Joystick recommendation (and avoidance) thread

[colmo]

I\'ve been getting frustrated with keyboard control for my burgeoning fleet of aircraft, and have started to consider joystick options.

I was surprised to find no official joystick thread, so I thought I\'d start one. I\'ll edit this post to reflect reviews, links, recommendations and what to avoid in the joystick options for KSP.

Note that some joysticks are in both the recommended and not recommended lists. This is intentional, and reflects the differing findings of users.

Note 2 - the forum migration has broken all the links below, so don't bother clicking them - just read through the thread.

Recommended:

Saitek X52 - profile by DrSinn - recommendation by foamyesque - recommendation by 707-Engineering

Thrustmaster/Guillemot T-Thrust Hotas X - recommendation by dodrian - recommendation by Causeless - recommendation and setup by GWBBQ - recommendation by Lord Wasteland - recommended by marginwalker

Logitech Extreme 3D Pro - recommendation by nn04 - recommendation by rekabnot - recommendation by Commander Zoom - recommendation by deadshot462 - recommendation by Phoenix Aerospace

Logitech Attack 3 - recommended by Jeb KerBoom - recommended by Cthulufaic - recommended by Vanamonde (but lacks longevity)

Saitek Aviator / Av8R - recommendation by Vostok - recommended by Feragorn - recommendation by haltux - recommendation by TerranCmdr

Note: left throttle control on Xbox Av8R is a dummy according to Vostok

CH Flight Yoke - recommended by OtherDalfite

Xbox 360 controller - recommended by Aegrim

Microsoft Sidewinders (all models) - recommended by Letum - recommendation and advice by Gabe_Ruckus

Not recommended:

Saitek Cyborg 3D Gold USB - review by khyron42

Logitech Attack 3 - lacks durability according to sss - needs profiles for planes v rockets according to XenonBlade

Saitek Pro Flight Yoke - review by Anariag

Logitech Extreme 3D Pro - accuracy decreases with use according to Haltux

Previous discussions:

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum/index.php?topic=7567.0

Late 2013 edit: Joysticks do work in the native Linux version of KSP. They didn't work well when we had to use Wine.

Edited December 16, 2013 by colmo

[khyron42]

Saitek Cyborg 3D Gold USB - overall grade, D-.

For most flight sims this one works very well, the windows OS level calibration seems to produce stable, correct control aside from a slight touchiness in the roll controls.

KSP/Unity does not work well with this joystick; by the time I give it a large enough dead zone to avoid jitter issues, it\'s not much more accurate than the keyboard. Even worse is the throttle, since there is no 'max and min' calibration in Unity, the throttle will only cover a range from 20% to 95% throttle, or if I invert the axis from 5% to 80%. This makes the throttle completely useless to me, so I have left it as a keyboard only control on the few flights I\'ve taken with this joystick.

I would chalk this up to a genuinely bad joystick were it not for smooth and problemless control when playing any game that makes use of the windows OS calibrations (Microsoft FS X, Mechwarrior 4, evochron mercenary) or has its own calibration system (older games like wing commander, x-com interceptor.) I may also just be missing some feature of Unity that would allow calibration - I gave up on joystick flight almost immediately based on these issues.

[colmo]

Thanks khyron42, I\'ve added this review to the first post, along with some links to various snippets of info across the forums.

[Commander Zoom]

I\'ll add my recommendation to the Logitech Extreme 3D (Pro).

[Lord Wasteland]

Thrustmaster is a very good HOTAS joystick. You need to switch the throttle around however.

[deadshot462]

I have used the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro for a few years without issues. Works fine with games like FSX, KSP, Orbiter, and a bunch of WWII dogfight games. Good price for what you get.

It\'s widely available in Best Buy stores. I will probably upgrade to one with more buttons in the future, but for now it works great.

[Cooly568]

I don\'t have a joystick.

[sss]

I recoomend the logitech attack 3.

it works good, for about 1.5 years but now its dead :\'(

guess ill just have to

its also good for FSX

[707-Engineering]

Saitek X52 all the way, from Fsx to IL2 1946.

all thee buttons you\'l eveer need, smooth handleling.. the works.

[Jeb KerBoom]

I recoomend the logitech attack 3.

it works good, for about 1.5 years but now its dead :\'(

guess ill just have to

its also good for FSX

I use a Logitech Attack 3 for KSP (and FSX) I\'ve had it for two years and it works great.

[sss]

I use a Logitech Attack 3 for KSP (and FSX) I\'ve had it for two years and it works great.

it was going on and off, somtimes it worked somtimes it didnt, and now, when i plugged it in with my new win7 (upgraded from the vista i used my joystick on) it did well, NOTHING! :\'( :\'(

Edited May 22, 2013 by sal_vager

[colmo]

it was going on and off, somtimes it worked somtimes it didnt, and now, when i plugged it in with my new win7 (upgraded from the vista i used my joystick on) it did well, NOTHING! :\'( :\'(

I hope you don\'t mind if I keep your comment in the \'Not Recommended\' section - if you aren\'t familiar with the phrase, this is what is known as \'damned by faint praise\'

[colmo]

Are there any experiences with the CH or Saitek flight yokes (civil aviation style)?

[figmentius]

I use the Attack 3 as well. Anybody else experience an issue with take offs where your planes veer off the runway? Not sure if it is poor calibration with my joystick, which seems to be fine once actually in flight, or a bug with the game. Without the joystick I take off straight every time.

[OtherDalfite]

I have a flight yoke and it has served me well. I haven\'t yet tried it with the update but I did use it with C7\'s flight pack back in 0.10. It was a little touchy though. But that may have been just my setup.

[colmo]

I have a flight yoke and it has served me well. I haven\'t yet tried it with the update but I did use it with C7\'s flight pack back in 0.10. It was a little touchy though. But that may have been just my setup.

Mind if I quote you on that in the header post? Was it the Saitek or CH...or something else?

[OtherDalfite]

Mind if I quote you on that in the header post? Was it the Saitek or CH...or something else?

Not at all. Go ahead

[Phoenix Aerospace]

I\'d DEFINITELY recommend the Logitech Extreme 3d Pro. It may be a little large, but the handle\'s very ergonomic, responsive, and it has all the buttons you could ever need. Plus, it has a little 8-direction hat switch on the top, which I find very useful for translation with RCS.

[cardgame]

I plan on getting an Extreme 3D Pro soonish, for this game, World of Warplanes, and possibly some helo flying in BFBC2.

[sss]

Wait, logitech attack three is on bolth reccomend and avoid???

[flaillomanz]

Recommended:

Saitek X52 - profile by DrSinn - recommendation by foamyesque - recommendation by 707-Engineering

Thrustmaster/Guillemot T-Thrust Hotas X - recommendation by dodrian - recommendation by Causeless - recommendation and setup by GWBBQ - recommendation by Lord Wasteland

Logitech Extreme 3D Pro - recommendation by nn04 - recommendation by rekabnot - recommendation by Commander Zoom - recommendation by deadshot462

Logitech Attack 3 - recommended by Jeb KerBoom

Not recommended:

Saitek Cyborg 3D Gold USB - review by khyron42

Logitech Attack 3 - lacks durability according to sss

MY MIND!

[Vostok]

I use the Saitek Av8r, the Xbox 360 version. There are a few issues with the computer binding of the buttons for it normally, some of the buttons don\'t bind properly so I was forced to use Xpadder to bind them. But the axes work fine, and the throttle is fine also. So I\'d give it a 7/10 review, since it performs well, but button binding is a pain, especially having to use Xpadder. I tend to just use my keyboard for buttons, and the joystick for axis control.

[colmo]

Wait, logitech attack three is on bolth reccomend and avoid???

Yup! Something of a double-edged sword, that one. We have anecdotal evidence that it\'s a good stick to use, and that it has durability/longevity issues.

[colmo]

Mind if I quote you on that in the header post? Was it the Saitek or CH...or something else?

Not at all. Go ahead

Great! So is it the CH or Saitek? I was checking out the Saitek in a Currys Megastore today, looks a very decent unit. The three levers on the quadrant unit included look to be overkill, though...until we get individual engine throttles, anyway!

[Pleborian]

what about an xbox 360 pad? i havent tried mine yet but i cnt imagine it would be good for anything other than space planes