5.10.2015

Purchased this to play Elite Dangerous (ED,) I am not a flight sim player so this review will reflect my experiences with this single game.The X52 PRO is the recommended controller for Elite Dangerous. after some research it appeared to me the the subtle differences between the X52 and the X52 Pro did not justify the extra £30 (at time of writing this) I still think that this is the casethe controller is GREAT. its very well made, if a little on the plastic side but that's something that I can live with. it connects to the computer via USB from the Throttle, the stick connects to the throttle via a very retro 'PS2' style keyboard connection. seems to fit snug and so far is reliable.I would have preferred a locking mechanism on this though.I downloaded software and drivers form the official website as my PC does not have a disk drive, i would think they will be newer versions than the ones on the disk though. even though drivers are designed for Windows 7 they worked fine with my Windows 10 install.the actual software is pretty good for one of these suites. usually they are terrible this one is at least usable if lacking more than a little polish. all in all, a good purchase.now, here for some more detailed observations:STICKThe stick is not as tight as I expected, but this is actually a good thing, my old stick (a £30 black window) was very tight, the extra movement that hte X52 fives you makes your movement in game feel more fluid mad tiny corrections are a pleasure.The stick as a side to side, Rudder, movement on it that can be locked with a little slide switch. when locked it still moves slightly this can be a little distracting. i DO use the rudder feature in ED though and it works wonderfully so this is not a negative for me.The buttons are very well lit, in fact i had to use the software to turn down the brightness to about one quarter of full. now its a nice subtle glow (applied to throttle too)The hat switches are all sensibly located and work very well. the flip up 'safety' flap over one button is cute but overall pointless and I would expect that it will loosen off a little too much in the future. does make you feel like a serious fighter pilot though :)the stick can be adjusted from the base of the 'pinky' moving the wrest and pinky switch up for smaller hands, i blessed with godlike shovels however and found it it perfect, i would doubt that any human would find it small. i really like this stick :)THROTTLEas i said i have VERY little experience with flight sticks and am not a flight sim player (just ED, and that space ships) but in my opinion the layout of the throttle is less than optimum, its massive and even i with my epic meat platters have to make an effort to reach for the hat switch and dials. it IS however very comfortable to use even though i have to adjust my grip when i move from button to button.there are a few features that ED does not really use on the throttle, i have no use for dials or the slider. but, they do seem to work well.the action of the throttle is 'over centre' not slider, i like this. there are little 'bumps' as you reach 80% on the way up and 10% on the way down that a a little too prominent and can put you off at first, soon i became accustomed to this and was happy with the device but some people don't like that bump. i have read that it can be disabled but you need to take the base apart, voiding warranty. (i may do that though)there is a small dial on the side to adjust tension on the movement and it doesn't seem to make a massive difference, i leave it very loose though as it makes that 'bump' less jarring.OVERALLThe unit comes with little suction cups for the bottom that i found really give it a fixed and solid feeling making it appear heavier than it is. i like those little suckers a lot, if you have a desk that they don't stick to there are little pads on the bottom of the stick and throttle.overall im really happy with the unit and will be enjoying it for many missions to come, i hope.ED SPECIFICto make pinkey switch work make a new profile on software and set everything to UNPROGRAMMED, then on the game select the X52 profile. all should then work well. you will have to reload profile in software after every reboot. :(

7.4.2015

"Windows XP / 2000 / 98 / Me" - really?! Mind you, two of the three most popular reviews are from 2005. This stick obviously has some longevity, if Saitek are still making it. I've never been at all interested in sims, be they flight, motor racing, bikes... I'm old enough to remember a ZX Speccy game called TT Racer. The recommended "controller" then, was a sellotape tin (yes, I'm old enough to remember when sellotape came in tins too!), which you rolled back & forth across the keypad.The mag doing the review hauled in a bona-fide TT Racer to get his opinion. They all said it was unplayable, he sat there going "Wow! This so realistic!!" There you have my basic attitude to sims, as opposed to games.If it is marketing itself as a sim & isn't realistic, I'm not interested, If it is & it is, I will almost certainly give up before I train myself into something that is a reasonable shadow of a real pilot, driver, biker...So I've never had the slightest reason to want a HOTAS stick & throttle (which sounds like something you do to a particularly obstinate donkey). Except that Frontier finally released the new Elite (yes, I'm old enough to have played every version of *that*!). I tried the trainer; you can fly a Cobra on mouse & keyboard, but if you can fight that way, you're far, far better at doing it than me. My brother bought the X-55, which is rather dearer, a friend the X-52.I followed the friend. I've had this stick for a couple of weeks now. It isn't twitchy, it's very natural to use, for the most part, although you can't hit the T switches on the stick with your right hand if you're actively flying. Not all of the buttons do what they're alleged to on Elite X-52 defaults. However, although I've scarcely explored the programming aspect so far, it's not difficult to do.A hundred quid (which is what I paid) isn't that expensive for a specialised game controller in this day & age. This, presumably with tweaks & upgrades, has been around for a decade now, which is at least moderately astonishing & a recommendation in itself. They wouldn't still be marketing it if it were flimsy, over-sensitive, and etc. My one quibble is the suction feet for the bases of the two units. They have a very broad insert lug which you then twist to lock them in place. The problem is that twist is only about 10 degrees. Totally inadequate - if you ever lift the units instead of sliding them, you're likely to find at least one of the feet falling out of the base. And that really is my only complaint so far!{Edit 23/4/15: One more thing to add. Since submitting the original review, the joystick part of proceedings started to squeak, loudly & often. I had a hunt round the net (as you do). There's a very simple cure for this. It doesn't involve expensive silicone lubricants, oils, bits of fabric, or anything other than your finger. There is a cup at the base of the spring. Simply push the stick to the extreme at each compass point, and run a finger round both exposed surfaces. Presuming you haven't just washed your hands, the natural oils on your fingers are perfectly sufficient to act as a lubricant & eliminate the squeak!}

12.5.2017

Having built a custom rig this last month, what was required as a decent controller to use for my sim games and this was the choice I went with. I have previously owned the G920 steering wheel & pedals, but found (for my smallish home anyway) that they simply took up too much space.This I use for my various flying games, for which ideal, and the odd driving game (euro truck sim 2, forza racing game). I found the stick extremely responsive and accurate/precise. The number of buttons which can be customized to do anything in these sorts of games is great, there are several axis controls which is great for any simulator where control surfaces /engines aren't just an "on/off" thing:Joystick X/Y (and Z - twist motion/rudder etc)Throttle lever1 slider on throttle lever (where left thumb would sit - on the right handed version anyway, which this is)1 dial on the top of the throttle lever (where your index finger would rest)the throttle and joystick setups are obvious, but in say euro truck, i dont use joystick forward/back for throttle/brake - i use the throttle lever for 'gas pedal' and the thumb slider for 'brake pedal'. Before I got trackIR - i used the twisty joystick to "turn my head" left/right to check for traffic etc. again - you can setup any axis/button to do any command in any game that has a controller/setup page, which 99.9% of games do.I like that the main trigger has 2 stages, good for firing missiles etc, as a part pull you may setup to try get a radar lock on your enemy, and once you hear the buzzer confirmation, you pull all the way, the 2 steps are quite far apart, certainly far enough that you can't accidentally pull trigger all the way, when you only intended for the initial half-pull. A good idea really, as there is every chance you are ducking and weaving and diving and you don't want to waste a precious limited resource in such a situation due to a dodgy trigger!!!I used windows 10 and on the machine I made, once I plugged this in, it was fully working within 10 seconds at the most. I didn't bother installing the DVD software, but i'm sure there may be some settings or something on there, but it's irrelevant for most uses as the thing just works. There is no force feedback of any kind on this model, so be aware that if you want the stick to shake, or go stiff when flying at higher speeds, you need something else. If you dont care for that, but want a high quality, nice to feel, comfortable and above all precise and accurate controller for your PC that's as easy to setup as plugging in a USB cable and waiting 5 seconds for the driver to autoload - then this won't let you down.I saw a review by someone saying the throttle was "too stiff" - there is an adjustment to loosen the throttle, but if he had already loosened it all the way, I can only guess either he was doing it wrong, or had a faulty model, because mine only needed a little bit of loosening to get the throttle to how I like it, and I had plenty of loosening to go.

29.6.2009

The first thing to mention about this joystick is the general quality. It feels expensive and has been made to an excellent level. The second thing to mention is the insane number of buttons, HAT switches and controls, they are just everywhere. What's more is that many of these are analogue controls; you have the normal two on the joystick, third on the throttle, a fourth on the stick-twist rudder control, a fourth on a slider, and two more on dials. Whilst some older games may not pick these up, it is fantastic for more recent games like Flight Sim, where you can assign these axis to advanced controls on the aircraft, for example, prop RPM.All the buttons are also picked up by Flight Sim (some older games may be limited),but with the use of the Saitek software, you can use more advanced features like the pinkie switch and mode toggle. These features allow all of the controls to act in different ways, and perform different functions dependant on the mode and pinkie switch. Combining these things together, a single button can have 6 different functions!This product is not without its downsides, however. Firstly, it is not nearly as heavy as I would have liked. If you move the stick around too vigorously, you can easily lift it off its surface. Secondly, the MFD (multi-function display) is quite dissapointing. It basically shows you the time (in one of three time zones), or you can use it as a stop watch. It also shows you which 'mode' you are in (something you can easily see on the stick itself), and, when a button is pressed, it tells you the function of that button. However, for the typical behaviour of a button, it is on and off in a fraction of a second, and so is the display, so this function is fairly useless.The third issue is the most annoying. I have found that occasionally, when using in conjunction with the Saitek software, the stick can become 'stuck'. At this time, all the controls (but not the axis) become unresponsive, and the control which caused the stick to be 'stuck' is shown on the MFD. I can only assume (given how the MFD works - see above), that this command is stuck ON and will not go OFF. Whats more is if you don't rectify the situation quickly the whole thing becomes jammed, and unplugging the joystick from the PC causes a blue-screen of death!!If you do buy this product (and I would still recommend you do, as it is far better than the competition), and you experience this issue, here's how I found to fix it:1. Switch back to the desktop and DON'T press any more buttons2. Close the Saitek software down (and wait until it has closed)3. Unplug the joystick4. Plug it back in5. Re-open the Saitek software and start up your desired profile6. Switch back to your game.This seems to resolve the issue, however it could happen again. I have found that certain key combinations or controls seem to trigger this problem, so I've found that if I avoid these I can be a happy gamer!Happy gaming.

2.3.2016

EDIT - Now 5 months down the line and it's still working perfectly. I'm still not overjoyed with the spring tension, but I've seen a few mods that I'm going to try out. Other than that it's a great joystick though, despite that 1 flaw I don't regret buying it at allEDIT 2 - Now 1 year later and still no problems, still very happy with it.EDIT 3 (and probably the last unless it finally breaks before I end up replacing it) - now almost 3 years of fairly heavy use, I don't use it every day but it does get used regularly, and it still performs just as well as the day I bought it. Very much recommended (although for some reason there are 2 listings on amazon now,and this one is more expensive)Edit Sept 2020 - after 4 and a half years, the stick has finally given out, when centred it is detected as being slightly to the left, meaning that you always have to hold the stick to the right to stop it from rolling constantly. This happens with jets too, and looking at the input when the stick is centred it is clearly being read as being off-centre, so no it's not p-factor or torque making the plane roll. The throttle still works perfectly so I'll probably just buy a cheaper stick and use that along with the throttle from this as most sims allow you to use multiple input devices---This is a great joystick, I bought this to replace my Saitek Fly V1 and it's a huge improvement over it, it feels much more responsive, it has loads of buttons and the separate throttle is great too, it's also nice and responsive and has detents at the 10% and 90% marks for idle and afterburner settings.My only problem with it is that the spring in the joystick feels a bit soft, which can sometimes make very small movements feel a little imprecise, but I'm already getting used to it so it isn't too much of a problem.Drivers and software worked fine on win10 first try, I didn't bother installing from the disc though, go to Saitek's website and you can download the latest versions, this is probably why people were finding that they weren't working.Also, I've seen several people saying theirs broke straight away, the lights would come on and then just shut off again. I can't stress this enough - YOUR JOYSTICK ISN'T BROKEN, DON'T RETURN IT. You just don't have the software running, it needs to always be running in the background for the joystick to work, if you get that problem just go to C:\Program Files\SmartTechnology\Software and run the program "ProfilerU" and hey presto, your joystick works again. Just make a shortcut to it on your desktop in case it ever happens again. (Edit - This doesn't seem to be a problem anymore with the new Logitech drivers, but I'll leave it up just in case)All in all, I would definitely recommend this joystick if you can stretch to the price, it is pretty expensive but it's worth it if you're really into flight sims

4.7.2020

I've been a fan of the X-series HOTAS setups since my first experience with the X35 that plugged into a gameport and the keyboard socket. I'd worked my way up to an X52 when Madcatz bought Saitek and everything leaped gleefully aboard the handbasket to you-know-where. The software ossified and the build quality tanked. My pre-Madcatz X52 was pretty much on its last legs and I was seriously considering other brands when Logitech stepped up and took the product line in hand. I gave 'em a bit of burn-in time while barely keeping my X52 working but it was eventually time to get off the dime and replace it.The X56 fits my (admittedly larger-than-average) hands as well as the X52 ever did.Its build quality is at least on a par with its predecessor that enabled me to keep playing through the years when I wouldn't have touched a new Saitek-branded-but-Madcatz-built unit with a bargepole. Its ergonomics suit ME almost perfectly (more about the "almost" below) but I would recommend that anyone contemplating buying one get their actual hands on one at least once before forking over the dough, so that they know how it might fit them. If this actually fits your hands you'll be in a good place with it.The two units are power-hungry. There's no getting away from that. Plug them into a powered hub and your experience will be smoother. Good USB3.0 hubs with ample power to spare are affordable enough that there's no reason to NOT use one, so this doesn't even qualify as a nitpick against the X56.However, there are some aspects that do qualify as nitpicks.On the stick:- The spring on the twist(yaw) axis is a little too stiff for my taste. Coupled with the ergonomics of the stick layout, this can potentially lead to your fingers (middle and ring particularly) cramping up after a prolonged flight session.- Button A should stand a bit prouder than it does. As it sits right now, it is hard to activate that button without nudging at least one of the three hatswitches.- The witch-hat and castle (H1 and H2) could do with a little more space between them or a differential in height to prevent catching the high points of the castle while using the witch-hat.On the throttle:- The scroll control on the left of the throttle needs to either be a 360-degree relative control, like every other scroll wheel in the universe, or not be a scroll control. Relative controls like scroll should never have a min and max position.In the software:- If you're going to let us assign curves to any axis, let us do it for ALL of them, including the rotaries and thumbsticks, not just the major ones.These are all really minor gripes, but together they are what cost this product its fifth star from me.

6.10.2018

I read a lot of bad reviews about how these units seem to fail pretty quickly. I've deliberately held off posting a review about it until now, to give me plenty of time to put it through it's paces.It's worth noting at this point that I did void the warranty within a week of unboxing it. I bought this primarily for use with flight simulators, which meant I had to get rid of two things, both of which I had researched and planned before even buying the product:1) The centring spring on the stick;2) The throttle detent.Depending on what you want to use this product for, the setup out of the box may be suitable for you. For me, however, a self-centring joystick is unrealistic for flight simulators,

21.4.2020

My old Saitek Cyborg Evo finally gave up the ghost so it was time to replace it with something new. I definitely wanted a joystick with a Z rotation and having read many reviews after some deliberation (as the comments were mixed) I decided to go with the Logitech branded X52 Pro. I did ensure that I got the Logitech rather than the older Saitek version which has had some very poor reviews.The two units are mainly plastic but feel robust and the cable that joins them seems to be good quality. On plugging into a USB port the drivers are automatically downloaded and you’re ready to go. There is some software as well that you can download but I haven’t bothered with it as the units already have more buttons than I need.The joystick action has a nice light feel which I particularly like,

10.3.2018

Ordering a x56 is little like lottery, you either get a good device with no issues and it might last you a long time or you get a defect out the box but either way you should not expect a “care free device”.I still have the Saitek version and mine was quite ok out the box with one exception that seems standard for this particular version. The twist axis potentiometer has issues with centering and contact. It will be slightly offset in center meaning you’ll either have to DIY a little or try to compensate with curves. Silicone lube spray is practically a must for maintaining this thing and it’s usually needed roght out the box especially for the twist potentiometer.Comparing it to x55 predecessor,

1.10.2008

I bought this specifically to fly in IL2 (Aces/PF). Out of the box, the basic functions work very well with good precision though you may need to find the right settings for the stick inputs in the IL2 software [I suspect the 'stalls and spins' reviewer didn't do this]. Having 2 trim wheels on the throttle immediately makes a massive difference to flying (though again, you may need to tweak settings to make the wheels less sensitive). The thumb mouse is a great improvement for looking around if you don't have a head tracker. Lots of people with the more expensive CH flighersticks swear by the X52 throttles. Lights and displays are a bit gimmicky, but at least are pretty.Then,

27.9.2016

I bought this joystick and controller specifically to play War Thunder on an iMac - And it does it very well.However, you need to remember that this is a stick made for a PC - so you won’t be able to programme it, or use the modes or the mouse simulator on the side of the controller for that purpose.Nevertheless, if you are prepared to reset everything through the War Thunder control panel, you won’t be disappointed. I’d go as far as to say you will understand this stick and War Thunder control settings a lot better by doing so. You will need more than one go at this - you will only find where assigning particular buttons for functions work best for you by practising in test flights.It’s very much horses for courses - what has worked for me,

25.8.2020

This is a really good mid-level Hotas setup. Perfect for a variety of games. I've put in a good few hours across titles such as Elite Dangerous, IL2 Sturmovik: Great Battles, DCS World and more recently MS Flight Sim 2020. I have no real issues with any of these titles. Buttons have been easily remapped and I've been truly immersed in the world of being an average at best pilot :-)I'm not sure if since Logitech took over, the build quality has improved, but I've not noticed anything negative. Everything is still working and as it should be after a few hundred hours of use. The unit is made from plastic, but I've found it has a good feel and stays in position on my desk during those intense dogfights.

21.4.2019

I wanted to buy a HOTAS for use in DCS World on Steam, the excellent Combat Flight Sim. The best tutorials come from youtube performed by Grimreapers. The instructor uses a Saitek X-56 Rhino HOTAS and tells you how to map out the most important controls onto your HOTAS for each aircraft. I therefore searched Amazon to buy the Saitek X-56 Rhino, but none were on sale. However, the reviews for this HOTAS complained of the flimsy switches and poor/weak build quality by Saitek. I then found that the X-56 Rhino can be bought, but this time it is made by Logitech. I purchased it and it arrived the very next day with PRIME. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent build quality of the two parts (Throttle Section/Stick Section).

23.2.2017

This HOTAS replaced my second X52 Pro from the pre-Logitech era. The second one had lasted nearly 18 months, better than the 3 months of the first one. They do have a reputation for having poor build quality, and my experience bore that out, so why would I buy a third?Firstly, because I was given a full refund when I returned the broken one to Amazon UK. So financially I wasn't loosing out.Secondly, for all it's poor reliability record the X52 Pro is ideal for playing Elite Dangerous. It has enough buttons (although I still need to use the pinky switch to double up a lot of buttons). I can play all night, including wing combat (so selecting wingman and then switching to their target)

28.1.2010

There is precious little information on the web about whether this is compatible with Macs. I had real difficulty finding out so this hopefully will help someone...officially no it isn't, Saitek say it isn't supported which is true. However it is a USB stick, so plug it into a Mac and it will work. I use it for X-Plane and it is brilliant, have had absolutely no problems with it.The limitations for Mac users area) You have to assign functions/buttons/sliders from within game menus, Saitek software obvioulsy is Windows and so will not run on Macsb) There are three modes available so you can program different profiles for three different games - these do not function on Macs - this is fine for me as I use it for one simulation game - not 2 or 3.c)

Saitek X52 Flight Control System - Reviews

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