Saitek X52 Flight Control System
by Saitek
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Saitek X52 Flight Control System
Customer Review: Incredibly Configurable
Summary: 5 Stars
Bear with me for a second... I need to prove a point to you.
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I spent the evening with my x52 last night, mostly custom tailoring my new joystick to LucasArts' classic space fighter sim, TIE Fighter.
Saitek's software enabled me to configure the three-state mode switch to control preset power levels by way of "advanced commands" that allowed me to issue a string of commands when the state switches in and out. Now, I have 3 configurations at the flick of a switch.
The toggle switches on the base of the joystick function as memory addresses for ships I want to hop to quickly. Flick up to save a target, flick down to recall it.
I also have shields set on a "precision slider" that lets me flick my shields to where I need the coverage in a split second. Setting up an attack run? Shields full forward. Intercepted by fighter cover? Shields to cover my rear while I finish off my salvo.
On top of that, the pinkie trigger controls my engine booster system in a hold fashion, despite the game's design to use that feature as a toggle. But I also get the chance to use this system in a way never intended by the game designers: boosters feed off power from the laser banks, so in my commands, my boosters automatically set a higher recharge setting in my blasters to prolong speed booster at the expense of a little speed. I'm contemplating adding commands to dump energy from shields and tractor beams into laser banks to ensure I always have booster power available if I have the energy anywhere.
My next addition is to rig the two-stage trigger to switch into linked fire mode when fully pulled, again in a hold fashion rather than a toggle fashion.
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So... why the major geek-out about how I set up my particular non-flight-sim game? The point is that this stick does its job very well, so well that the majority of my time so far is actually spent configuring the vast suite of control options Saitek has made available. All the complex commands that I would issue if I had ten hands and three brains are now at my fingertips. I feel like I opened up my starfighter and tweaked it to be uniquely mine. Once I finish configuring, I will have no reason to touch the keyboard, perhaps one of the highest compliments one can give a flight control system.
Customer Review: It works on Vista for FSX, but we need new software...
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this after playing Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) for a couple of days using the keyboard and mouse. I actually got it from a local electrical retailer, who evidently didn't sell many of them and my box took a while to locate in some back-room somewhere and was covered in dust. It was also a third more than on Amazon.
In any event I got it home, unpacked the box and plugged it's single USB connector in to my Toshiba Tecra M4 laptop running the final, released version of Windows Vista. Vista recognized it immediately and after some disk-access said it was done and that was it.
I hadn't actually thought to shut down FSX during this and went I went to manage the controls in it, it appeared to have just discovered the X52 and defaulted various buttons to it. I was able to set a huge number of buttons to anything I want and spent some time configuring it the way I wanted. The only problem I had was I couldn't work out how to get some of the sliding controls to control anything; it all seemed to be on/off switches - even the flaps are two buttons (more flaps / less). I think one of the wiggly buttons on the throttle is supposed to replace the mouse, too but I couldn't get that to work and didn't miss it either as obviously I have a mouse so I don't consider this a big deal.
I've been playing FSX very happily with the X52 ever since and it makes a huge difference to this game - highly recommended; much easier to control the various aircraft than with the keyboard and / or mouse.
It came with a cd with some software on it that promised to offer various additional configuration options; I couldn't think what it could do that would be of use to me in FSX as I had everything I wanted but I thought I'd try and install it anyway to see. It didn't work on Vista so I still don't know if I'm missing anything there. Hopefully Saitek will bring out a version that runs on Vista at some point; I will keep an eye out although to be honest I am very happy with it just as it is and I don't plan to use it for anything other than FSX anyway so I don't think that's a very big deal, either.
Overall, highly recommended if you are looking to run the new FSX from Microsoft.
Customer Review: Just what the control tower ordered
Summary: 5 Stars
Ever since picking up BF2 I needed a new controller that could handle both choppers and jets. My original was a Logitech wingman..total garbage. That thing wouldn't calibrate correctly to save its life...which as a result, is forefeit. My concern moving foward was that twist stick rudders are often too sensitive or have a slight margin of error for chopper flight.
After doing some research I bought the Saitek X45, which had great reviews and was a pretty good set up. It was unequalled with the control it gave you over the choppers since the rudders were easily controllable on the left thrust stick, rather than with a twist rudder on the joystick. The problem is, as soon as I switched from chopper to jets I found it very cumbersome to fly correctly, since I would have to think about what I wanted my left hand to do with the toggle rudder while trying to make intense flight decisions with my right. I did a full day of dogfighting head to head with the x45 and came to the conclusion that I just could not manuever fast enough with that rudder system, so back it went.
That leads us up to ...the SAITEK X52. For about $100-$130 bucks I am completely satisfied with the way this thing performs. It has a comfortable, flowing feel to it, with the tension on the throttle adjustable, as well as the height of the hand rest. I will say that at first the twist stick rudder did exactly what I feared, as soon as I got in a chopper it oversteered. However, one great feature about the x52 is the ability to set the dead zones where the stick will not react even if you twist it. With a little tweeking this thing now flys both choppers and jets with complete control. I haven't gotten into the profile set up yet, but that will come as needed. Overall its a great looking great feeling controller. It is a bit light, but the rubber pads at the bottom keep it in place even while making quick, broad moves. And if you need to, it has both suction cups or preset holes to mount it to the desk. If your looking for a comfortable, responsive controller without paying an absolute fortune, this is a good purchase.
Customer Review: A lot of bang for the buck
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the X52 stick and throttle for use with Falcon 4.0 Allied Force (F4AF), an F-16 simulator, and they're working out pretty well. I'm impressed with the sheer number of inputs, as well as their variety, including the three 8-way hats, the slider (which I've mapped to my airbrakes), the two rotary knobs (which I'll map to my sensor elevation and sensor strength once I get that far; I'm still learning to fly at the moment), and the tri-mode switch + shift (which lets you make any button/switch do six different things).
The X52 uses non-contact magnetic hall-effect sensors for the stick's axes, as opposed to rheostats or other contact-based technologies. This means that the stick should maintain its smoothness and precision over its lifetime, as there are no brushes to wear out.
A single spring is responsible for centering the stick in both dimensions. The design seems like it will more reliably return to center over time, as opposed to sticks with two pairs of opposing horizontally-oriented springs that center each axis.
The software included for programming the inputs is really intuitive, and I was able to get the behavior I wanted in a few minutes, without having to read a manual or a help page.
The bases of both the stick and throttle each have two holes going all the way through from top to bottom, which'll make bolting them down easy.
I only have two complaints: 1) the Cyborg styling looks stupid, and 2) the stick exhibits constant resistance throughout its range of motion (as opposed to increasing resistance the farther it is moved from center; "progressive" resistance). I could've spent another $100 and bought the X52 Pro to avoid these issues, but couldn't justify it. Besides, it doesn't cost Saitek $100 to change the styling and add an additional spring.
I'm using the X52 alongside CH Products' Pro Pedals USB, and they do not conflict with eachother, at least not when playing F4AF.
Customer Review: Surprisingly Nice
Summary: 5 Stars
For the price, I expected something a little less of a HOTAS. But all-in-all, I'm really pleased with the product. After fussing with the joystick's adjustable handgrip for a few minutes, I found a reasonably comfortable position that fits my hand. The throttle is well designed and comfortable to use (though I have to shift my grip to use the mouse scroll-wheel, at least you don't have to scroll the mouse very often in a dogfight, heh). The joystick feels nice and moves smoothly as well. As others have commented, it doesn't require the gorilla hands needed to really use the Thrustmaster (a well-done F16 replica; a shame the jet needs gorilla hands). And it's certainly a lot cheaper. For the casual flight or space simmer, it's a great deal; also, for marginally older games, the HOTAS registers itself as a single USB joystick, not two devices, making in-game configuration pretty easy.
My only complaint (which isn't much of a complaint) is that there is absolutely no Windows 2003 support from Saitek. Of course, since that's supposed to be a server OS (I use it in a sort of 'desktop mode' for my home-based contracting business), this isn't really any fault of Saitek's. I kicked at the XP drivers for a while without much luck - fortunately, the worst the drivers would misbehave is crashing rundll when viewing the stick diagnostics under Game Controllers, but I couldn't get the software (for programming the joystick to simulate keypresses) to run at all. Instead, as I later discovered, the Windows 2000 software and drivers works pretty nicely on Win2K3. (Runs fine in-game, only very rarely crashes under Game Controllers, and the profile software works great.) Just a suggestion for any Win2K3 user out there.