200-503 CH Products Flightstick Pro USB 4-Button Joystick 8-Way Hatswitch

Back when, the CH Flight Stick Pro was THE stick in my group of gamers. I kept mine for years, but it had the old interface and I've moved on to computers with less archaic I/O.I was shocked to see this cheaper than I remember, and with USB. This is the most comfortable stick I've used. It is my controller of choice for classic X-Wing games because it has the controls I need and smooth operation. It weighs enough to stay on my desktop, but not so much that I'm concerned for the glass top I have.All in all, this stick is proof that gaming gadgets from years ago can still be great today. I couldn't be happier with it.5/5

I've used lots of different joy sticks over the years and have always found myself returning to the CH Flightstick Pro. It's solid, very well built and features a design that is far more concerned with actual function and utility than it is with looking like something that belongs in the cockpit of 2789's finest interstellar fighter. Which of course is to say that it works very very well.Primarily, the thing I find most useful is the *extremely* forgiving/elastic "spring" action; the Flightstick requires *very* little effort to move along the extents of it's X and Y axis' and such movement and effort needed to realize it is equally precise and unchanging throughout the full range of either axis' extents. There is no greater or lesser tension depending on where on the axis' you might be passing through. It's ridiculously smooth and even and one finds oneself giving more attention to precision and more subtle movements as opposed to trying to jam the stick back and forth or side to side as things become frenzied in game play. Again, the motion is extremely easy ... in fact, you could play any game/simulator and experience the joysticks complete range of motion on either axis using just one finger placed on the top of the Flightstick; it's literally, *that* effortless in it's motions. Some people might find this disconcerting at first but once you acclimate, you won't look at other joysticks in the same way any more.Further, this ease of movement allows the base of the joystick to stay firmly planted on the desk...with no lifting of the edges or corners as you make full sweeps of the sticks movement gamut. Since one's movements tend to become more precise and since the motion of the stick is so smooth and spring pressure so consistent throughout the sticks motions, it's very easy to tell when you are at the limits of either axis' movement. A base that moves around and lifts or slides as I attempt to game is one of the most annoying and consistently problematic aspects of just about all other joysticks I've tried. If any portion of the base actually lifts from the surface of your desk (or whatever) then the problem is with your play style and not the Flightstick...as the only thing that could make it lift is violent/fast/sudden jerks of the stick...which, by design of the thing...are obviously not necessary.It's not a cheap joystick, just speaking monetarily but it's built to last (had one for 10 years before getting another) and as mentioned already...is a near perfect bit of industrial/utlity design.I've never found any other joystick that I can use (much less remember the make of)...and I've used many.Oh yeah ... look around Amazon too ... there's usually a "USED" option for much less than the new price.FYI.

Easily programmable and works nicely with Mac OS. A lot of free flight sims will not work and you are stuck with using your mouse. "Sky Gamblers -Storm Raiders 2" is a fun sim that does work.

My CH Combat stick started to get pretty loose after 20+ years of intermittent use. This version was no longer available and the nearest replacement would be the CH Fighterstick. Reviews claimed it didn't seem to have the same quality components CH products once had (surprise!). I ended up with the Flightstick because reviewers maintained it still seemed to have the original CH quality. So far, I would agree with them. Differences? Mainly, the Combatstick had many more buttons, and was larger on the desk and in the hand. Outside of that it's pretty much CH-as-usual. The buttons and sliders are tight and there is no slop in the stick gimbals. the dreaded Control Manager software is still out there if you choose to use it - (It's really not that hard to learn if you apply yourself) - but you don't really have to use it - UNLESS you want to calibrate. Win 10 no longer supports any calibration function for this product. As for those who complain about the noticeable strong centering tendency of the stick, I have flown stick and rudder tail-dragger aircraft for 30 years as a private pilot and I don't really even notice the stick detent in flight sims. In real world flying pilots think more about the roll and pitch axis' and rarely ever about the 45 degree movements in between, and if they are added in it isn't something that's very conscious. The stiff center detent also serves as sort of a handy autopilot, allowing one to remove the hand momentarily from the stick. I could see how it could be an issue for those flying today's space sims though. Still a good product for those who value quality and don't want to deal with the sloppiness that seems to be evident in almost every consumer-level product currently available.