The Joystick/Controller discussion thread

[Para Handy]

I've had mine for a few months and I also use it for ArmA 3, FSX, and even Euro Truck Simulator! It's quite sturdy. I haven't had any problems yet other than the joystick started to make a quiet squeaking sound when I moved it - a drop of oil sorted it. It's also compatible with a PS3, if you have one. The best feature by far is both the twist-function on the joystick (which I use for yaw) and the pedal-lever on the back of the throttle (which I use for lateral). Very accommodating for Elite Dangerous' extra axis of control (which not many joysticks of this price offer).

A couple things to make note of. When you get your joystick make sure to head over to Thrustmaster's website and download the drivers for the stick, otherwise you won't be able to use the 5-axis of the controls (without the drivers, games will think the rudder-pedals and the joystick twist is the same thing).

I have to disagree about the drivers - I use W7 pro (64bit) and it recognised the joystick and all the axes and buttons perfectly. Presumably it downloaded any drivers it needed automatically. It is one of the great advantages on Thrustmaster, you don't get the horrible driver issues that Saitek suffers from.

About the build quality - yes it is plastic but it feels OK in the hand, some of the buttons look like they could be delicate but they absolutely are not - mine has taken many hours of hammering every day since April and the only thing you would notice is that the number decals are wearing off the throttle buttons. Another huge advantage over the opposition (apart from being so much cheaper) is that the controls are at a comfortable height and the throttle base has a domed upper surface so you can rest your wrist on it whilst still having complete control of the throttle.

Of course it would be great to have another few controls (a pov on the throttle would be most useful) but at this price you can't really complain - I hardly ever use any keyboard input and never at all during combat, everything you need is there or can be assigned.

 

[Buglet]

I'm on W8.1 and I had to download drivers before it worked - a friend of mine on W10 also had the same problem. As the joystick is fairly old I imagine its support for newer OS isn't as fleshed out.

 

[Dubber]

x52 pro lefty here.

 

[[HJ]-RedRaven]

I assure it is much easier for a lefty to learn using a right handed joystick with his RIGHT hand than many people think.
It is some kind of false meme going around that says that left handers need left hand joysticks.
It is absolutely not true.

It is just as easy for a lefty to learn using a joystick with his right hand as it is for a righty to learn using a throttle and all the buttons and switches on it with his left hand.

True - I'm mostly left handed and use a joystick in the right hand and throttle in the left.

 

[Willa Allason]

I have to say avoid the F.LY. 5, it has serious reliability issues. I've been through two in two months, the twist yaw control keeps failing. I gave up and ordered a T Flight HOTAS X.

 

[Miklos Atreides]

I have recently started playing Elite: Dangerous and I only have 360 hours logged. I was wondering if anyone could recommend me and my left hand to a good joystick for left handed people. I have searched and found some but the reviews have been very mixed from all the way to very bad to quite good. If you can I would like it if you could recommend one that is not terribly expensive BUT I want to find a good one for left handed people NO MATTER THE COST(I might have to wait awhile before I buy it though).

Tanks for the advice. :3



Yes I meant "tanks"

I am using the Thrustmaster T16000 with keyboard combination which is working completely satisfying.
The big pros are really exact control of your maneuvers. It act on every little bit. and the stick is at a pricepoint
where most sticks competitive in quality are lacking.

Cons: After playing some 100s hours Elite with that one stick sometime it doesn't turn back to full 'Zero' position so there is some
course creeping in my ASP if I do not realign the stick (drag/pull carefully a half mm).

Regards,
Miklos

 

[Carsten]

I use the Thrustmaster T-16000M with keyboard... Nice and accurate!

I am a leftie(spelling?) I use this joystick and it's really good *thumbs up*

 

[CMDR Kantos Kan]

Thanks all, I think it will be the Thrusmasters T-Flight HOTAS X!

 

[Firestarter]

If you want to know what other pilots are using see the joystick poll...
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=10967&highlight=Poll+joystick

The X52 is the most popular (there are two versions of it) but it's a lot more expensive than the Hotas X.

 

[Pendra]

I have to say avoid the F.LY. 5, it has serious reliability issues. I've been through two in two months, the twist yaw control keeps failing. I gave up and ordered a T Flight HOTAS X.

My FLY 5 works just fine. I don't use twist yaw thou. It is too stiff for my liking plus I rather use buttons for that.
For me Up-Down is Pitch, Left-Right is Yaw, Button 2-3 is Roll. Same I used in X-Wing. Unfortunately FD thinks they are working on Flight Simulator 33 and configured the spaceships like freakin airplanes.

 

[A Lien]

I own russian Defender Cobra M5. Its relatively cheap, has lot of programmable buttons and its real pleasure to fly with. Only I did not set it up for ED yet I can't seem to find enough time for that.

My only fear is that its throttle is not well suited for this kind of game and you either need to mark the throttle wheel or use separate throttle.

I found review for it:

https://www.reddit.com/comments/2m6cna

 

[the100thmonkey]

I am a leftie(spelling?) I use this joystick and it's really good *thumbs up*

I too am a leftie, comrade, although I use the X52 Pro for the Motherland.

 

[Para Handy]

I'm on W8.1 and I had to download drivers before it worked - a friend of mine on W10 also had the same problem. As the joystick is fairly old I imagine its support for newer OS isn't as fleshed out.

You do surprise me, my old PC had w8.1 on it and now has w10 on it and it didn't need driver software, both recognised it fine - maybe you don't allow windo$e to search automatically for drivers.

The fact that peripherals have been around for a while makes it more, not less, likely to have support in windo$e - my old joystick is recognised by windo$e right away as "Thrustmaster TopGun USB (rev2)" and that must be close to 20 years old by now. (Still works perfectly by the way.)

Anyway, that's all beside the point, which is that the hotasX works fine and is really good value.

 

[Jesse Blue]

X65F

It feels like if you were controlling the ship with your mind.
It only has one little quirk... You must think in russian.

 

[Nexliar]

I started out with a Microsoft Precision Pro 2. Was my old favorite from way back but after playing ED for a short time I knew I needed more buttons and a HOTAS.

I Didn't want to spend too much so I started with the Thrustmaster T. Flight X HOTAS. At first I loved it, really got used to it. With it and Voice Attack I didn't plan on getting anything else. Then about 2 days before its 2 month BDay the #5 Button on the throttle quit working.

After jumping through a lot of hoops I still don't have my replacement so I decided to get the X55 Rhino. I got it and a 2 year warranty for under $200. The warranty was only $9 so I figured it was way worth it not to go through the hassle if something happens.

Since then I've been in love with it. It took a while to get used to it and get the programming of it right. But I can honestly say that it has made me a better player!

 

[Maverick52]

Throttle control with dual joysticks

I haven't actually bought ED yet so maybe this a little bit of a stupid question.

I've been watching youtube videos of ED and looking into HOTAS setups and dual joystick setups. I think I would prefer a dual joystick setup but I'm wondering how people who use a dual joystick setup operate their throttle. I like the way the throttle operates on a HOTAS setup but I wouldn't want to emulate that on my second stick as having to hold the stick forward would get old very fast. I want the second stick more for fine controls.

As far as the stick I'm looking at, if I go dual sticks I'm looking at the Thrustmaster T16000M for both. If I do end up going HOTAS I'm looking at the X52/X52pro.

 

[-Pv-]

"the way the throttle operates on a HOTAS setup but I wouldn't want to emulate that on my second stick as having to hold the stick forward would get old very fast."

Could you explain this? I've never owned a HOTAS where I had to hold the throttle lever in any position.
-Pv-

 

[Dozer.k.a.o.]

The dual joystick control system has a lot of sense if you are playing with FA off, i recommend you to study the differences between FA on and OFf for understanding how the newtonian model works and why i think this is the best way to play it.

With FA on i don't see the point in using two joysticks instead of a HOTAS, but of course each player plays as he feel more comfortable.

 

[Maverick52]

"the way the throttle operates on a HOTAS setup but I wouldn't want to emulate that on my second stick as having to hold the stick forward would get old very fast."

Could you explain this? I've never owned a HOTAS where I had to hold the throttle lever in any position.
-Pv-

What I mean is...

A throttle you would move forward and it would stay where it's set. A joystick if you use forward/backward to control throttle would have to be held in the position constantly. If you were to let go, it would return to center.

The dual joystick control system has a lot of sense if you are playing with FA off, i recommend you to study the differences between FA on and OFf for understanding how the newtonian model works and why i think this is the best way to play it.

With FA on i don't see the point in using two joysticks instead of a HOTAS, but of course each player plays as he feel more comfortable.

The plan is to fly with FA off, at least in certain situations. I know some people use rudder pedals for throttle but that isn't something I'm interested in doing. Maybe somebody could show me a screen shot of the keybind screen so I could see what the options are for throttle. Maybe using something like a HAT switch with a "increase throttle 10%" and "decrease throttle 10%" option would work out ok.

 

[huwthomas]

If using a centering stick to control the throttle axis, it could be interesting to set it to "ahead only" mode as opposed to "full range". That way (I think) the centered position would correspond to 50% blue zone, which is quite a good default to have when in combat.