This is my second review on TE, please let me know in case I missed something or if someone has specific questions.
I recently bought myself a joystick to play Microsoft Flight Simulator (FS2004). After careful deliberation of the options that fell within my budget, I chose the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick.
For people who don't like to read much, check out this video I made for this joystick:
For people who like to read, here's my take on this joystick.
I've been interested in Flight Sim for a very long time, however, I never had the hardware to install and play it. All I had was an old Compaq laptop with 512MB RAM that wouldn't even play HD movies properly. So, this time when I decided to buy a new PC, I made sure it was Flight Sim compatible. After setting up my new desktop, it was time to buy and try out a joystick that I had been waiting to buy for a long time.
What you'll like about this joystick:
1. Under INR 2000.
2. Good built quality, feels sturdy.
3. Plenty of programmable buttons.
4. Hat switch for external views.
5. Loooooonnng USB cable.
6. Compatible with PC & Mac.
What you'll dislike about this joystick:
1. Only for right handed users.
2. No force feedback.
3. Wired.
I bought this joystick for under Rs. 2000 from Nehru Place, New Delhi. It came with a 1 year manufacturer warranty and came in a big box. Ironically, there's nothing inside the box except the joystick and a software CD. So much for the big box Logitech!
The CD contains windows drivers and a software that'll program all the buttons and calibrate your joystick. The build quality of the joystick is absolutely fantastic in my opinion and feels very sturdy. The plastic used is of high quality and it feels like a very expensive device. The shortcut buttons on the base and the throttle control lever although feel a little light and cheap.
Playing Flight Simulator with this joystick was a great experience and I was able to control the aircraft movement by the millimeter. The best feature of this joystick while playing FlightSim are the Yaw controls. This device has a twist mechanism by which you can control the yaw movement (rudder) of your aircraft.
This joystick combined with high quality games like FlightSim are an absolute treat for aviation enthusiasts and gamers in general. During my pre-purchase research on joysticks, I read a lot of reviews of owners of this joystick crying about the non existance of force feedback. In my opinion force feedback (vibration) is fun but it is very unrealistic if your sole purpose is to play FlightSim. It just makes it fake!
The throttle controls on this joystick are basic and the lever feels very light. It can be easily controlled by your left hand while you can fly with your right hand. The hat switch on the top and a button on the stick are nicely placed for your right hand thumb. The hat switch gives you beautiful external views while flying and the other button can be programmed as per your like. There's also a trigger button for people who like dogfights, I've programmed it to be my aircraft's brakes.
The base of this joystick is heavy/bulky and sits neatly on any table or flat surface. It is a bit uncomfortable if I try to fly an aircraft with this joystick handheld. Overall, I find this joystick satisfying all my FlightSim needs and I'm glad I opted fot this model. I only wish this joystick was wireless.
I have made a video hands on review for this joystick as well for those interested in it. Please let me know in case you have any questions and I will try my best to answer them.
Thank you!
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick
I recently bought myself a joystick to play Microsoft Flight Simulator (FS2004). After careful deliberation of the options that fell within my budget, I chose the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick.
For people who don't like to read much, check out this video I made for this joystick:
For people who like to read, here's my take on this joystick.
I've been interested in Flight Sim for a very long time, however, I never had the hardware to install and play it. All I had was an old Compaq laptop with 512MB RAM that wouldn't even play HD movies properly. So, this time when I decided to buy a new PC, I made sure it was Flight Sim compatible. After setting up my new desktop, it was time to buy and try out a joystick that I had been waiting to buy for a long time.
What you'll like about this joystick:
1. Under INR 2000.
2. Good built quality, feels sturdy.
3. Plenty of programmable buttons.
4. Hat switch for external views.
5. Loooooonnng USB cable.
6. Compatible with PC & Mac.
What you'll dislike about this joystick:
1. Only for right handed users.
2. No force feedback.
3. Wired.
I bought this joystick for under Rs. 2000 from Nehru Place, New Delhi. It came with a 1 year manufacturer warranty and came in a big box. Ironically, there's nothing inside the box except the joystick and a software CD. So much for the big box Logitech!
The CD contains windows drivers and a software that'll program all the buttons and calibrate your joystick. The build quality of the joystick is absolutely fantastic in my opinion and feels very sturdy. The plastic used is of high quality and it feels like a very expensive device. The shortcut buttons on the base and the throttle control lever although feel a little light and cheap.
Playing Flight Simulator with this joystick was a great experience and I was able to control the aircraft movement by the millimeter. The best feature of this joystick while playing FlightSim are the Yaw controls. This device has a twist mechanism by which you can control the yaw movement (rudder) of your aircraft.
This joystick combined with high quality games like FlightSim are an absolute treat for aviation enthusiasts and gamers in general. During my pre-purchase research on joysticks, I read a lot of reviews of owners of this joystick crying about the non existance of force feedback. In my opinion force feedback (vibration) is fun but it is very unrealistic if your sole purpose is to play FlightSim. It just makes it fake!
The throttle controls on this joystick are basic and the lever feels very light. It can be easily controlled by your left hand while you can fly with your right hand. The hat switch on the top and a button on the stick are nicely placed for your right hand thumb. The hat switch gives you beautiful external views while flying and the other button can be programmed as per your like. There's also a trigger button for people who like dogfights, I've programmed it to be my aircraft's brakes.
The base of this joystick is heavy/bulky and sits neatly on any table or flat surface. It is a bit uncomfortable if I try to fly an aircraft with this joystick handheld. Overall, I find this joystick satisfying all my FlightSim needs and I'm glad I opted fot this model. I only wish this joystick was wireless.
I have made a video hands on review for this joystick as well for those interested in it. Please let me know in case you have any questions and I will try my best to answer them.
Thank you!