Joystick and throttle combo for simmers

Why did you buy this product?

I'm a flight sim fan. I played Falcon 3.0, Falcon 4.0 and now I just bought Falcon 4.0 Allied Force. If you don't know about this simulator, it is the most accurate and complex one of the F16 available to the public. With this complexity comes a ton of keys to remember for each assigned function. A good programmable joystick and throttle is a must for an immersing experience.
Previously, I've owned a CH Combat Stick and Pro Throttle. I liked it very much but it broke after 2 years ( chip inside ). Weight was also a bit on the light side. Program ability was good. Then I got the Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar, a real jewel in construction, a real pain to get it to work properly with some stability issues and the most flexible and complex in terms of program ability. I personally didn't like the transition feeling of the joystick between the X and Y axis, the reason I sold it. Buttons reliability was also on the cheap side.

Describe your experience using this product:

Then came the X52 Saitek combo. This joystick looks a little bit more of a toy compared to the previous joysticks and throttle I've owned. But I prefer a lot more its smoothness over that of the Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar. Quality of finish is excellent. It comes with a good 2 years warranty.
This combo is ideal for everybody regarding handling since it is very well ergonomically designed, with the joystick being adjustable and the throttle allowing a firm grip whatever the size of your hands.

I'll leave the features of the combo for you to discover on the Saitek website.

Program ability
Programming the combo is easy. This easiness comes at the expense of efficiency. Unlike 'Foxy', which allows the definition of macros and then the assignment of these macros to the buttons for a given 'shift' combination, the Saitek software forces you to pick a button before being able to define it ( there are also 'shift' combinations available, 6 in all ). Once this definition is done, you can then re-assigned it to any other button. Also, the files are kept in a binary format instead of readable text, which further limits your ability to play with the configuration files and forces you to use the Saitek Graphical User Interface. People accustomed to using 'Foxy', like me, will be completely turned off by the lack of functionality of this GUI. It has more program ability than the CH Combat Stick combo but not as much as the Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar ( Foxy ). But it definitely is more tedious to program for complex configurations. For people who want to play games not requiring lots of configuration, this won't be an issue and the simplicity of the GUI will even be welcomed. For flight sim fanatics, this is the big weak point of what is otherwise an excellent product.

What do you love about this product?
- smooth
- possibility to change configuration on the fly during game play experience makes it virtually limit less in terms of program ability
- lots of buttons
- LCD on throttle lets you see button function without activating when pressing the 'clutch' button
- LCD shows which configuration is loaded
- bang for the price

What do you hate?
- 'Saitek Smart Technology Programming' isn't smart at all, I'd even say it's stupid
- rotary control are a little bit stiff
- LCD doesn't show function for hats, mouse and rotary buttons even if rotary buttons or mouse are programmed in 'band' mode

What leaves me indifferent?
- There is no flash memory in the joystick. That means you can't set in a configuration file, unplug the joystick, bring and plug it on another computer and expect your configuration to be still working. You need your config file to set it back on that second computer. In fact, each time you reboot your computer, you have to manually reload it in the joystick. But since you can do so from the joystick itself using the 'clutch' button and throttle LCD screen, it's really not an issue for me.

Considering what you get for your money, this is definitely the best buy in its category. I'd say the only thing you let off for the price is a decent programming software for more serious simmers. If you are a hard core flight simmer, you may prefer the Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar ( for 'Foxy' ) or the CH Flightstick USB, since they both sports the real look of the F16 joystick.

* A 'shift' combination refers to the act of pressing a special button on the joystick to access a different function for any other button pressed simultaneously.