StormILM
Charter Member
Okay, my X55 finally arrived today and thus far, I am pleased and I'm getting the hang of programming it and having this many control & switch options which are all completely customizable for each aircraft. First off, the X55 is pretty solid despite the use of a lot of plastic in the bases, stick, throttles, and switches and there are metal switches & parts. Compared to the X52 series, the X55 external components are much more heavy duty. First I will cover the "negative" aspects. Some of the switches seem pretty flimsy or low quality but no more so than many controllers on the market but then again, heavy handed users(hard core gamers) will likely wear this controller and it's switches out at a higher rate than most deft handed flight simmers & RW pilots using PC sims. I know of a few cases of the Warthog getting worn switches and components due to heavy handed use. Negatives aside, next, the stick. It does have a nice feel in the hand but yes, the spring and collar system are typical Saitek and it re-centers with the same "thunk" that the X52/45 do. The upshot, the interchangeable springs allow you to get the best weight/movement feel that you desire(within the limitations of the design) and I have mine set at the next to the highest weight spring. I did test all 4 springs and feel the the 2 middle weight springs have the best feel. The lightest and heaviest springs simply do not have a good feel for precise sim work. But here is where I agree with some that the Warthog stick is in general a superior feeling stick in terms of mechanical movement but both sticks have Hall Sensors that have excellent linearity. In other words, the X55 stick is very precise and sensitive like the Warthog stick, just with a different movement feel. So far as the lack of a two stage trigger, not a big deal because the pinky button can easily be set up for functions that are incorporated in two stage trigger. Some won't mind this, others will. Lastly about the stick, much fuss has been made about not being able to lock the twist function. Mine does not move at all during normal X/Y axis movement and it takes significant effort to turn the stick in the twist axis. It's a non-issue not having a twist lock.
As far as the throttle unit, very nice, excellent feel and many switch programming options like the Warthog unit. So, in deciding between an X55 or a HOTAS Warthog, it boils down to what you want and how much you're willing to spend. I have had a look inside both controllers and to be very honest, the internal components are not that much different quality wise. For the money, the X55 gives you much of what the much more expensive Warthog offers. However, some will prefer the Warthog stick feel over the X55 and I respect that preference having tested the Warthog. I am pleased to have spent less and got a very good controller. Now begins the longevity test which my badly worn X52 made it 8 long years of nearly daily use. If after a year or two, this one doesn't cut it, I will review other options and by then, maybe a Pro version of the X55 will be out(and there are hints of just that) and the price of the Warthog will drop. The X55 is outselling it by leaps and bounds. My seller received 50 units at 9am in the morning and by 4 PM, they were all gone! So if you're in the market for a HOTAS controller in this price range, it is hard to go wrong.
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As far as the throttle unit, very nice, excellent feel and many switch programming options like the Warthog unit. So, in deciding between an X55 or a HOTAS Warthog, it boils down to what you want and how much you're willing to spend. I have had a look inside both controllers and to be very honest, the internal components are not that much different quality wise. For the money, the X55 gives you much of what the much more expensive Warthog offers. However, some will prefer the Warthog stick feel over the X55 and I respect that preference having tested the Warthog. I am pleased to have spent less and got a very good controller. Now begins the longevity test which my badly worn X52 made it 8 long years of nearly daily use. If after a year or two, this one doesn't cut it, I will review other options and by then, maybe a Pro version of the X55 will be out(and there are hints of just that) and the price of the Warthog will drop. The X55 is outselling it by leaps and bounds. My seller received 50 units at 9am in the morning and by 4 PM, they were all gone! So if you're in the market for a HOTAS controller in this price range, it is hard to go wrong.
View attachment 9793
