Need a bit of Holiday HOTAS help.

[The Razgriz]

Hey there folks, Happy Holidays!

So, in recognition of me being a "good boy" and for "saving money", my girlfriend has told me that, for Christmas, she will allow me one "No Questions Asked" purchase. After much consideration, I've decided that I'd like to get a HOTAS setup. I've been looking around, and I've come to realize, I know nothing about what to look for in a good HOTAS. I've heard a lot of praise for the Warthog, but the dual stage trigger is a turnoff for me. So can anyone recommend a good, SC compatible, HOTAS? I'm looking for something that is sturdy enough to last for a while, but won't break the bank entirely.

 

[Lienna]

Won't break the bank, yet you look at the warthog... well maybe you have a different bank to everyone else.

I personally use an X52 Pro, with some Saitek rudder pedals, gives you more than enough buttons and axis to play with, probably set me back about £150 total (I bought secondhand). The x52 isn't the most accurate stick around (though there are a couple of simple mods to help that) and it seems to be hit and miss if you get a "good one" in terms of it breaking over time.

Are you set on a HOTAS setup, or would you consider HOSAS (dual stick?) perhaps the best dual stick setup is a VKB Gladiator pro for right hand and the T16000 for your left hand, the Gladiator doesn't have many buttons and is expensive, also you may be waiting a long time to get any VKB stick, they are the most accurate sticks around though. The T16000 is cheap, but not hugely accurate, however it's great for your off hand where you can use it to control your thrusters, giving you greater maneuvering precision (hence the dual stick love amongst streamers). If you know what you are doing with a dual stick setup then you can pull of some great maneuvers with greater ease than M/K or HOTAS.

The warthog is an option of course, very immersive with it's full metal build, but expensive, heavy and not as accurate as you might like for the money, still it's a solid stick, and with a bit of care and the occasional aftermarket mod you can make it really work for you.

I'd avoid the X56 as I've heard bad things about build quality (same old Saitek issue as always), but it is designed for space sims, so you have some mini joysticks on the throttle that gives you some control on your maneuvering thrusters just like dual stick.

I'm sure other people are more knowledgeable than me, personally if I were to start again I'd go for the gladiator pro and T16000 setup (with added rudder pedals), in time they should be releasing replacement grips for the gladiator pro to alleviate the severe lack of buttons. It's unfortunate that getting a great hotas isn't a case of simply spending enough money and buying the right product, in most cases you're going to need to do some aftermarket mods to get something that will really bring out the best in your stick.

 

[Metal-Muffin]

I use the Saitek (Mad Crapz) X56. I got mine pre-order, so there were initial issues, however they were all addressed by tech-support... eventually. I haven't had issues with it since. I had an X55 before that and it served me well, but I upgraded to the X56 for the extra axes'. For the money, I think it's worth it; however it should be noted that I am still pressing my wife into letting me buy the Warthog.

 

[marcsand2]

If you want to go for something sturdy, go for the Warthog, its the smoothest stick I ever used. Don't like the dual stage trigger? use only the first stage. If you want to use roll I would strongly suggest that you also add rudder pedals to your setup.

 

[NapalmX]

Take a look at the CH Products lineup of joysticks and their pro throttle. I've been using the Combatstick with the pro throttle for a little under a decade and a half.
I'm sure this HOTAS is no Warthog, but it's no piece of junk either.

 

[GojiraSamurai]

T16000 from thrustmaster, either the new FCS if you prefer Hotas or 2 T16000's if you would like to try HOSAS... also check out TheNoobifier1337's series on youtube to give more of an idea

 

[GojiraSamurai]

I use the Saitek (Mad Crapz) X56. I got mine pre-order, so there were initial issues, however they were all addressed by tech-support... eventually. I haven't had issues with it since. I had an X55 before that and it served me well, but I upgraded to the X56 for the extra axes'. For the money, I think it's worth it; however it should be noted that I am still pressing my wife into letting me buy the Warthog.

lose the wife... problem solved

 

[Speedkills]

I agree with @GojiraSamurai - check out the Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS HOTAS Controller

 

[The Razgriz]

Take a look at the CH Products lineup of joysticks and their pro throttle. I've been using the Combatstick with the pro throttle for a little under a decade and a half.
I'm sure this HOTAS is no Warthog, but it's no piece of junk either.

I checked out CH Products, and I have to say I'm impressed. The only complaint I saw in the reviews that gave me pause was that some people received sticks with 13-pin connectors and some were USB. I'm about 47.3% sure that my PC has a 13-pin port on the back, but if I go with a CH, I'm looking at a Combatstick (and getting a Flightstick Pro to use for the throttle and take a stab at HOSAS), and I'm not entirely sure I have two 13-pin connections.

 

[CGPepper]

she will allow me one "No Questions Asked" purchase.

I'd definitely go for a large, black fist dildo

 

[Metal-Muffin]

lose the wife... problem solved

Umm...no.

 

[Iffadrim]

Warthog (you can disable the double trigger in the software)
or you look for the CH products (also a good quality)
or go to the VKB