I am thinking of getting one around xmas time. Any new feedback/updates. I notice some people on the forum were having problems with it.
Saitek X65F - Anyone using?
- Thread starter Cmdr Shoogalumps
- Start date
Saitek X-65F user here. Loving it! Takes a little getting used to, but after a couple of hours you'll by flying 
Never had any technical or compatibility problems using it with Elite (or any other games for that matter).
The only thing I'll say is that you definitely need to plan on anchoring the stick to your desk (or wherever you're using it). It comes with enough sticky-back velcro to do the job, but can also be bolted down IIRC. Once done, it's a pain to move it, so you'll probably be having it on your desk more or less permanently. I find the throttle heavy enough to use without being anchored, but YMMV.
Oh, and I recommend putting it on the lowest force-setting until you're used to it, as it's quite sensitive
Never had any technical or compatibility problems using it with Elite (or any other games for that matter).
The only thing I'll say is that you definitely need to plan on anchoring the stick to your desk (or wherever you're using it). It comes with enough sticky-back velcro to do the job, but can also be bolted down IIRC. Once done, it's a pain to move it, so you'll probably be having it on your desk more or less permanently. I find the throttle heavy enough to use without being anchored, but YMMV.
Oh, and I recommend putting it on the lowest force-setting until you're used to it, as it's quite sensitive
Last edited:
Nice. Did you programme it yourself or did you modify the controls in ED settings?
When I got the stick I used its software to create a small deadzone at the centre for pitch/roll. Other than that I haven't edited any of the curves or settings. Just loaded up Elite and mapped the controls there!
Thanks, that's interesting. I read someone else did that and it worked fine, but when he had logged back in the controls had jumped from generic joystick to custom, so the JS didn't work b/c it did not recognise it, unless he reset it to generic JS, which means all his custom keys would become unbound. Do you know of this problem? And how did you address it?
Not a problem I've come across personally. I set all my controls up under the "Custom" configuration and they've stayed where they should be, even after the stick having been unplugged multiple times.
Thanks for your information. I am gonna do some more research and see if it is for me. Not too sure about the stiffness of the throttle that you mention as I also use my set-up for working, wouldn't want a permanent fixture like that on my desk.
I have tried a couple now and stuck with the X55 Think this is an amazing bit of kit & quite a bit cheaper than the X65F. After reading the reviews I couldn't find the need for the additional buttons etc for ED. I can totally understand people who are heavily into X-Plane or other flight sims. I have sunk hours into ED & X-plane with the X55 and haven't found anything I cannot do without using the X55. Only thing I use my Keyboard for it to chat in comms.
http://www.dabs.com/products/saitek-pro-flight-x-55-rhino-h-o-t-a-s--for-pc-9Q3X.html
http://www.dabs.com/products/saitek-pro-flight-x-55-rhino-h-o-t-a-s--for-pc-9Q3X.html
Nice one. will look into that too. I have to say though, the big attraction to the 65F (knowing that the 55 can provide an equally good experience) is the metal casing.
X65f user reporting in. Best damn stick I've ever owned.
I've setup my stick to have a linear input, and I've found my best performance comes from having no deadzone. That way, even the slightest impulse gets translated exactly 1:1 in game, and when I got used it it, the ship became merely an extension of my own arm. Controlling my ship now is mere instinct, I want to move the ship and it just does it.
The only game I had any kind of problems with thus far has been Star Citizen, and games in excess of 10 years of age (guess what connection i made there). Theres also been a handful of games that have locked in deadzones, those kinda suck but fortunately I havnt found one I actually cared about playing.
All that said Cmdr Shoogalumps, I would think very deeply as to WHY you want the X65f, how you will use it, what the stick is doing for YOU and how YOU want to play. The X65f is a very very different kind of stick, and it definitely one of those that people either love it, or hate it.
There are some definite drawbacks. I may have said it was intuitive, but for some it can take weeks of training to become accustom to it, playing with the settings and getting a "feel" for it. Most people's experience is like this at the start, but when you adapt movement and input becomes as natural as if it was a part of your own body.
Me personally, it didnt take very long for me to adjust, I had it down pat after only a few days of fiddling with the controls. But then again, I knew exactly why I wanted it and what I was getting it for, and it wasnt for its pretty metal enclosure.
The fact that the stick is force sensitive also means that the stick itself has to be ABSOLUTELY ironed in place. Unless you have an (extremely) light touch, the stick can and will move around on you. I personally have a belt that I strap it down with and that does it. The stick also has its own base plate and screws you can use. I recommend that method if you can (i'm just too lazy, and deal with the occasional slip).
Then theres also the fact that some just never really get the feel for it. Many people (most I'd dare to say) just prefer the tactile input of physically moving the stick. You get none of that with the X65f. Its just a direct input from the force exerted on the stick.
I also wont say that its any more (or less) accurate than another high quality stick. The stick is however extremely precise, as good as any warthog or CH stick I've ever seen, however experience aside accuracy in controls comes almost entirely with the users comfort and familiarity (excluding devices that are broken or just bad). Thats why some people are just better at FPS with a controller over a mouse, and vice versa.
All that said, you shouldnt pick up the X65f based on aesthetics, its a recipe for a wasted 350$. It's practically a lifestyle change. However, if having a pseudo physical connection to your ship and the prospect of force sensitive input is something alluring to you, its worth considering. You just have to understand what it is and believe in why it would be good for you, then commit to that when you get it even if it takes awhile for you to master.
I've setup my stick to have a linear input, and I've found my best performance comes from having no deadzone. That way, even the slightest impulse gets translated exactly 1:1 in game, and when I got used it it, the ship became merely an extension of my own arm. Controlling my ship now is mere instinct, I want to move the ship and it just does it.
The only game I had any kind of problems with thus far has been Star Citizen, and games in excess of 10 years of age (guess what connection i made there
). Theres also been a handful of games that have locked in deadzones, those kinda suck but fortunately I havnt found one I actually cared about playing. All that said Cmdr Shoogalumps, I would think very deeply as to WHY you want the X65f, how you will use it, what the stick is doing for YOU and how YOU want to play. The X65f is a very very different kind of stick, and it definitely one of those that people either love it, or hate it.
There are some definite drawbacks. I may have said it was intuitive, but for some it can take weeks of training to become accustom to it, playing with the settings and getting a "feel" for it. Most people's experience is like this at the start, but when you adapt movement and input becomes as natural as if it was a part of your own body.
Me personally, it didnt take very long for me to adjust, I had it down pat after only a few days of fiddling with the controls. But then again, I knew exactly why I wanted it and what I was getting it for, and it wasnt for its pretty metal enclosure.
The fact that the stick is force sensitive also means that the stick itself has to be ABSOLUTELY ironed in place. Unless you have an (extremely) light touch, the stick can and will move around on you. I personally have a belt that I strap it down with and that does it. The stick also has its own base plate and screws you can use. I recommend that method if you can (i'm just too lazy, and deal with the occasional slip).
Then theres also the fact that some just never really get the feel for it. Many people (most I'd dare to say) just prefer the tactile input of physically moving the stick. You get none of that with the X65f. Its just a direct input from the force exerted on the stick.
I also wont say that its any more (or less) accurate than another high quality stick. The stick is however extremely precise, as good as any warthog or CH stick I've ever seen, however experience aside accuracy in controls comes almost entirely with the users comfort and familiarity (excluding devices that are broken or just bad). Thats why some people are just better at FPS with a controller over a mouse, and vice versa.
All that said, you shouldnt pick up the X65f based on aesthetics, its a recipe for a wasted 350$. It's practically a lifestyle change. However, if having a pseudo physical connection to your ship and the prospect of force sensitive input is something alluring to you, its worth considering. You just have to understand what it is and believe in why it would be good for you, then commit to that when you get it even if it takes awhile for you to master.
Last edited:
You make an impassioned (yet practical) case for the X65F, Crystles. I can see you really love the stick. I am one for the finer things in life and aesthetics are important. That is, if people rate the 55 and 65f equally well in terms of effectiveness (which from what i have seen, they do). I would want that extra solid feel of the metal casing. I make always put a big effort into making things work and I think I can make the 65f work for me.
I'm theoretically loving the x65f, but I'm finding the calibration tends to move around a bit and jitter like crazy on the mapping software (not by a huge amount, but there's always a wobble). I've corrected this with deadzones, and I'm loving it in Il2 ClOD etc. It's an ongoing maintenance issue though. Anyone else wrestling with this?