Simviation Forums

 I KNOW YOU HEARD THE QUESTION BEFORE BUT WHAT IS THE BEST JOYSTICK FOR FS 2004?  I HAVE A DELL 4600 SERIES AND WINDOWS XP. PRICE? 50-UP. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.

For what my opinion's worth, the Saitek X45 is damn good for $75US.  Not the finest-action joystick from what I've heard, but for hamfisted keyboard users like me, it's perfect.

I use a Thrustmaster Afterburner II FFB. Fine joystick and throttle. Enough buttons that are easy to use. It has Force Feedback (which, I think, adds more realism to FS). Costs about 80 Euro.

THERE's NO NEED TO SHOUT

If you can afford it and you can get one, the Thrustmaster Cougar Hotas is the best thing since brown bread ($235 on Ebay). However, the next best and probably more reliable is the Saitek X45 hotas. Personally, I think, having tried a forve feed back set up, that it's rubbish. The force feedback you get is nothing like the real feel, and should be reserved for action games like combat flight sims etc.