Flight Simulation using Xbox controllers?

[barryward12345 0]

I hope the moderators allow this post to remain in this forum - my question is about FSX, hardware and flight simulation in general.It is obvious by now that the new FSX will allow cross platform usage. ie it will be able to be used by people with PCs with the usual flight controllers and also Xbox . But the question is - what controllers will be able to be used by Xbox? Or am I confused - is the Xbox the actual controller?If FSX is a cross platform piece software programme - why will it have to have a PC setup with DirectX 10 and also Windows Vista OS, if it can be run satisfactorily with Xbox. My current PC runs FS9 quite satisfactorily for me (could be better) and I can't see myself wanting to purchase a new high end PC PLUS a new OS just for this new flight sim - especially if I could run it with Xbox.Any advice please?Thanks Barry

[1mikel151 71]

I can't see why this should be here and not in the FSX forum, but in regards to the question, the XBOX controller is just a gamepad that plugs into the XBOX console. What is being said is that this same controller that is used for the XBOX 360 can be plugged into your PC as well and used for FS.As for cross platforms, well you have the XBOX 360 (which plays on the XBOX 360) version and then you have a seperate PC version (which plays on the PC), the two are not cross compatibleIf all you do is "play games", then just get the XBOX for FSRegards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir Internationalhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/150149.jpg

[Guest iholrf]

Im no x-box expert, butThe controller is just a game console controller - little pad with tiny joy sticks and buttons.I had not heard it was a Vista only game, just DX10. It may take advantage of some features available only in Vista like a 3D accel managment interface, transparency on the desktop and so on.Cross-platform from pc to Xbox is not cross-platform. This is marketing hype. For it to be cross-platform it would need to run on all os's and openGL, not just Windows and DX10.If MS did a really good job with this new engine ... don't know if they did... and its actually optimized for 10.0 and not 7 like the current FS9 then it may actually benefit from the features built into modern video cards, where FS9, even though its supposedly DX9, seems to use almost none. Believe it or not my video card cools down when running FS after running a newer game. The CPU howerver is working overtime. Been that way since day one. If it follows typical MS trends, it will require a rather decent level of hardware and will never really perform all that well even years later regarless of the horsepower you throw at it... trust me I have tried and this is the third FS from them I have bought.When you add Vista to the layer... well I hope you got dual core 64 bit and 4 gigs of ram or you're toast, especially before the first service pack as memory leaks and debugging code will likely be everywhere in vista and vista apps for a while. It usually takes at least two years before the OS will be considered actually "stable". Again based on many years experience with this company's products starting in the mid 80's.So what I am saying is we will not really know how well it performs until we rent a copy (remember you now only pay for the right to use it for for a period, never own it) but if history is a lesson...expect the worst.Cheersshad

[1mikel151 71]

>Im no expert, but............>>>A few things, first off it won't be a new engine and supposedly there are many things that DX9 can still do that were never in FS9. FSX will take a load off the CPU and add more to the GPU and you'll benefit from having dual cores as well.As for following MS trends, I installed FS9 on the same rig I ran FS2002 when it was first released and it ran better than FS2002 ever did on the same mid level hardware, so YMMV.As for an OS not being stable till 2 years out, I got XP pro 2 months after it was released and short of the hotfixes I have to d/l from MS, I have never had any show stopping problems with it.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

[Guest iholrf]

>As for an OS not being stable till 2 years out, I got XP pro 2>months after it was released and short of the hotfixes I have>to d/l from MS, I have never had any show stopping problems>with it.>Are you a repair technician? I am. Seen many many problems with XP. I should point out its not XP specifically... this is true of all major software projects like an OS. It was not a critisizm, but an observation of practical reality. I very much like XP.

[jordanal 70]

But this isn't really new to FSX. My Logitech Rumblepad2 shows up just fine as a potential controller in the assignments list of FS9. In fact, I had it just sitting on my desk and when the PMDG-747 stick-shaker activiated, the rumblepad would vibrate across my desk with a wooden-hollow noise. It surprised me the first time it happened. Haven't actually ever used it for FS yet because I own the CH-Products line but it sure looks fully functional from here.AL | KCHS - Charleston, AFB | Home of the 437AW (53 C-17's)-------------------------------------------------------------Game Rig:AMD64-4000+ SanDiego OC=220/440/2640 | Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe | Corsair TwinX2048-3200C2PT (2x1GB) 2.5-3-3-8/1T@2.8v | Evga NV 7900GT v84.56 (No OC yet)| NV LAN@1GB | NV SATA-I Raid-0 223GB (3x80GB Samsung) (WinXP/Games) | NV SATA-II WD 320GB (Backups) | IDE-0 80GB Samsung (Archive) | Realtek AC'97 5.1 Surround | CH Yoke, TQ, & Pedals | FS9.1 | WideFS Server | FSUIPC v3.6 | FSGenesis Mesh (All) | PMDG (All) | PAI (All) | FSBuild2 | Etc...FS9 Support Rig:AMD3200+ | Gigabyte GA-7NNXP | Leadtek NV 5900 | Corsair TwinX1024-3200 (2x512MB) | Intel LAN@1GB | SiI3112 SATA-I 80GB Samsung | IDE-0 80GB IBM | JustCom 4port KVM | FS Wide Client | ActiveSky v6 | Radar Contact v4 | FS Real Time | FS Flight Keeper | FS Commander | AI Smooth

[1mikel151 71]

>Are you a repair technician? I am. Seen many many problems>with XP. I should point out its not XP specifically... this is>true of all major software projects like an OS. It was not a>critisizm, but an observation of practical reality. I very>much like XP.Point taken. I guess the issues you would see as a tech are things a normal user wouldn't notice at first glance. realistically there is nothing I have seen in Vista that I can't live without (It will consume more RAM, has all kinds of 3D bells and whistles I can do without and want to turn off if possible, like in XP), just want the most out of my simming experience, so we'll see how quickly I get Vista after FSX is released. I want full 64 bit computing if only for the sheer power it will bring, but until software and hardware catch up there is no point.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

[Guest iholrf]

Well hardware has caught up, software is almost there when it comes to 64bit.I use X64 exclusively on my desktop, Linux and WindowsXP. The only issue I have right now is no driver for my Lexmark E232 Printer. Everything else, from tablet to lcd to vid to sound all have drivers, many WHQL. FS is fine and there is no discernable perf hit.It seems somewhat more stable than X32, being based on server 2003. If you have a 64 bit comp now, you can download a trial version of XPx64 with a duration of 120 days direct from MS.http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/facts/trial.mspx

[Guest iholrf]

It is, my girlfriend prefers to use her logitech pad for everything... drives me nuts heheh. New USB controlers should all be native HID devices (older USB are game port cludges) and conform to the same standard. They should all work on anything that supports usb extended HID... like mac, linux and even solaris. The only thing that is native to the OS really is the button programming and calibration software (if needed).CheersShad

[Mace 1,971]

>more to the GPU and you'll benefit from having dual cores as>well.>We will? I don't doubt you Michael, I have simply not seen this. But I probably don't pay as close attention as I should.Rhett

[oqvist 11]

It took quite a while until XP got a better gaming os then win 98 se.and to my experience you always need to double your RAM when going to a new MS OS. Have 2 gig now so expect to need 4 gig at least... FSX seem to make better use of todays video card looking at the E3 video so I expect much better visuals for virtually no performance hit whatsoever.Dual core there is already games that runs clearly faster with them. Oblivion for example but as for just about every game CPU really doesn