Which Is The Better Flight Joystick?

[Gamburd]

Which is the better flight joystick to buy for the flight simulation games, like IL-2??


The local store, Best Buy, has the Saitek Aviator (PS33) stick for around $44.00 (includes sales tax), and the Saitek X52 for about $105.00 (includes sales tax).


Which would be better???


I have read some reviews and some of the comments in this thread, and it seems that both of these joysticks have some issues.



I read in this thread that the Saitek X52 feels like you're flying in yogurt.



I have read that there seems to be some calibration issues with the Saitek Aviator with some of the sticks




Well, I don't want to fly in yogurt, and the calibration issues sound like a pain, but which one should I buy???



Is the Saitek X52 worth twice the price of one Saitek Aviator??? Does it deliver better control and handling and is it a superior product???



That's about all the store has; and everyone basically has said Logitech sticks are not good, so I won't buy those.



Someone also mentioned a CH flight joystick; how much are those and which is a good one to buy???



I would have to order that though.


I was thinking of buying Allied Force Falcon 4.0 also which is of course a different game, but someone said it was pretty complex and IL-2 was much more enjoyable to play.


Any opinions about Allied Force Falcon as being a good or bad game to get; it is just $20.00 now (I know it is a little off topic; sorry).



Some of the comments I have read about these two Saitek joysticks:

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=673636

http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/49310655/m/7431035027

 

[Reddog]

I'm not a great fan of Saitek myself, I had an Evo ages ago and it broke and never was that great in the first place. Since then I got a relatively cheap Logitec X3D and it has been great.

I have heard many good things about CH though.

 

[Rak]

I suggest looking at Cyborg X if you're not into HOTAS(doesn't matter for me). It's a quite complete package for it's size. It has two throttles(quite big), one trim wheel and 11 buttons which are smartly placed. I've bought it off from local store for about 34€. I'm using it right now and I'm loving it.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Saitek-PS38-C...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1236689504&sr=8-1

I have a X-52 back at home as well(I'm living in Germany for a while), and although I find the throttle awesome; the stick totally sucks for me. I never got used to it. Instead I prefferred using X-52 throttle with Microsoft FFB2 joystick(best joystick I've owned yet). BUT if you're serious about flight simulations, you have to get a HOTAS(stick+throttle) stick and X-52 is your best bet for a good price.

I've heard only good things about CH Products. Especially their joysticks are highly praised, albeit being mostly plastic(and not so good looking). But you're gonna have to get a rudder pedal(puts you down quite a bit) as they don't have twist rudder. They are quite pricey though.

BTW don't even look at Thrustmaster Cougar. It's very expensive, and it's a bad stick out of the box. You'll need to mod it, and mods are generally more expensive than the stick. I see it as a "money trap" for sim fans

Also, for best enjoyment in IL-2 you're gonna need a TrackIR as well.

As for simulations, Falcon 4 AF is quite complex for a starter I suppose. But it's a good simulation nevertheless. IL-2 will give you the best enjoyment for a good start, and you'll get the hang of flying quite fast. Then I highly recommend Digital Combat Simulator: Black Shark, it's the most recent and one of the best sims out in the market for a while. It has good graphics, incredible flight model and realism.

 

[Dillinger]

I think Reddog mentioned it, but the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro is a GREAT stick for a low price ($30). I love mine and play everything from Freespace 2, Independence War 2, X3, and IL-2 with it. Performance is great. It has the requisite twist rudder control, weighted base, throttle and a ton of buttons.

Great for a low price stick.

 

[Gamburd]

Thanks guys for the responses so far.

I think Reddog mentioned it, but the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro is a GREAT stick for a low price ($30).

Do you find the Logitech sticks to be durable (meaning long lasting, 1-2 years after you buy them)?

I have just heard the Logitech sticks break rather quickly, and that was my concern with them.


If I bought one and played IL-2 as much as I do RO (around 3-4 times a week), will the stick last for more than a couple of months?

 

[KrazyKraut]

My Logitech WingMan Extreme Digital 3D was basically unusable due to the rudder always pointing to the left even with the stick perfectly centered. And that was less than half a year after I bought it. Since then I never bought another Logitech. And I have heard similar from friends. Maybe they have improved, but they're not getting any more money from me after that fiasco.

 

[fiftyone]

I have a pretty cheap Thrustmaster Fox 2 Pro, its pretty sturdy and does the job with precision.
Its a couple of years old though.

 

[Rak]

Thanks guys for the responses so far.



Do you find the Logitech sticks to be durable (meaning long lasting, 1-2 years after you buy them)?

I have just heard the Logitech sticks break rather quickly, and that was my concern with them.


If I bought one and played IL-2 as much as I do RO (around 3-4 times a week), will the stick last for more than a couple of months?

Stay away from Logitech at all costs. They look and feel nice, but their precision is inferior to Saitek/CH. Also they won't last much longer, because you'll probably throw them away in rage They are only good for arcade games and such.

 

[Grobut]

The CH sticks are definately the best, there's no competition there, but of course, they also cost a pretty penny, more so because you'd need stick + rudder pedals + throttle to have a complete setup with all you need.
If you are very into flightsims, then i feel it's a good investment and i can recommend it, but if it's a passing fancy, then it's going to be too expensive.

If not CH, then i'd suggest Saitek, they are definately better than the Logitechs, more precise and they last a bit longer too (usually).

 

[Dillinger]

Do you find the Logitech sticks to be durable (meaning long lasting, 1-2 years after you buy them)?

I've had my X3D Pro for two years and it's still as good as new. Not a single issue. It's funny, some people say Logitech hardware breaks easily, I find Saitek's joysticks to be total garbage. I've owned four in the couple of years prior to getting the X3D Pro and they all lasted maybe a couple of months, if that. So who knows!