Cheap and cheerful HOTAS recommendation

GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
The good lady wife (hello, dear) is starting to play Elite. While she likes my Warthog A-10 HOTAS she's finding the joystick part of it to be a bit uncomfortable, possibly due to the height of it. On that basis I'm looking at getting her a budget HOTAS to tide her over until we can decide on a 'proper' one.

The Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X looks ok and is reasonably priced at £30.

Any good? Or is it a case of 'too cheap to be worth the money'?

Thanks.
 

CMDR Heisenberg B. Damned

CMDR Heisenberg B. Damned
Probably the best low end stick out there, not a precise as more expensive sticks but at £30 you can't really go wrong. It can be quite stiff in it's movement though which is why I'm still using my years old MS Sidewinder Precision Pro (form 1995).
 

Thomas Mainwaring

Thomas Mainwaring
You want a cheap and cheerful HOTAS, the Hotas X is a great option. Served me well for the better part of 18 months with Elite, worth every penny and then some. The buttons got a bit squeaky after a year, but heck it still works. [hotas]
 

Wldweasl

W
CMDR Heisenberg B. Damned said:
Probably the best low end stick out there, not a precise as more expensive sticks but at £30 you can't really go wrong. It can be quite stiff in it's movement though which is why I'm still using my years old MS Sidewinder Precision Pro (form 1995).
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I have been using a Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 for 14 years. Stills works like a charm and have no plans to replace it. If it dies I will find another one.
 

Anson22

Anson22
I used the Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X for around 6 months. It's excellent value for money. Buttons are a bit flimsy, especially the thumb ones on the side of the throttle. I broke one of those. But apart from that, no complaints.

I upgraded to the T.16000M FCS Hotas.
 
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Hooplah

Hooplah
Many like the Thrustmaster lower versions as well as the CH products. The Saitek X-56 is totally dialed into the game and there is no other HOTAS that can come even close to matching it playing Elite Dangerous. It simply has features no other HOTAS at this point can come close to. The problem is their quality control in the manufacturing where a Thrustmaster Warthog will last for years. Not so much with a Saitek. Still I got 3 years on a Saitek X-55 and am now using a X-56 while the Warthog collects dust in the corner awaiting a new computer for X-Plane 11. Just one opinion per playing ED. There are many others one will hear from soon.
 

GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
Hooplah said:
Many like the Thrustmaster lower versions as well as the CH products. The Saitek X-56 is totally dialed into the game and there is no other HOTAS that can come even close to matching it playing Elite Dangerous. It simply has features no other HOTAS at this point can come close to. The problem is their quality control in the manufacturing where a Thrustmaster Warthog will last for years. Not so much with a Saitek. Still I got 3 years on a Saitek X-55 and am now using a X-56 while the Warthog collects dust in the corner awaiting a new computer for X-Plane 11. Just one opinion per playing ED. There are many others one will hear from soon.
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My concern with the X56 is that the reviews on Amazon are a bit harsh with regards build quality - lots of failed buttons, dodgy axis, etc. Hopefully that was just earlier units, though.
 
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CMDR Heisenberg B. Damned

CMDR Heisenberg B. Damned
Wldweasl said:
I have been using a Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 for 14 years. Stills works like a charm and have no plans to replace it. If it dies I will find another one.
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I only got the Hotas X because I really wasn't expecting the sidewinder to last much longer. I do use the Hotas X when I'm stacking rares with 2 accounts, it's a perfectly good stick just a tad more clumsy than the Sidewinder. It does have way more buttons though.
 

GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
Well, as luck would have it...a colleague at work has a Saitek X52 (non-pro) which is gathering dust and he's willing to loan me for a while.

Job's a good'un :)
 

Comrade Napoleon

Comrade Napoleon
GreyAreaUK said:
My concern with the X56 is that the reviews on Amazon are a bit harsh with regards build quality - lots of failed buttons, dodgy axis, etc. Hopefully that was just earlier units, though.
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Get an X52 Pro and pray it's one of the better ones. Most faults are from wiring inside not properly soldered, very easy fix really. And if you take you time not a problem to disassemble. The layout and plentitude of buttons at fingers reach is made for Elite

Cheers Cmdr's
 

GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
Comrade Napoleon said:
Get an X52 Pro and pray it's one of the better ones. Most faults are from wiring inside not properly soldered, very easy fix really. And if you take you time not a problem to disassemble. The layout and plentitude of buttons at fingers reach is made for Elite

Cheers Cmdr's
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Ah. The last time I held a soldering iron I somehow attached the cat to a table lamp.

And we don't even have a cat.
 

Ian Skippy

Ian Skippy
GreyAreaUK said:
The good lady wife (hello, dear) is starting to play Elite. While she likes my Warthog A-10 HOTAS she's finding the joystick part of it to be a bit uncomfortable, possibly due to the height of it. On that basis I'm looking at getting her a budget HOTAS to tide her over until we can decide on a 'proper' one.

The Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X looks ok and is reasonably priced at £30.

Any good? Or is it a case of 'too cheap to be worth the money'?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Do you need a throttle, and what is your max budget? I have the tflight and it is a bit cheap and inaccurate. The t16000m is much better at around £40 without throttle. There is a version with throttle, which is pretty much the 'official' elite hotas:

http://thrustmaster.com/node/7125
 

GreyAreaUK

GreyAreaUK
sleutelbos said:
Do you need a throttle, and what is your max budget? I have the tflight and it is a bit cheap and inaccurate. The t16000m is much better at around £40 without throttle. There is a version with throttle, which is pretty much the 'official' elite hotas:

http://thrustmaster.com/node/7125
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Someone is loaning us an X52, which is awesome. We still don't know whether she's going to be committed to Elite or just a casual player so I don't want to throw too much money at the problem just yet. £30 I'm ok with (I can use it elsewhere if needs be) but short-term free is better :)
 

rucky

rucky
I second/third/... the T-Flight HOTAS X.
It's the really BEST HOTAS for the buck you can get.
I have used mine 6 years now (former on PS3) and it's still WORKING!

Why do I say this?
I've bought for ED the Saitek X55 in October 2014 because I wanted to have more Buttons - with the Hotas X you have to Shift-Use a lot of Functions, that is press & hold one Button acting as Shift and then having double Functions on any other Button ;-)
About one year later the Stick broke and a few Buttons and hats haven't funtioned anymore. I've sent it in and got a complete new one.
Now a good year later again.... and again some (Multi-)Buttons don't work anymore...

So, sorry Saitek, your Stick eh Throttle s CRAP - always the Throttle got problems.

@GreyAreaUK, but the Hotas X is still fully functional after 6 years, that is superb quality!!

Edit: Someone mentioned X56. Don't. Just don't! It't the sucessor of the X55 and I won't trust it's better quality than the X55.
And it costs way over 200€. If you have the Money, take the Thrustmaster T.16000M Hotas or the most expensive Warthog...

Edit2: Another edit, the T16000 Stick is good, right, but I would still prefer a Hotas combi, first for the immersion ;-) and second for the buttons/functions...
 
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Hooplah

Hooplah
GreyAreaUK said:
My concern with the X56 is that the reviews on Amazon are a bit harsh with regards build quality - lots of failed buttons, dodgy axis, etc. Hopefully that was just earlier units, though.
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I totally understand. But if I get 3 months or three years out of the thing I'll totally enjoy having totally complete control over every binding control function that the game throws at us including the new camera controls. Note that one can buy an X-56 with a 3 year warranty just in case.
 

rucky

rucky
Hooplah said:
I totally understand. But if I get 3 months or three years out of the thing I'll totally enjoy having totally complete control over every binding control function that the game throws at us including the new camera controls. Note that one can buy an X-56 with a 3 year warranty just in case.
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you will need that 3-years-warranty, I'm afraid.
I have the X55 and Buttons malfunction again the second time after I got a complete replacement for the first malfunctions. But now I'm out of the half-year/two-years-warranty.
 
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