New Saitek X56 Stick!

[HawkDCS]

Looks like X55 is replaced!

 

Not sure about that color scheme but nice the lighting is customizable again.

 

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/x56.html

 

${1}

[BaconSarnie]

Doesnt look like it has a 2 stage trigger, if it did that would prompt me to buy asap.

[Gladman]

Nice. Not a pile of changes but probably a really good HOTAS.

[fixen]

Ugh, that color scheme. But I guess it is made with star citizen and elite dangerous in mind.

Also because of the two analog sticks that replace buttons.

[Beagle One]

Nice. Not a pile of changes but probably a really good HOTAS.

Hall sensors instead of potentiometers make big change.

The X-55 turned out to be crappy inside quite often, so internal changes are welcome.

[Sokol1_br]

Ugh, that color scheme. But I guess it is made with star citizen and elite dangerous in mind.

 

Military-grade Space Sim Precision :)

 

Don't think this came for replace X-55 but as option for 6DOF control in Space Sim with the 2 new mini-sticks.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Sokol1_br

[Vincent90]

Ugh, I already passed for the X-52 because of its looks and this goes with the same theme?!

 

Really curious about the quality of it though, can't wait for the first comparisons with the X-55 :)

[Hadwell]

Ugh, I already passed for the X-52 because of its looks and this goes with the same theme?!

 

Really curious about the quality of it though, can't wait for the first comparisons with the X-55 :)

 

yeah, if it's a revision, new hardware, not just a tacky colour scheme update... no jitter on the thumb axis would be amazing.

 

I might just buy one anyway, since my x-55 is one of the pre-order ones, and it's starting to show wear... but that blue colour scheme is so tacky...

 

and people whining about the two stage trigger, instead, the x-55/56 has two pinky buttons, the x-52 only has 1.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Hadwell

[King_Hrothgar]

Hall sensors instead of potentiometers make big change.

The X-55 turned out to be crappy inside quite often, so internal changes are welcome.

 

I didn't see any changes there listed on their website. The X-55 uses hall sensors for pitch/roll axis and pots for the rest. The only mention of hall sensors I saw for the X-56 are for the pitch/roll axis, just like the X-55.

[karn1948]

Given the poor disappointing reality of owning the X-55, when I see all of the features and buttons they claim to have, I just wonder which ones they ACTUALLY have and which are either wishful thinking or "we will enable that in the software... someday". I simply don't believe any claimed specs.

 

And for those of you who don't own an X-55 and are wondering what they are:

 

-The "mouse joystick" on the throttle can't be used as an analog axis without a registry hack that some kind person posted on reddit. It's HORRIBLY insensitive and works more like a digital control than analog. I expected a cheap laptop eraser mouse. This isn't even close. Don't expect to use it for anything.

 

-The scroll wheel, which their website still lists as a feature, still does absolutely nothing. It shows up in the X-55 software as a scroll wheel, and lights up when you scroll it... but it still does nothing outside of their software. Still waiting for an update that makes it do... anything.

 

-Ghost button presses experienced to varying degrees by lots of people. Sometimes LOTS of them. Never acknowledged as a problem by Saitek. Fixed by using a powered USB hub (discovered this on my own, as they won't give advice on a problem that doesn't exist).

[Hadwell]

Given the poor disappointing reality of owning the X-55, when I see all of the features and buttons they claim to have, I just wonder which ones they ACTUALLY have and which are either wishful thinking or "we will enable that in the software... someday". I simply don't believe any claimed specs.

 

And for those of you who don't own an X-55 and are wondering what they are:

 

-The "mouse joystick" on the throttle can't be used as an analog axis without a registry hack that some kind person posted on reddit. It's HORRIBLY insensitive and works more like a digital control than analog. I expected a cheap laptop eraser mouse. This isn't even close. Don't expect to use it for anything.

 

-The scroll wheel, which their website still lists as a feature, still does absolutely nothing. It shows up in the X-55 software as a scroll wheel, and lights up when you scroll it... but it still does nothing outside of their software. Still waiting for an update that makes it do... anything.

 

-Ghost button presses experienced to varying degrees by lots of people. Sometimes LOTS of them. Never acknowledged as a problem by Saitek. Fixed by using a powered USB hub (discovered this on my own, as they won't give advice on a problem that doesn't exist).

 

the mouse nipple thing does suck...

 

the scroll wheel is actually two momentary switches, like the mouse wheel, one to scroll up, the other to scroll down, I use up for flares and down for chaff, dunno why, just think it's cool to roll a wheel to launch flares lol...

 

and I don't use a powered USB hub, my motherboard has 3 usb controllers, my throttle and stick get one all to themselves... I've never had any ghosting...

 

but for the most part I agree, except for me, it's the jitter on the potentiometers on the throttle... because they're like 256 position, and even the best pots aren't the most accurate...

 

still, for the price, and functionality, you can't beat it... I'll probably pick up an x-56 just because my x-55 is worn out to hell...

Edited April 3, 2016 by Hadwell

[Nooch]

What I would like Saitek (or Madcatz or whatever) to do above all is to improve their manufacturing quality. I mean it's great to have a hotas with millions of switches and pov hats but if the quality isn't there, what's the point? Annoying deadzone in the center of the X-55 stick, weird amount of tension when moving the stick around, throttle that breaks after 6 months of use... If I was Saitek's product manager my priority would be to solve these problems asap.

[BitMaster]

TBH, Saite quality has never convinced me despite I owned a few over the years aside MMFF2 and various Thrustmaster HOTAS over 20 years time.

 

The Saitek have been the least of them all, software wise, supoort wise, function wise and overall quality. Agreed, my TM Hotas of 1994 was not state of the art as well, but support on TM has always been superb, functions beyond most's capability to use and meanwhile we have Hall Sensors, all metal...I am not tempted to buy any Saitek gear unless I have to. If my pedals break

I will get some Crosswinds, should have known that before and I had avoided those pedals ( which are still OK after 1 year, that must be said too ).

 

I love TM gear and are amazed how long a MSFF2 can last, over a decade now, any kids, friends and games..and that thing still works. That is the long runner champion in quality in my world.

 

That much to sticks after having owned half a dozen HOTAS and soldering pots in and out, replacing cables etc.... .

[TMatzelle60]

Will those Twist knobs even be useful in DCS over the buttons on the stick.

[King_Hrothgar]

The twist knobs, absolutely. I use them all the time on my X-55. With all aircraft, I have the lower rotary as my zoom and generally leave the top one for wheel brakes on Russian aircraft (more of a BoS/BoM thing since it doesn't allow assignments by individual aircraft). The two rotaries on the throttle serve assorted purposes, generally prop pitch and radiators on prop planes and gunsight range/lighting on jets.

 

Now if you mean the mouse nipples replacing buttons, yeah, probably not too useful. The mouse nipple on my X-55 has yet to be used in game because it's really only usable as a 4 way hat and isn't comfortable to reach anyways. It also didn't work in game last time I tried it, but that was a year ago.

 

From what I've seen, the X-56 isn't an upgrade over the X-55, it's a minor revision to make it better for Elite Dangerous while likely making it worse for flight sims. But we'll have to see. If the new mouse nipples are true analog controls, and they don't jitter everywhere, it might be ok.

[karn1948]

the mouse nipple thing does suck...

Yeah, I would like to replace it with an actual mouse nipple like IBM / Lenovo laptops..... someday...

 

the scroll wheel is actually two momentary switches, like the mouse wheel, one to scroll up, the other to scroll down, I use up for flares and down for chaff, dunno why, just think it's cool to roll a wheel to launch flares lol...

That's interesting. How did you set it up so that it's usable?

 

and I don't use a powered USB hub, my motherboard has 3 usb controllers, my throttle and stick get one all to themselves... I've never had any ghosting...

Its definitely not a majority of users who experience it. I am not sure exactly what causes it, but have found a lot of complaints online by others about it. Just last night my throttle was randomly sending comma's (I have one of the buttons set to that) and I was really freaking out before I realized the source of them.

 

still, for the price, and functionality, you can't beat it... I'll probably pick up an x-56 just because my x-55 is worn out to hell...

Yep, with all of it's faults, I still recommend it. For what it is, it's great. I just am sure to tell people to get a cheap powered usb hub, and send them the link to the registry hack for the mouse nipple. It truly is worth the price, but it definitely does not exactly live up to their marketing material. So, I will now always be suspicious of Saitek "feature lists" until I get my own hands on a product to see what it actually does.

[VIKBELL]

My disappointment with X-65 continues to be the Software not the hardware.

[Apache600]

I really like the X-55 I'm using .... but I also don't use ANY of the Saitek software. Don't really see the point when you can just bind it all in game. Peripheral software has always given me problems.

[karn1948]

My disappointment with X-65 continues to be the Software not the hardware.

I would really like to hear more about your experience with the X-65!

[Dudikoff]

My disappointment with X-65 continues to be the Software not the hardware.

 

I'm curious about the issues you're having with it? Personally, besides being laggy and slow sometimes, it offers decent options. I only wish you could assign some commands to groups and then program a button to toggle through the group on each press.

 

The Logitech G940 software on the other hand is pretty much useless, though.

[wilbur81]

Man, that new X-65 color scheme looks pretty awful from a military sim perspective. Bummer.

[Sokol1_br]

Because the focus is not military sim, but "space sim". :thumbup:

[wilbur81]

Because the focus is not military sim, but "space sim". :thumbup:

 

indeed... a bummer. :-) I've been looking everywhere for another X-55 to purchase for when my current set goes bust (it's still working great a year out), but there are literally none out there for the normal/reasonable price.

[FeistyLemur]

I see they didn't fix one of the most obvious complaints in the review i saw, the DMS switch being so high it makes reaching the hat switch hard.

[TMatzelle60]

God I wish the X55 was good quality really like the looks but idk

 

The two new twist 6dof would anyone use in dcs

Edited April 7, 2016 by TMatzelle60