Saitek X52 vs Saitek X52 Pro Flight Control

Saitek X52 vs. Saitek X52 Pro – Similarities

The Saitek X52 and X52 Pro are nearly identical. There are only a handful of features that differentiates one from the other.

Design
In terms of the overall design, the Saitek X52 Pro has a sleeker and more modern design. It is mainly black in color with some shiny silver accents. On the other hand, the Saitek X52 sports an equal combination of black and silver.

 

The Winner Is – Saitek X52 Pro

 

Materials
The Saitek X52 Pro has unsurprisingly better materials than its non-pro sibling. It has more metal components, which feels more premium. After all, you pay more with the Pro variant.

The Winner Is – Saitek X52 Pro 

Tension and Spring Mechanism
The Saitek X52 Pro also trumps the non-pro variant in this category. Due to a low tension on the stick, the X52 non-pro version felt loose in our tests. While the throttle on the X52 Pro is very accurate, the rotary axes on the X52 are also quite precise. But if we need to choose, the Saitek X52 Pros are better.

The Winner Is – Saitek X52 Pro 

Programmable Buttons and Command
While both Saitek flight control systems have the same number of programmable buttons, only the X52 Pro has programmable LEDs in its buttons. A multifunction LCD provides quick access to an incredible 282 programmable instructions on Saitek’s X52 and X52 Pro flight control systems.

 

The Winner Is – Saitek X52 Pro

 

Buy Saitek X52
Value for the Money
If you are willing to shell out a lot of money, the decision is pretty easy: go for the Pro version. However, we recommend the non-pro variant for beginners. The Saitek X52 non-pro will get your foot in the door of flight simulation. Moreover, the flight simulation community can help you mod it to make it feel like the pro version.

 

The Winner Is – Saitek X52

 

Buy Saitek X52 Pro

Saitek X52 vs. Saitek X52 Pro – Features Review

According to the company’s website, Saitek’s primary emphasis is on developing goods for gamers that are developed by gamers. It is easy to trust Saitek because they manufacture some of the most hardcore controllers for hardcore gamers. Moreover, they have the industry experience to back their claims. That is why a lot of dedicated gamers of different skill levels and backgrounds love this brand. But before rushing out to buy one of these flight control systems, you should know their best features:

Software And Installation

In addition to being simple to set up, the X52’s integrated profile-editing software is robust enough to create a custom profile to your liking. You can make different profiles for different flight simulators. The hard part is determining which button you assign to certain commands due to its abundance of buttons.

If you do not like tinkering with the software, Saitek also offers default profiles for many games, all of which are easily downloadable from their website. The profiles are FREE, too!

There are three different modes at your disposal and a pikie switch, which gives you, even more, customization and control in your favorite sim. Furthermore, every button programming has been color-coded (only for the Pro version).

Progressive Throttle with Resistance Adjustment

The throttle of the Saitek X52 is represented by the blue nub immediately beneath the button. It is essentially a mouse cursor, which allows a player to make menu options while playing the game.

As a bonus, it has the ability to aid in stimulating the pilot’s eye-tracking. Further to this, there are two jog wheels and a scroll wheel for fine-tuning on the throttle controller. Each one, as well as the up/down slider, is strategically positioned for better ergonimics

With the throttles unit’s progressive functionality, controlling an in-game aircraft is easy-peasy with its improved lightning-fast response. Both flight control systems feature detents that simplify controls when an in-game aircraft is idle or reversing.

Another configurable feature included on the X52 Pro and non-pro is a tension adjustment dial, which allows you to vary the throttle resistance to fit your flying preferences.

Multifunction LCD Display

The X52’s LCD screen provides information about your button combinations in a matter of seconds. This device’s most visually attractive feature is its built-in LCD, which displays limited information such as the current Mode, the currently selected profile, and some clock/date information.

Holding down the I button while pushing another button or trigger on will cause the assigned duty for that button or trigger from the currently loaded profile to be shown on the LCD screen.

With adjustable lighting, the LCD screen on the X-52 Pro lets you swiftly study information about your button combinations. Even more advantageous is the ability to directly alter radio stack information in flight simulation software such as FSX, X-Plane, Prepar3D, and almost all others. The radio stack functions allow you to cycle through using the buttons positioned below the Multifunction Display (MFD). A Software Development Kit (SDK) is available for download that enables you to design your MFD interactions.

Lastly, the screen brightness is also adjustable. So, you can play flight simulations in any lighting setting.

Saitek X52 and Saitek X52 Pro – Pros and Cons

Pros:

• ​Both have a high level of build quality, are of a manageable size, have solid buttons, and look and feel like high-quality joysticks in general.
• Its array of buttons, levers, sliders, and knobs gives you all the customization you need. Every axis moves smoothly and effortlessly.

Buy Saitek X52Cons:

• Some of its users have expressed dissatisfaction with the weight of the throttle and joystick, which they believe is excessively light. However, we found both not too heavy and not too light.
• Several customers have complained that the gadget’s drivers are inadequate and may cause the device to malfunction totally.

Buy Saitek X52 Pro