Fly and Drive: 10 Sim Game Controllers

While flying around in Microsoft Flight Simulator X is fun and rewarding, and more "gamey" elements have been added, combat sims add that visceral element of kill or be killed (in a virtual way, of course.) Whether you're taking up an S.E.5a over the trenches in WWI, engaging German bombers over London in the Battle of Britain, or making an attack run on a massive space station, combat sims are a way to test your flying mettle.

You won't want a yoke here, since heavy bomber sims aren't commonly available anymore. What you want is a good joystick that offers precise controls and lots of buttons and doodads for accessing the many options in combat flight sims.

Saitek X52 Pro
The X52 Pro is sold as a combined pair, and includes both the flight stick and the throttle quadrant. The Pro builds on the older X52 by adding an LCD panel on the throttle quadrant.

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There are more features than we can possibly describe in this survey roundup, including multiple buttons, rotating knobs, and even a mouse stick mounted on the side of the throttle, easily accessible via your left thumb. You do need custom drivers for this device to work properly, but Saitek has done a good job with driver and profile manager software updates. Vista drivers are also available.

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Using the Saitek Profile Editor is an exercise in tedium, as you need to carefully go through each button and control and assign a function manually. If you're only playing a couple of games, that's not such a big deal. We found nine pre-existing profiles on Saiteks' site, including several flight sims and other joystick-based games, like Mechwarrior Mercenaries. However, these are for the older X52 (non-pro). To get them to work, you need to load them into the X52 Pro Profile Editor and resave them.

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The real problem with the X52 Pro is the joystick. We found the throttle a delight to use, and the display, while not useful in every game, adds a nice touch. The flight controller works fine, as far as it goes, but seems to have a large, physical dead zone that lacks precision. This turned out not to be a major issue in yank-and-bank combat, but can be problematic if you also want to use it for more precision flying, like in some of the glider missions in Flight Simulator X. It also feels a little too light, and we're just a bit concerned about durability over the long haul.

Product:	Saitek X52 Pro
Company:	Saitek
Price:	$195 (Check Prices)
Pros:	Very cool look; small "MFD" on the throttle; lots of knobs and levers.
Cons:	Flight Stick isn't very precise.
Summary:	It looks very cool, and works well in combat sims, but the stick isn't particularly precise.
Rating:	click on image for full view

Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals
Like the CH Pro Pedals, these rudder pedals from Saitek offer toe brakes and the kit even has a knob for adjusting tension. However, they're pretty light, which means they easily slide on carpet. Saitek supplies Velcro tape to alleviate the slippage, but we do wish the unit were a little beefier. Continued...

Product:	Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals
Company:	Saitek
Price:	$125 (Check Prices)
Pros:	Toe brakes; adjustable tension.
Cons:	Slides on carpet; pricier than the CH pedals.
Summary:	These pedals behave a little more like "real" flight pedals, but tend to slip on carpet. They're also a bit expensive.
Rating:	click on image for full view