Is Thrustmaster T-flight HOTAS X any good?

[pincushionman]

I'm looking to replace my Sidewinder Precision 2 joystick from...uh...2002? and am looking for something in the <$50 range. I picked up a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro at Best Buy, but looking at it it doesn't look like much of a step up - the button placement on the base looks a little awkward, and the throttle looks like a similar paddle lever that you'd end up rolling with your thumb like what I already have. I've been reading reviews which mentioned the Thrustmaster HOTAS X and it has caught my attention - I thought it might be fun to get a HOTAS stick of some kind but I can't justify the cost associated with a traditional HOTAS setup. Does that kind of flexibility and feel justify the extra $20 (they're both available from Best Buy, which is a plus for me).

Also, does it have a hat switch? I'm trying to identify the 12 buttons advertised and they're not at all obvious in their placement, and it doesn't mention a hat switch at all as far as I can tell. But one of the features looks like one. In the past I had an F-16 fighterstick (which never really worked for me), but it had four different hat switches. If it doesn't have one, it's out of the running; it's a must-have for camera control.

Thanks for any info.

[qwertyx2y]

I got a T-flight HOTAS X for Christmas to replace my missing Extreme 3d. The Hotas X is a very nice joystick, and it has a very nice separate throttle, which you can detach and move a short distance the throttle is attached via a cable. In my opinion, it is a much better joystick than the Logitech one and comes pre configured for FSX and HAWX. The stick also comes with the hat switch.

[pincushionman]

This is a hell of a necro, but I'm about to pull the trigger and buy a Thrustmaster T-Flight HOTAS - but the question right now is whether the older "X" or the newer "4" is the best option. Here's what I'm finding, I think:

• The HOTAS X supports multiple programs, so I could have a mode where the main stick axes handle pitch and yaw, rather than pitch and roll (say, "lander mode" or "rocket mode", as opposed to "plane mode"). Several posters on this forum have commented that such a feature would be very useful, and I'm inclined to agree. Is this feature gone from the HOTAS 4?
• The HOTAS X is a true 5-axis stick, with the throttle rocker separate from the twist grip. The documentation for the HOTAS 4 seems to say they are not separate, just two different ways to apply yaw? (this is the most important question, if they aren't separate then the "X" is definitely the answer)
• The HOTAS 4 has better sensors and a smaller dead zone?
• The HOTAS 4 has up-gradeable firmware. How much of an issue is this, really?
• The HOTAS 4 can daisy-chain a new pedals unit.

Does anyone have experience with the HOTAS 4 that could chime in about any of these details?