Logitech G X56 H.O.T.A.S Throttle and Joystick Flight Simulator Game Controller, 4 Spring Options, +189 Programmable Controls, RGB Lighting, 2x USB, PC - Black

I normally don't write reviews but I thought it was important to write this one because like me I am sure many other people are looking at this HOTAS and wondering if this is the one for you. You are also probably looking at the x52 and x52 professional. I opted for this HOTAS (playing Elite Dangerous & X4 and various others). This one while being the most expensive option was also the most available at the time and looked the most sturdy as well. THIS IS A SAITEK PRODUCT that Logitech acquired and then branded their own. That's ok, it still works with the proper software driver download (we will get to that later in review).First off this HOTAS is rather large, but keep in mind there are also a LOT OF BUTTONS which require it to be so. Some people with smaller hands might find this to be to big for them. My hands are fairly large and this is at just about the maximum size I can comfortably control. Some reviews complain of poor button placement, well you have a million buttons they all have to go somewhere so nothing is going to be perfect. You just have to adapt to the layout of the HOTAS.The Stick: Solid feeling with the look and feel of a fighter stick, (this is not a Cessna stick here this is a space ship/fighter jet stick). You can still fly a Cessna with this but you also can fly a Boeing 747 or a space shuttle, its up to you. There are multiple HAT controls just on the stick including a smooth move all direction hat that is in fact like a miniature joystick on your joystick. What would you use something like that for? Well for example in Elite dangerous I use the smooth move hat (black to the left of the stick half way down) for which direction I want to "look". This way I can control the direction of the ship with the Stick itself while using the little HAT control to look around which has replaced the mouse for looking around. Very handy, You can effectively remove all keyboard and mouse input with these types of controls and setups. The Stick and Throttle are both coated in that nice feeling smooth PTFE feeling rubber. This makes for a comfy grip not so much of a plastic like feeling like my old Logitech Extreme 3d Pro which I upgraded from. (Had the 3d pro for 15 years excellent entry level joystick and you can still buy it!)The Throttle: This took some getting used to but in the end I am learning to really like the throttle. First off yes you are looking at a split control throttle. Either side can move independently of one another like a real plane. There is a locking mechanism to lock them both together which is how mine will always stay because none of the games I play require independent thrust input to one side of the engine or the other. You will feel that seam in the middle when moving the throttle BUT you will get used to it. Like other reviews the throttle is in fact STIFF, why? because a real throttle is also stiff. If it wasn't than when a stewardess brings the pilots their coffee and sneezes the plane would crash. You have a knob to turn to affect the tension of the throttle, even turned all the way to lowest setting the throttle will feel stiff to push but it is mimicking real life. If you are buying this thinking you are going to be able to just SLAM THE THROTTLE open, you will break this thing like a few review pictures will show. In the games I play you aren't accelerating faster then you can push the throttle so this is a non issue. In fact once again this makes it feel far more real and less chincy than other throttle designs. (for reference I wield chainsaws and buck hay all day my hand strength is above average).YES YOU HAVE A BOATLOAD OF BUTTONS ON THE THROTTLE. Once again you have to ask yourself, if you are getting this many button monster are you gonna be upset at the button placement? Or are you going to adapt (this is the correct answer ADAPTING). The metal toggle switches I would like to point out are not ON/OFF switches. They return to center after you push them up or down. So basically you have 2 buttons for every metal toggle but they still feel ultra satisfying to push and flick......So many buttons, if you aren't playing an actual flight sim you will be hard pressed to utilize all your button options. That's ok, better to have more options than less but then again that's why you are going to buy this monster you want them buttons don't ya?The Important: Ok I would like to address a few issues here related to some minor details and specifics I had to figure out for myself when installing this monster. PAY ATTENTION TO THIS I HOPE TO SAVE YOU TIME and maybe even help others who have bought this thing but couldn't get it to work properly.For reference I am running Windows 10 on a computer that is NOT A POTATO.OK here we go......YOU WILL NEED TO GET THE DRIVER TO MAKE THIS THING WORK PROPERLY AND UTILIZE YOUR PRETTY COLOR FUNCTIONS.This HOTAS is not really plug and play and it is not recognized in GHUB. Listen carefully because you also get ZERO instructions with this thing but I am going to tell you right now what to do.1. Open box and marvel at the beast you just purchased. (DO NOT PLUG IT IN YET)2. Go to Logitechs website and go to downloads and look up this product for drivers.3. You will have a list of about 7 or 8 drivers, go to the one on the BOTTOM not the top. (bottom newest driver circa2018 lol)4. If you are running 32 bit choose the driver immediately above (I am 64 bit so I believe my driver was the last one inlist)5. (DO NOT PLUG IT IN YET!) Run the driver you just downloaded.6. You will see a screen come up that has a picture of joystick then a small picture of a USB WITH A RED X over it andthen a picture of a computer. (The red X is telling you NOT TO PLUG IT IN YET there are no instructions past this Ihad to learn all this by rote and trial and error)7. Click "Next" the driver will start installing ( DO NOT PLUG THINGS IN YOU BETTER NOT HAVE EM PLUGGED IN!)8. When the first half of the install is done you will see now the image you first saw except the USB icon at center nolonger has a red X over it. This is the 2018 program telling you to PLUG IN THE JOYSTICK AND THROTTLE.9. NOW you PLUG IN THE JOYSTICK AND THROTTLE. (be advised I am very certain this requires USB 2.0 or higher notbasic USB).10. After you have plugged them both in you may now click next on the install window.11. After the install is finished the button will now say restart. CLICK RESTART.12. Upon desktop load you will now have a new Icon for X56 HOTAS, this is your joysticks program this is where youchange the color of the lighting and also to do programming button binding etc (this is advanced button bindingoutside of game controls). If you are playing a game like Elite dangerous or X4 do all your binding IN GAME.Yes I had to learn all this on my own but I have shared it with you and now you know how to set this up dear god I hope this helps at least one soul.Changing the spring on the Stick: Go to Youtube, search "how to change X56 Hotas Springs" WATCH THE VIDEO! I changed to the highest spring, it was tricky but it worked I was a little spooked about breaking something make sure you watch a video on this so you understand what exactly you are doing.Once again let me remind you there is no instruction booklet on this thing in the box, you are either using the internet or reading this review or hopefully BOTH.OVERALL: I am very satisfied with the quality of construction and feel of this $250 sink of my hard earned American currency. Plays Elite Dangerous like you were IN THE SHIP ITSELF and I can't wait to try it on other games like X4 or maybe a real flight sim.Buy this product. Take the time to set it up right. Put on a pot of coffee and spend all night binding 486 gorillion buttons. Have Lots Of Fun After.I truly hope this helps clarify some things for wondering folks and helps for you to make a more informed decision on whether this is the right HOTAS for you.::This review may be updated in the future, First draft 1/25/2025::

In original package and unused. Worked immediately.Notice: Due to the power requirements of the x56, you will experience phantom button presses if you use a usb hub that plugs into the same usb port. Use separate usb ports for the stick and the throttle if possible.

Summary: The controls and capability of this unit is unbelievable for the price. It's a great alternative to the higher tier ones out there at a cost of plastic (this unit) vs metal.History: Coming from X52 (which I ordered in 2013 or something long time ago), X45 (even older) and much older Saitek models (mostly as gaming ports changed along with new features, none have died on me which speaks to some level of historical quality).Usage: DCS, Elite Dangerous, FSX and similar*First impression*: Extremely scared that I would have had to return item after 10 minutes. The throttle was not calibrated where mid-throttle was registering as 0% and there was no way to calibrate within windows. Turned out that there is internal calibrations. See bottom of review for the BKM on fixing this which can also be found on forums for the older version of the x56 (x55)Other than the calibrations, the unit feels solid and controls are plentiful. This is the Logitech version of the failed Saitek model which is plagued with problems according to most reviews. All buttons/actions responded as expected and fit is good. The right hand position is a bit lower than desired and not terribly adjustable like the X52. Small hands be warned!VR (since it's a market target and selling point): Using this in VR works well *once* you can get trained where switches are. There's so many options/spots that sometimes you can get lost on the platform switches on the throttle. Hunting around to orient was common early on but eventually figured out a pattern to find the switches quicker. I still get the knobs mixed up every now and then since they are close together. The buttons/etc on the throttle/stick are easy enough to find in VR since they are always in hand. The VR selling point likely is that there are so many options that you don't need the keyboard for many common things anymore. A debatable selling point depending on the simulation being used.*Ergonomics*: some of the buttons are not placed well for long term usage. It's ok if you just need to hit every minute or so, but not as a 2 minute+ toggling spree. The hat controls on both controls are placed slightly out of alignment with my hands so that constant usage starts to hurt the thumb for both hands. The throttle is a bit better placed but sometimes difficult to move the 2 smaller hats due to tight spaces. The X52 feels much more "natural". This is my -1 reason for not being 5-starsThrottle/tension: From my non-scientific observation this uses some type of goo to dampen the slide action. This goo loosens up rapidly when warmed so that the throttle starts to slide quite easily. There is a tension knob but it's difficult to tune correctly due to this dynamics. It does *not* have any detentes/positions to lock into so I commonly find that resting my hand slowly decreases the throttle. There are 3d-print options to fix this, but without the modification you can't leave hand resting on throttle. In DCS I commonly found I was pulling back and loosing speed so I started to need to do hands-off throttle which contradicts the HOTAS benefit.Stick tension: The multiple springs should work with many people. There is a little play in the center but nothing that concerned me. The pivot is made of plastic which is concerning over the x52 which is part metal. Concerns about this breaking is high.Stick future: It was very curious to see the grip disconnects much like the higher cost options. May suggest that new grips can either be made or will be made for different plane likeness.Desk requirement: The bases are much larger than prior generations, likely to just provide stability/support but is hollow for the most part. People complain a lot about this online about "wasted space" but in reality it's providing torque resistance when on a desk from the push/pull. When on a mount, yes it likely is problematic and overkill.Mounting: There are holes in the corners of each unit which can be used for mounting screws. It's not an under-base connectivity but it's something that I'll be using in the near future. It's also seemingly non-standard measurementsDCS: Perfect! assignments,likeness, and HOTAS usage works great with this sim. Overkill for buttons for P51 but excellent for A10. This mimics the warthog from thrustmaster in capability and general layout but the warthog is very specifically tuned to the A10. The two extra adjustment knobs on the throttle is very nice for P51 for trimming which does not exist for the x52. DCS was the primary reason for purchase so very happy with decision as it meet my expectations. Combine with foot rudders, I don't really use the twist anymore but it does feel solid and did work well before foot rudders.Elite Dangerous: Works well with one exception -- controlling the system bars gets very difficult due to ergo problems. The hats on the stick are placed just wrong enough that you can't adjust quickly unlike the X52. Throttle mini hats are not much better as some directions are difficult to use to or collide with other buttons. The 2 mini analog sticks are great though for thrust control! I use the one on throttle, tried the stick but kept hitting that as it's placement isn't the best for where the thumb naturally rests. There's enough button/switch control left-overs to make advanced rapid adjustments to "pre-programmed" models of sys/eng/wep balances.FSX or other sims: Likely to be overkill for most people.Recommended? Yes if budget is tight. Are there better things out there? Yes, but at min 2x price. That price bump gets mechanics that will survive the thrash of a little child, x56 will likely break under same conditions.Calibration:Clear axis calibration process for Throttle:1.Meanwhile make TGL3 down,TGL2 up(show buttons 14,17) before device power on.2.Meanwhile make TGL4 down,TGL3 up(show buttons 16,19).3.Clear calibration is completed when all lights go out.Axis calibration process for Throttle:1.Move all axes to max and min twice.2.Meanwhile make TGL4 down,TGL3 down,TGL2 up(show buttons 14,17,19).3.Calibration is completed when all lights go out