The last time I used a dedicated piloting peripheral was on Flight Simulator 2002 with a joystick built and distributed by the Redmond company, well before the market became as rich in offerings as it was expensive. It was then a big piece of black plastic with ugly green (or blue?) buttons which pales in comparison to what we can find today. If a few brands are doing well today, Thrustmaster, VKB, WinWing, Turtle Beach and Logitech in the lead, it is the last one that interests me for its complete proposition and, more superficially, its aesthetic.
* Also read: Our review of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
The throttle and joystick combo of the Saitek The advantage is also that it is directly ready to use without having to touch anything or install third-party software, which allowed me to launch directly into flight like a child wanting everything. immediately play with his new acquisition on Christmas Day. But once the euphoria has passed, the harsh reality catches up with us and here we are at the fateful moment of configuring all the orders.
A long, tedious and necessary step, so customary for those accustomed to flight simulation, it involves taking a good moment to shape our HOTAS in our image. If Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 offers a system of control profiles, which we will be able to adapt for each aircraft if desired, the object will necessarily require a minimum of customization. Of course, it is always possible to have a default mapping proposed by the game, but we still end up testing things, we look on Reddit for recommendations from more experienced people on good practices and we become more familiar with it. 'object.
We put the handle at the right height using several notches, we find the right resistance for the throttle using a button and we take the time to configure the small screen to display the time in game and others little information. It's undoubtedly long, but never difficult, especially with a community as dedicated to the cause as that of Flight Simand the playing comfort is even better. Especially since this HOTAS X52 is admirably light and proves to be a superb entry point into this universe.
If there is one fault to remember, it is the suction cups which are used to hold it in place, and which can turn into a real Russian roulette. Very effective on certain surfaces such as a wooden plate from the Swedish manufacturer whose name we will not mention, these suction cups were absolutely useless on the surface of my desk, although it was also made of wood. Not having advanced knowledge in carpentry, the does not explain the difference which makes the suction cups work on certain wooden surfaces and not others, but it may be necessary to consider going back to the checkout to try some others, since it is out of the question that I invest in desk mounts to resolve this problem. I have not (yet) fallen into the sect of simers at this point.
To accompany this X52, I was able to jointly test the rudder pedals from Logitech. Unlike the suction cup system, the possibility of using the Velcro strips supplied with the device was a great way to keep it in place on a carpet. If the latter is less vital than a HOTAS, the pleasure of steering your plane on the runway with a pedal board is incomparable. Here again, it will be possible to adjust the resistance for use at our convenience. At least the key mapping will have taken less time on this one.
