I am finally going to buy a joystick, after using a gamepad for 4 years, and have decided to go for one of the MS Sidewinder range of joysticks.The thing is, there are so many, at different proces, that I don't know whichone to get!I think i have narrowed it down to 2.1) Sidewinder joystick (standard) -

Unless you only use helicopters, I would go for a CH flight yoke.Otherwise I can only recommend the logitech force feed back joystick.Those are the only two I have used.I hardly ever use the logitech as I only fly planes now. I may consider selling it if someone in london uk whnts it?

He's right. My joysticks sit in the closet gathering dust. Once you fly with a yoke and pedals you'll never go back, unless, of course, you're a rotorhead.

Saitek X-45. Order the refurbished one from Saitek and you can save some bucks. Programmable for lots of functions, digital, doesn't take up as much space as yoke and pedals, has rudder Axis and can be programmed for differential braking.

Ummm... I don't know who's got the wrong end of the stick, me or you guys.Right now, I use a normal sidewinder gamepad, NOT joystick. I am thinking of spending a few quid to upgrade to something that will perhaps enhance my flying experience.I am not looking to spend any serious money on a device, my MAX budget is probably around

Ummm... I don't know who's got the wrong end of the stick, me or you guys.Right now, I use a normal sidewinder gamepad, NOT joystick. I am thinking of spending a few quid to upgrade to something that will perhaps enhance my flying experience.I am not looking to spend any serious money on a device, my MAX budget is probably around

It all depends if you want a real Flight experience or an Arcade one!

Saitek guru 3d is a good alternative - twist grip for rudder, works with other arcade-style games too...Also, if you're budget bound, skip the force feedback which most people find annoying after the novelty wears off.

I purchased a SideWinder Pro with the force feedback and I think I made a good purchase. As far as the feedback getting annoying, I can't agree with that for two reasons. 1. You can turn off all force feedback by unchecking a box in the FS menu.2. You can customize what forces you want to keep by unchecking other buttons in the same menu. So if you don't want to feel the bumps going down the centerline you can uncheck it while getting feedback from other forces.The previous posters are probably right that a yoke and pedals is probably the most realistic but I agree with you that I can't justify paying $200 for both even though I wouldn't mind having both. One other thing I forgot to mention is the MS joystick did not require any special configuration. Once I installed it, all I did was reassign one button for reverse thrust and that was it. I can't say for sure since I never owned another stick but I would figure that the others may require some tweaking after installing.

Scorched Soul Ive just gone out and got a Sidewinder precision pro 2 joystick I paid

thanx for the replies everyone.supercat, do you know what the difference is between the standard sick and the precision 2 one that you got?regards,bob

Bob,for 40 Bucks (at least I paid no more in a big electronics store) You could also be able to obtain a Thrustmaster TopGun Afterburner pack.Despite this name sounds like a silly kid-from-the-block-stick, it's digital and has a detachable thrust lever assembly (cable length ~0,5 meters). And I mean a lever that fits into Your hand with some (4) buttons and an alternate rudder rocker, not a tiny slider. The stick itself is 3-axis (up-down, left-right, twist) with 4 buttons and a coolie-hat. The twist axis can be deactivated and transfered to the thrust lever. Buttons of course are programmable, connection is via USB.The thrust lever assembly also has 2 slight grooves at about 5% and 95% thrust making taxiing rather easy and takeoff without overspeeding the engine simple as well.Windows recognizes it as HID making install a breeze, the included software allows multiple button assignment (thrustmaster says 60 functions, but heck, I did not install it, just assigned some functions via FS and bingo).Just wrote this rather big post because before, I used a Sidewinder PP and a Logitech WingMan3D and both became unsatisfactory quite fast: the SW PP went passive every now and then, the Logi's rudder axis produced spikes not even adjustable with fsuipc so I had to scrap both.I admit that some of Saitek's sticks have an excellent reputation as well.Nice flights,Torsten.

>thanx for the replies everyone.>>supercat, do you know what the difference is between the>standard sick and the precision 2 one that you got?>>regards,>bobI really don't remember because I purchased it around the time FS 2002 first hit the shelves, but I don't think it was much to be honest. The difference just may be the force feedback feature, but I am not sure.

I've seen many responces favoring yokes, but since I put "sticks" in my full size plane, I certainly see nothing wrong with them in a simulation. I currently use a Saitek X45. It's a solid feeling joystick, with seperate throttle control and many buttons & switches.L.Adamson