21 replies to this topic

[Brien]

I have been thinking of getting a new stick but have yet to start looking. This thread as helped quite a bit thanks OP and rest of y'all.

[PeptoB]

Appears you have already made your purchase, but, for the sake of input, I actually have both of those joysticks.
I bought the T.16000M last year anticipating IL2-COD, but didn't pan out. Then, I was thinking I could use it for BF3, but jets suck in that game. It sat unused, until MWO was announced.
I DL MW4:Mercs and starting to practice. I soon found that even though it has a lot of buttons, it does not have enough. I still needed to use the stupid keyboard (I forgot just how many commands there are). So I picked up a Razor nostromos.
Then I decided to scrap that entirely and get the X52 pro, for 136.00 at Amazon. Here is my thoughts on the joystick setups with MW4:Mercs.

Thrustmaster T.16000m:
PROs:

• Feels well built (with the exception of the throttle contorl). Very solid and heavy.
  
• Joystick feels more comfortable in hand than X52 pro (right handed).
  
• Can be used for right or left handed ppl (also a CON, see below).
  
• Very sturdy springs, which in my opinion helps me maintain control during aiming.
  
• Return to zero point on all axis is dead on. No deadspots (at least on the one I have)
  
• HAL sensors. Combine that with the spring tension, the motion feels very smooth and response is very accurate.
  
• I like the Button placement on stick (the base… not so much).

CONS:

• Throttle control is just a POT (potentiometer), and is linear. There are no step indicators to tell where the throttle is at. Can be hard to find stop if throttle is setup for forward and reverse, which is how I like it. Feels chintzy compared to the rest of the stick.
  
• Buttons placement on the base is merely ok. There are 12 on the base, but since the joystick can be configured for left or right handed user, the placement is symmetrical, and using the buttons on the other side proves too awkward to be useful.
  
• Keyboard supplement is most likely required. If so, then accessing the throttle on the stick is also awkward.

Saitek X52 Pro:
PROs:

• Main pro is that it is HOTAS. With separate throttle, there are plenty of buttons to map all that I need, at least in MW4:Mercs.
  
• The pinky shift function on the joystick is kickass! it is so useful and easy to use.
  
• Build construction is good overall. A few minor cheap spots, like the plastic covering the mode selection LED (minor nit really).
  
• Joystick is semi-adjustable for hand size. I have already made use of that.
  
• All of the buttons light up, cool factor. May be somewhat useful in the dark.
  
• Throttle is marked. Easy to know where you are at, and when you can stop. Reverse and full throttle are demarked by pressure stops. You know right where you are at with this throttle.
  
• HALS Sensors. Motion feels smooth and response is very accurately. No deadspots.
  
• LCD screen can be setup to display some things like time, and if you keep the names short, displays the mapped name of the button currently being used.
  
• Throttle has some good useful buttons. They can be shifted with pinky shift as well.
  
• The mode dial on the joystick lets you use more than one mapping setup for the same loaded profile.
  
• There are two hats (POV). One can be decoupled as a POV, and each hat movement can be mapped to a keyboard function. I use this to target enemies (prev /next /under reticle).
  
• Key mapping software is ok. Once you figure it out, it is not hard to use at all.

CONS:

• Button placement on stick is a bit awkward. The HAT is the first thing my thumb hits. Sometime when reaching for alternate “fire” buttons, I hit the hat in the process. Minor annoyance.
  
• Feel of the Joystick tension seems a bit loose. This can lead to a bit of over correction when trying to aim to fire. There has been mention of a MOD to help tighten the main spring.
  
• Because this was designed more for flight sims, some of the features on the throttle may go unused, such as the rotary dials. But better to have some go unused though then not have enough.
  
• R-Lock feature seems very weak. (Locks out Z-Axis if so desired). Thankfully, I won’t use it.
  
• There is a nice, large green button on the throttle that would be perfect to use, but it cannot be mapped. It is used to select a new profile in game if you want. Meh.
  
• The USB connection to the PC is from the throttle, not the joystick. In MY case, this sucks, because my PC is on the floor to the right of me. So I do not have as much slack as I want.
  
• Minor nit, but if a hat is decoupled from a POV and used as buttons, there is no shift feature available for additional mappings for that specific hat. Not a huge issue.

Summary:

To me, I like the feel of the Thrustmaster. It is more comfortable and it a bit easier to control the aiming due to the strong springs. However, the throttle is very weak. Also, there are not enough extra buttons (makes me wonder I ever played all my previous MW titles with my MS Sidewinder and still kicked ***…hmmm). I now feel if I used my TM, I would have to also use my keyboard. However, because I do not want to hunt for keys anymore (maybe I’m just getting old), I would have to go for a G13 or Nostromo. Then, at 50.00 for the T.16000M + 60.00ish for a new mini keyboard, that approaches the pricing of an entry level HOTAS. I also never used the TARGET software, so I cannot comment on it.

Therefore, I bought the X52 Pro (after reading some reviews, got the pro Vs standard).

The X52 setup gives me all of the controls that I need mapped right to my fingertips. As for the joystick, I like the look better, and the build quality is good, but the “feel” of the joystick is a bit weak and the button placement on the stick is a tad awkward. For me, to make it excellent, I would stiffen the springs and move the primary HAT up, and place a fire button below the primary hat. Then it would suit me 100%. The throttle however, is a significant plus. It is large, and very responsive. It does feel a bit plastic-y compared to the joystick however, but it is very functional. The software is not that bad. But one thing that really stands out is the pinky shift button. To me, it is so natural and extremely useful. So for now, even with some of the quirks, I will be going into MWO with my X52 pro setup. BTW, this evaluation is my expressed opinion of these two sticks that I own, and may differ from someone else’s opinion.

Hope this helps.

Pepto

Edited by PeptoB, 18 July 2012 - 10:08 PM.