VKB Gladiator NXT + Throttle Combo GA

[HoloByteus]

Looking to upgrade an aged Saitek X52 to a more accurate control system. The Virpil looks great but $850 a bit more than I want to spend. The VKB system looks to be more in line with my budget at half that and also seems to be a nice system but i haven't seen any reviews of the complete system being used with MSFS. Does anyone have the full set and can share their experience?

Also is direct from VKB the only place you can order this, no US distributors?

[Maki Nishikino]

Originally posted by HoloByteus:

...is direct from VKB the only place you can order this, no US distributors?

I believe so yes, when I got the NXT I had to order from them directly. With their MKII I was able to order it from the XP store.

[HoloByteus]

Can find them on aliexpress but it's no improvement on price or shipping. Direct seems to be the best bet.

[VelxraTV]

Really VKB is a great choice. Its very precise and has a decent amount of accessory support. The next down the line is the logitech warthog that a decade old hardware and very stiff but effective. I hear virpil is good, but their premium is just not worth the no real gains over the cheaper VKB lineup. I used a thrustmaster t16000 for five years. For non combat flying it does great. Though I slowly learned/noticed the guys with better equipement could do finer things in combat that I just couldnt achieve.

When it comes to throttle the choice is yours. The cheapo thrustmaster throttle will do the job perfectly. The downside is it does not have multi engine support from multiple axises. So all the same thrust control making it less than ideal sometimes. I really like the warthog throttle it does a great job they are just very expensive and uncommonly sold individually. Don't bother with the vkb throttle or button packs. The vkb throttle is just terrible and a cheapo single handed keyboard does more than the button packs from vkb.

[kalnaren]

Originally posted by Vivi Sinz:

I hear virpil is good, but their premium is just not worth the no real gains over the cheaper VKB lineup.

Yea... I'm going to go ahead and disagree there. Virpil systems (and VKB's higher-end gunfighter line, which costs about the same) use a customizable duel cam-and-bearing gimbal system (2 cams and 2 springs per axis), which is superior to both the pincer system (used on the NXT) and the straight bearings (used on the EVO).

The NXT is a great stick.. easily the best stick on the value for money scale on the market.. but the Virpil offerings are in a whole other class.

Originally posted by HoloByteus:

Looking to upgrade an aged Saitek X52 to a more accurate control system. The Virpil looks great but $850 a bit more than I want to spend. The VKB system looks to be more in line with my budget at half that and also seems to be a nice system but i haven't seen any reviews of the complete system being used with MSFS. Does anyone have the full set and can share their experience?

Also is direct from VKB the only place you can order this, no US distributors?

The VKB NXT series is probably the best mid-range stick on the market. Easily one of the best in the cost:value ratio.

Unfortunately, throttle-wise, there's significantly less options. The TWCS and CH Pro Throttle are about the only two in the lower-end throttle space.. there's basically nothing in the mid-range space. An option is the Logitech Flight Throttle Quadrant. I recently purchased a pair of them so I can fly old twins, as there aren't enough axis on HOTAS throttles to do the job. The Logitech ones won't be winning any awards but they're cheap and work "good enough" for casual play.

If $400-$500 is within your budget for a throttle and stick combo, you may want to consider the Wingwing Orion. It's priced to compete directly with the Thrustmaster Warthog and is a significantly better HOTAS.

As for suitability for MSFS, it doesn't really matter. A throttle is a throttle, and it's mainly ergonomics and number of functions that change the usability. MSFS isn't a combat sim so you don't need to worry near as much about having a multitude of functions available at the fingertips.

[VelxraTV]

Originally posted by kalnaren:

If $400-$500 is within your budget for a throttle and stick combo, you may want to consider the Wingwing Orion. It's priced to compete directly with the Thrustmaster Warthog and is a significantly better HOTAS.

I have to admit I've never heard of winwing. Both the orion and libra joysticks look promising. The orion having a little center play and the libra having none. But the libra costs more than the virpil if bought by itself and pieced together as the whole unit option is out of stock. Otherwise it would be cheaper. I've added winwing to my bookmarks it seems on par with virpil overall. The F18 theme is a bonus for me.

[kalnaren]

Originally posted by Vivi Sinz:

Originally posted by kalnaren:

If $400-$500 is within your budget for a throttle and stick combo, you may want to consider the Wingwing Orion. It's priced to compete directly with the Thrustmaster Warthog and is a significantly better HOTAS.

I have to admit I've never heard of winwing. Both the orion and libra joysticks look promising. The orion having a little center play and the libra having none. But the libra costs more than the virpil if bought by itself and pieced together as the whole unit option is out of stock. Otherwise it would be cheaper. I've added winwing to my bookmarks it seems on par with virpil overall. The F18 theme is a bonus for me.

The Orion and Libra are two different sticks.

Winging uses a similar gimbal to Virpil/VKB, IIRC the Orion uses a single cam instead two cams, so it's a little less complex.

One unique thing they do is the interchangeable throttle handles. First manufacturer to do that IIRC.

[VelxraTV]

Originally posted by kalnaren:

One unique thing they do is the interchangeable throttle handles. First manufacturer to do that IIRC.

I do like how winwing wants to have compatibility with thrustmaster gear. That gives them a greater flexibility in the market.