The Protagonists

Our initial selection consists of four universal joysticks, each of which can be used to work a simulator in the same way as they are used in action games. Microsoft's Sidewinder Precision 2 costs around $45. Saitek's offering in this category is the Cyborg 3D Gold for $40, and Logitech's Extreme Digital 3D is about the same price. All of these are older models. Thrustmaster, on the other hand, is marketing a new range that includes the Fox 2 Pro, which costs $29.99. This stick can also be used with Afterburner 2 (approx. $60, just recently released with scant retail availability outside of Europe), a system at the higher end of the range that is dedicated to flight simulation and fitted with a separate throttle handle. The same applies to the Saitek X45, which consists of a joystick and throttle handle liberally sprinkled with buttons and wheels. At $80, it is also the most expensive system in this comparative study. All of these products can be found in most specialist shops, and some are even available in the big superstores.