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, the button placement is good and being lit with LED’s you can change the colour and intensity. With deadzones set to 0 I couldn’t see any evidence of drift from the properties page but running in X4 Foundations with zero deadzone there was an almost imperceptible drift on the X axis. Upping to 1% in X4 Foundations stopped it but it was really not enough to worry me in first place.
The throttle is a little stiffer than I would like ideally. There is an adjustment wheel which helps but it doesn’t seem to make a huge amount of difference. I soon got used to it though as the action is very smooth. The lower detent seems mainly imperceptible, the upper one is noticeable which I quite like though it’s not to everyone’s taste. Again there are a number of buttons, well placed on the handle and a MFD display that I don’t see the point of myself, but if you’re in MS Flight Sim it’s probably very useful.
The units also come with some rubber sucker feet to hold the units in place on a desktop. I found I didn’t need them myself as the units are quite large and stable but if you’re someone that twists and turns a lot when you play a combat sim then no doubt you would find them useful.
I have been very pleased indeed with both these units and would certainly recommend them based on my experience with them so far
| Brand | Logitech G |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 17 x 17 x 27.8 cm; 1.63 kg |
| Item model number | 945-000003 |
| Manufacturer | Logitech |
| Series | X52 PROFESSIONAL H.O.T.A.S. PART-METAL THROTTLE AND STICK SIMULATION CONTROLLER |
| Colour | Black |
| Processor Count | 1 |
| Power Source | Usb |
| Hardware Platform | Desktop |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Item Weight | 1.63 kg |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
