Space sim joysticks

SuAside

SuAside

Testament to the ghoul lifespan
Admin
I haven't played many space sims in the past years & most of them that I did play, played well with keyboard and mouse. Heck, nowadays many of the space sims have a large advantage for mouse players due to the finer aim & no need for autoaim.
But I remember from the old days, how much fun I had with space sims & joysticks. It was really part of the experience and it was great.
My last joystick was a Sidewinder & it was pretty good, until it lost the ability to zero itself & would drift off.

Anyhow, with a new generation of space sims coming on (SC, E:D,...), I was thinking of getting a joystick again.

My short list:
Thrustmaster T.16000M: Great precision, good quality, but no HOTAS and shitty throttle.
Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X: Cheapo HOTAS, but gets the job done. Lacks hats.
CH fighterstick & throttle: Oldskool as fuck, and solid as hell. But looks silly nowadays.The way the X & Y axis interact make me think it might not be the best choice for me, but the hardcore space simmers seem to love it.
Saitek X55 Rhino: Sexy & good all around. Even has split throttle & everything. But it's Saitek... They're known to drop the ball fairly frequently on the X52.

I'm currently leaning towards the X55. But I'm having doubts. The T.16000M might be a better choice to get me going until some new stuff comes along. Supposedly, Star Citizen will work together with companies to make SC joysticks that are a perfect fit for the game's mechanics for instance.

What's your take on this?
 
The CH Fighterstick is pretty awesome. That whole X&Y interaction only looks weird, it's not really noticable. That one including the throttle is a safe bet, although somewhat expensive.
The Saitek definitely looks cool, dunno about their quality.
I have some cheapass Thrustmaster USB, gets me through X Wing vs. TIE Fighter well enough :D
 
SuAside said:
Thrustmaster T.16000M: Great precision, good quality, but no HOTAS and shitty throttle.
Click to expand...
I have one of these and I really like it. I don't think you can beat it for the price. It has the movement mechanism of a significantly more expensive stick, and it never loses calibration or has any problem with shuddering or other feedback anomolies. The throttle does suck, but it's not so bad it bothers me. Once you get used to it, it's servicable.

Haven't done much flying lately, but I mostly use it for IL-2 and Independence War 2.
 
Same here - I use it in ArmA 3 at the moment.
Good quality for a good price. One thing I do miss is the option to change the height of the base of the stick so I can reach the POV on top better with my thumb.
 
You must have pretty small hands, because I have small hands and this stick fits my grip better than any other I've owned. You're right though, it's not adjustable in that way. It should be excellent for lefties though, if that's an issue. It comes with all the parts needed to convert it to left-handed, and the left-handed setup is a perfect mirror of the right-handed standard.
 
Yeah, my thumbs aren't very long I guess.
And yes, the T16000M is great for left-handed players. I also like its precision in small movements of the stick. Could have done without the glowing up of the base of the stick each time you move it though.
 
I have an ancient MS Sidewinder that has been solid and satisfying enough to handle my gaming needs since way back when.
 
Censor said:
Could have done without the glowing up of the base of the stick each time you move it though.
Click to expand...
Ha! That's true. I actually cut off the end of an old sock and put it over the stick. It sits on the base and cuts off the green light while simultaneously keeping out any dust.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top