Saitek X52 Flight Control System Reviews
Other products by Saitek Ratting 4.0 Out of 5.0 Special Offer Total New 33 Total Use 6
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The World's most advanced flight controller The X52 Flightstick and Throttle combination give the most realistic flying experience ever. With the feature-laden Throttle and Stick split into two separate units, the X52 delivers ideal flying position. Programmability and illuminated Multi-Function Display expand the possibilities for Sim Pilots everywhere!
Technical Details
- Program your controller for each game using the powerful Smart Technology software. 3 mode settings and cool-touch metal pinkie switch provide enhanced programming options.- Precision centering mechanism; no contact technology on X and Y axes and constant spring force improve control and increase durability.
- 5 position handle adjustment system to suit all hand sizes with soft-touch, contoured grip for maximum gaming comfort.
- Progressive throttle with resistance adjustment and detents for afterburner and idle.
- Illuminated buttons and enhanced gameplay through intuitive LCD Multi-Function Display.
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By M. Woods
First of all, I'm not to terribly big into realworld style flight sims. While I have always had an interest in flying, I more or less gave up on it simply because it was too involved for me to "relax" with. My previous tastes in joysticks have always been fairly simple - I went from a 2button stick to a Logitech Wingman Digital, from that to a Wingman Force, from that to a Saitek ST290...
Well, last week, my ST290's trigger bit the dust, ironic, huh? So, I considered dragging the Wingman Force out, but still could not find a compatible adapter. It was time to upgrade again. After much consideration between sticks, I decided on the X52. I had a mostly positive experience with my previous stick, and I had always been interested in trying a fullblown HOTAS setup. It came in last night, and so now my real review can begin:
Out of the box, I was fairly impressed. Looking at the buttons and stuff in pictures is one thing, but actually seeing the sheer size and complexity of the system first hand is another. I had never used a HOTAS setup before, so I was slightly intimidated. I downloaded the updated drivers profiler and got busy. When I finally hooked it up, I found that one of the LED's (T5/6) was dead. No big deal though because I love the option of being able to KILL the LED's in the settings. I load up an old favorite that I had been playing through before the ST290 died - TIE Fighter.
Well, I knew I'd run into difficulty, seeing as how complex the stick was, and comparing it to how TIE Fighter only supports 3 variable axis - X/Y for the stick and Z for the throttle. No big deal though. I set things up and actually start a mission... Only to find out how incredibly responsive this stick is. Going from the ST290 and Wingman series to something like this is a huge jump. It was almost TOO responsive - I had been used to having larger deadzones and less responsiveness so it is a huge adjustment going to this.
Next I decided to crank up X-Wing Alliance. After some painstaking setup, I found that XWA actually supported FEWER buttons in the game than TIE Fighter did, although XWA supports the rudder twist. So, I tried out the Profiler. I couldn't find any preexisting profiles for XWA, so I began working on my own. A Half an hour later, I was done. It was still incredibly sensitive, but overall it was really nice being able to program via the profiler.
Pros/Cons:
Pro - A huge jump up in sensitivity.
Pro - The Feel. Even in a game like XWA and TIE Fighter and XvT, there's something just plain cool about being spread out with the hands on a full blown throttle and stick. I might've sucked in game because of the sensitivity, but I was grinning like a fool the whole time.
Pro - Throttle Control - The throttle has two spots that require a bit more of a push to engage - one is nearing 100%, one is nearing 0%. I really liked this because in the X-Wing Series games 33% is best for turning. The extra push required keeps me from completely throttling down when busy with a bogey.
Pro - Mouse Control on Thumb. It's just cool, and VERY handy.
Con - A huge jump up in sensitivity. If you're used to older sticks or more primitive sticks, you will likely find yourself overshooting targets.
Con - Intimidating. Alot of options can be incredibly intimidating to set up if you're not used to dealing with as much complexity.
Con - Lack of support in older games. I love the idea of the knobs and sliders, but unfortunately, they're not supported in alot of older games, and even with the profiler they are not easily set up.
Con - Lack of Force Feedback. I thought it had it, but I guess that's the Pro model. Not a big con, but still on there. For $100, I kind of expected it.
Con - I have slightly smallish hands, so the most tall Hat is kind of hard to manipulate easily.
Overall, I have to say it's a great stick. For my application, it's OVERKILL, however. I still have a few games that I'm going to try out with it, but currently, it's overkill. I enjoy it, but overkill.
By Aida (New York)
I use to have the Extreme Pro Joystick and it was nothing compare to the X52. I have FSX and this joystick was perfect for it. very cool, adjustable to hand size, customizable brightness of the LED's and much more.
I really recommend this product for you guys that play FSX or for EX: Tom Clancy's Hawx.
By P. McCain (Frankenmuth, MI)
Works very well with flight sim. Happy with purchase - haven't started to work on customization/"programming" of the devices, but they worked well right out of the box. You won't be disappointed with the X52!
By J. L. Tasco (Kathmandu, Nepal)
I purchased this with the CH Pro pedals. I used the control system with a IMAC 24" XPlane flight sim and all worked fairly well. The sensitivities of the controls are good and the control assignments were easily. Setup was simple, the construction seems durable and the included rubber cups prevents the controls slipping on my desk. I really like the setup since it uses only one usb port to connect to my computer. When I get bored with XPlane, I switch over to windows/fusion and fly MS Flight Sim X - and whether it's the control systems or Sim X control assignments are limited.
Overall a good product.
By e_identity (Washington, DC)
I purchased an X52 joystick from Amazon in January 2010. My PC runs Vista Professional X64 and I planned to use the X52 with Microsoft FSX. I downloaded the current drivers & software for Vista X64 from [...]. With FSX, the X52 can be used as or, a better alternative is to create a "profile" -- which assigns keystrokes to the buttons/switches on the X52. For example, the trigger on the joystick can be assigned the keystroke "." -- which turns on the airplanes brakes while taxiing in FSX. Saitek provides a downloadable FSX profile on its website or you can create your own. The software allows you activate the profile, and, in theory, you can then use the buttons/switches on the X52. I can see how FSX would work a lot better with the button/switches on the X52. In my case, when no profile was in use, the X52 seems to work OK--I could press any button or switch and, while it had no effect on the game, the X52 did not lockup. When a profile was in use, the X52 worked OK until I used a button or switch (any button or switch that had been programmed in the profile). Then all buttons/switches locked-up--though the throttle & joystick continued to work. I could clear the problem by disconnecting and reconnecting the USB cable to the X52--but the problem reappeared the next time I used a button or switch. Also, after the X52 locked-up, I was unable to shut down the PC until I unplugged the USB cable to the X52. I uninstalled and re-installed the software and drivers. No change. I tried both the FSX profile downloaded from [...] and a profile I made myself. Same result in both cases. I made sure all cable connnections were fully inserted. I connected the X52 to the PC using the USB port at the back of the PC--not via a USB hub. I emailed Saitek for technical assistance, but did not receive a response. I then returned the item to Amazon.com -- the return went very, very smoothly and I was really pleased with that aspect of it.
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