Hey guys, I’ve been eyeballing the Warthog and the X55 for quite some time. I’ve watch countless youtube videos, and I just can’t decide. I guess my question has really come down to does double the cost bring enough gains over the X55? Do you get that much more out of the warthog with it being a mostly metal construction, or is it just that feeling of metal in your hands vs plastic? The QA issues I’ve seen out of the X55 concern me, but I’d be willing to take a shot if i knew that it was a great joystick. (The throttles are both nice, so the joystick differences are what’s really holding me back)
It’s really a matter of cost, keep in mind that there are other things you’re going to want to buy…
First the warthog doesn’t have twist, so you will need a set of pedals if you buy it. Also, keep in mind TrackIR which is the next recommended purchase for pilots right after the HOTAS.
If you want the better setup, you’ll end up spending $700 on the Warthog all in… if that is outside your budget, then I’d like at one of the Saitek HOTAS setup instead.
I can not tell you really anything negative about the x55 except for that the plastic feels cheapish (if it matters at all). Talking about the durability, the Warthog will surely be a winner, but it is expensive. My x55 hasnt seen enough play hours so I cant anything say about buttons getting worn or durability issues.
My advice is to keep the thought process simple. Do you want a twist? What is your budget? They are both good sticks.
I’ve got Saitek pro combat rudder pedals on the way. I do plan on grabbing a TrackIR though I made one from scratch that does work pretty good! (most of the time)
I’ll probably decide after I get the three bezeless monitors for the surround gaming setup. That will kick me in the pants money wise. I thought about VR, but I’m not sold on OR being a better solution for efficiency than surround monitors due to you not being able to look at your controls.
Also, on the Saitek does the twist bother you a lot?
I’m looking over the profiles written up for these two, to see which layout I like best. That will probably be my deciding factor if both are pretty great products for what they are. I just thought I’d ask around to see if anybody had any complaints about either, and things I might not have thought of in my research.
The layouts are nearly the same, except where they can’t be. Make sure you’re using the custom profiles posted in the file browser forum.
I have the Warthog and although it is more money the improvement over my Saitek X-52 is significant. In addition there are plenty of hat switches and buttons. Also there is a great preprogrammed setup for Falcon BMS. With that said I am not here to tell you what to buy, but for me it was a great investment. If quality is your thing the Warthog won’t disappoint.
In the end either will do fine and the biggest difference in pilots will be how much they apply themselves.
Thanks for both of your help. I believe I am just as undecided as I was before haha. The Warthog is no doubt a great product, I just can’t decide if it’s worth it to me to spend double the cost on it, which would break my budget for what I had on this part of my cockpit project.
Lema, if you want my two cents: the x55 is great and at a good price, but the thing the warthog has that makes it worth it is it’s ergonomic design, all of the buttons are easy to reach and comfortable. The X55… not so much.
Here’s a good review from Ralfidude who’s an avid sim enthusiast. [url]Ralfi's Alley- X-55 Rhino review - YouTube
Thanks Havok for showing me that video. I will be getting the Warthog, because ergonomics are not something that I saw really addressed in other videos, not in the detail that this guy did. Also, I have smaller hands so ergonomics are that much more important.
Thanks again for all you guy’s input.