of fresh air to hear from someone not crying bitterly about their First World woes! )
The Rhino is fantastic; in my opinion it's a better HOTAS than the Warthog.
Mine is an X-55. It was manufactured while Madcatz owned Saitek and suffered from numerous design flaws, which eventually broke the throttle unit about two and a half years after I bought it.
I regret nothing- I'd buy another one tomorrow if I hadn't already repaired the throttle myself!
The latest version, the X-56, has addressed the design flaws that brought my beloved throttle down. They're not cheap, but they're now owned by Logitech, who have a solid reputation for quality control. I would expect a new one to last much longer than mine, possibly indefinitely, if you're not scared of a little soldering a few years down the line.
The fixed design flaws:
Variable build quality. My unit was well finished, but I've seen pictures on line of otherwise identical controllers that look like they were put together by a ape. The X-56 is (allegedly) much more consistent.
Poor wiring loom. Tiny, very brittle wires with the bare minimum of reinforcement, often in inappropriate places. This was what killed my controller, eventually the wires frayed and snapped, resulting in ghost button pushes and defective switches. The X-56 has shrouded, much more flexible wires.
Far too much cheap, viscous grease dumped all over the moving parts. It was intended to lubricate the plastic load bearing components, instead all it did was gunk them up. I wiped most of mine off, giving a much smoother, more consistent feel. The X-56 has much less, higher quality lube, actually applied in the right place.
Hard edges on the wiring channel, which the loom rubs against. I've chamfered the edges on mine and bored out the square channel into a circular shape. I'm not sure if the upgraded X-56 has gone quite that far!
Pros and cons? Well, I can't really think of any cons, beyond the high asking price. Pros are numerous. Some of my faves, in no particular order:
Numerous buttons, hats, rotaries, switches, even a slider. You won't ever run out of options playing Elite!
The ergonomics are spot on. Mileage varies, I have quite large hands, but everything rests under my fingers and thumbs, there are obvious tactile differences between buttons and the soft rubberised texture on the outside of the controller is both pleasant to the touch and very hard wearing.
There are an arc of five way hats and a button under your left thumb on the throttle, allowing fine control of things like manoeuvering thrusters, easy menu navigation and a boost button/secondary fire button that can all be used while you're adjusting your main throttle. It's a huge advantage in Elite and the various flight sims I play. If you use VR I reckon it'd be even more useful.
The joystick is hard wearing (three years of cack handed abuse and mine still feels like new! ).
It's very easy to adjust the tension on the stick- a quick spin on a locking nut allows you access to the spring housing, where you can place four colour coded springs of varying strength, or no spring at all, if you prefer.
If Saitek sold the throttle and stick separately I'd buy a replacement throttle next payday, no hesitation. I'm just not forking out for a complete HOTAS when the stick is still A1! They don't/won't sell 'em apart, so I've rewired my old unit, made a few adjustments and it's working fine again- see the spoiler box above.
I'm using a VKB Gunfighter stick these days. It's a lovely bit of kit, but it's not that much better than the Rhino. It feels great, but the actual, measurable difference in performance is marginal at best.
I've used a Warthog and I honestly believe that the Rhino is a better HOTAS. All that metal outer, ridiculously stiff stick motion malarkey really isn't for me! The button placement is all over the shop (a natural consequence of copying a real life unit) and some of the switches are difficult to get to at various throttle settings.
The decision is yours, obviously, but I honestly believe the Rhino is the best HOTAS on the market right now. VIRPIL and VKB are/will soon(tm) offer shiny, high end alternatives but €560 for their cheapest option places them well out of all but the most committed 'enthusiast' budgets...
I've had the X52 since the early days of Kick Starter Elite: Dangerous. So I think it's lasted pretty well. The other thing that is wrong with it is the central stick is no longer 'bound' and is pretty loose. I could fix it, maybe, but I think I've had my money out of it - we're coming up to 5 years including the first year of beta testing the game? I am happy to hear Logitech have made the build quality better, so hopefully this one should last a bit longer.
The X55 and X56 look very similar - I like the removal of the buttons at the base of the X52 on the flight stick, looks like they've migrated over to the throttle. I do play in VR, so it looks like the X5[5|6] throttle buttons are better suited to this. Several times I hit the wrong button on the '52 flight stick, and either deployed my cargo scoop or gone in to silent running. Oops!
Well, I don't know how soon I'll get one, but when I do I'll probably trot back here and write up the differences, in case anyone else is curious to the differences. Although, to be fair, your write-up will stand out better than one I could write!
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