The Joystick/Controller discussion thread

[Sil3ntDragon]

Joystick / hotas setup help

Hi

I've got a limited budget and yet I'm willing to spend enough if I can be sure to get quality.

I've so far been looking at everything from

T.Flight Hotas X
to
HOTAS Warthog™ Flight Stick

the reason I'm looking is that I bought this summer a

Saitek F.L.Y. 5 Madcatz and it broke recently (Very disappointed at that quality. but I loved it while it was working)
I've previously had a X52 and was very happy with it for 6-7 years until I used ethanol for cleaning it(Don't do that Ever) it broke quite quickly after that.

so my objective it to find a quality stick and either reuse one of the two I have as throttles (if I can.) or find a good but cheap throttle that won't break soon.

I was considering the full hotas warthog. but I highly doubt I can get my wife in on that idea. and I'm sad to hear I can't buy the throttle separately, because that would had eased my way in to that full setup with my wife.

so my question here is:
is there a good quality Hotas setup that aren't as pricey or is my best bet to by the stick only and find some other throttle somewhere later ?

the reason I'm not looking deeply in to the T.Flight Hotas X is it looks cheap and I've heard it feels cheap too and I really like the look of the Warthog stick however without at least a decent throttle it would be a waste.

 

[Zeddy]

I just got the Hotas X and it feels rather nice. Not really a hardware reviewer or anything and I've only had it for a day so I'm not sure how much more I can say than that.

I've been keeping the two pieces connected together because it feels a bit flimsier in my lap when seperated. In addition, the cable between the two parts is frustratingly short. About the length of the cable on the wiimote/nunchuck combo. I think you'd have trouble if you want each piece on each end of a keyboard, for instance.

 

[Non Grata]

CH stick or throttle now, other one later.

 

[Stinky]

I was considering the full hotas warthog. but I highly doubt I can get my wife in on that idea. and I'm sad to hear I can't buy the throttle separately, because that would had eased my way in to that full setup with my wife.

Let her buy shoes for the same amount of money xD
I'm sure you'll get to buy the warthog!

 

[prasak]

Buy it secretly and dont tell her, its very easy to hide a new hotas somewhere, especially warthog

To the topic, I would recommend you a CH pro throttle, as I got it and I am loving it, only some people have a problem with it being sliding instead of swiwel, but I never had a problem about it. It also looks ugly and cheap, but its not feeling cheap and its quality stuff, which should not break for many years. It also has the thumbstick, which is very good for lateral thrusters and no other throttle offers you such precision in this field.

 

[CMDR ONI Vox]

Hello there fellow CMDR!! I was searching for a quality HOTAS myself and this vid helped me make an excellent choice. couldn't be happier ^^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIM_kt_18yI

hope this helps! p.s.- the more expensive hotas he refers to is the TM warthog ^.-

 

[Techmonkey]

If anyone needs a good review of a flight controller, http://simhq.com is a good resource.

 

[Nemesis109]

There are no good but cheap throttles. I know, I have been looking. CH Throttle Pro is about the only one on the market and that comes in at around £129 and for that you can get an X52 stick and throttle.

 

[TheNameIsJambo]

CH Pro Throttle + Thrustmaster T.16000m.

You can't go wrong, especially since this joystick has Yaw! If you bought the CH Fighterstick, you'd also need pedals.

 

[calistan]

I got a new CH throttle and fighterstick for £60 each from Amazon US last August. Delivery to the UK was £15 and pre-paid tax was £27, some of which was later refunded.

So the CH gear isn't so ridiculously overpriced if you buy direct from the US. I got a set of pedals second-hand on Ebay a couple of weeks later for about £50.

 

[Sil3ntDragon]

CH Pro Throttle + Thrustmaster T.16000m.

You can't go wrong, especially since this joystick has Yaw! If you bought the CH Fighterstick, you'd also need pedals.

There are no good but cheap throttles. I know, I have been looking. CH Throttle Pro is about the only one on the market and that comes in at around £129 and for that you can get an X52 stick and throttle.

how is the CH Pro Throttle compared to the Saitek Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant ?
Was thinking of joining that Saitek Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant up with the HOTAS Warthog™ Flight Stick ?

If anyone needs a good review of a flight controller, http://simhq.com is a good resource.

I looked a little at that site but only found one review the x55 rhino. so you are saying that's a good one ?

 

[Vendraen]

I have a Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X, it's like $45 or whatever that works out to in your currency... I love it. I could buy a more expensive one, but I honestly feel like this one SHOULD be more expensive. It's a really, really good value.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

I have a Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X, it's like $45 or whatever that works out to in your currency... I love it. I could buy a more expensive one, but I honestly feel like this one SHOULD be more expensive. It's a really, really good value.

Agreed. I've never handled the expensive sticks (My last joystick had one button) but I can't imagine a better value that the T.Flight. I mean, I can imagine them being better, but seven or eight times better to account for the seven or eight times higher price? No way.

 

[Vendraen]

Agreed. I've never handled the expensive sticks (My last joystick had one button) but I can't imagine a better value that the T.Flight. I mean, I can imagine them being better, but seven or eight times better to account for the seven or eight times higher price? No way.

That's just it, they're better, sure, in some ways. (I have handled a lot of them.) But they're not "that" better. For $45 you get a really good and flexible game playing tool. I recommend it without reservation.

 

[Godsbrother]

I have a Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X, it's like $45 or whatever that works out to in your currency... I love it. I could buy a more expensive one, but I honestly feel like this one SHOULD be more expensive. It's a really, really good value.

I agree with this. Its worth much more than it costs and does the job very well. I have not had the need to think about changing it and I have been using it all through beta.

 

[Philip Coutts]

Another very happy T Flight HOTAS X owner. You can pick them up new for about £40 and at that price they really are great value. Pretty sturdy stick but still pretty accurate with plenty of buttons. Great value for money.

 

[Xariez]

Questions regarding controlling between keyboard and joystick

Hello fellow pilots!

So, as some of you might know I am hugely planning on getting the game, but lets not get into that detail now.
What I am here to ask is, if I get a joystick for the game I am planning to get the Thrustmaster Hotas X, which gives me full control to throttle, rolling/pitching, POSSIBLY vertical thrusters. However, I do miss out on the yaw function, since I am quite sure I have no button to bind to that. Generally this wouldn't be a problem, however, I am imagining a combat scenario just because that would be the most hectic. I need one hand on the joystick to be able to steer and fire, aswell as one hand on the throttle to manage that, but this completely removes the ability to use yaw.

So what I am asking is, how do you guys manage to keep control of everything that is needed during combat, IF you have a HOTAS stick?

Regards,
Xariez
Looking forward to answers!

 

[Kalara]

I have a HOTAS X.
My Yaw is just the 'twisting' of the joystick. I can't recall the actual axis this is on though (and can't check as I am at work, sneaking onto the forums).

On the HOTAS X, I also use button #7 as a modifier, much like you would do in certains MMOs with the shift or control key.
For example my button 4 is switching to next firegroup, but button #7 + button #4 is swtiching to the previous firegoup. This way you can have a lot more combinations on the Hotas itself.

Hope that helped!

 

[PiLhEaD]

Another very happy T Flight HOTAS X owner. You can pick them up new for about £40 and at that price they really are great value. Pretty sturdy stick but still pretty accurate with plenty of buttons. Great value for money.

This gets my vote too, it's a very good stick and throttle, with yaw, for the money.

Combine it with roccat powergrid for extra buttons.

 

[Garagiste]

And another! I can see how the T flight could disappoint if you're used to a high end setup, but I'm hugely pleased with it. Would be good value at twice the price IMO.