Logitech G X56 H.O.T.A.S Throttle and Joystick Flight Simulator Game Controller, 6 Dregrees of Freedom, 4 Spring Options, +189 Programmable Controls, RGB Lighting, 2x USB, PC - Black

Product Information

A one-handed rudder twisting control keeps a small footprint for your setup as a whole, and there's still plenty of programmable buttons to fiddle with as well. An 8-way hat switch, throttle control, and three-axis movement, there's an impressive array of features baked in for the price here. Not only that, but it comes with a solid build quality and a smaller footprint - perfect if you don't want to keep your setup on the desk all the time. None of that takes away from the professional, satisfying feel of the whole setup. Sure, there are some oddities with the reverse thrust levers being not the most intuitive, but otherwise, there's hardly a thing about this yoke that feels out of place. Most actual pilots I've spotted reviewing this yoke are really impressed with how accurate the design is compared to the real deal. Sometimes, some random actions just occurred during gameplay, such as opening the galaxy map and engaging the frame shift drive. Sometimes this happened when we first started playing, and at other times after a few hours of gameplay. An internet search pulled up threads about this. Seemingly the unit’s high-power draw could be the issue, even though we connected our Logitech X56 to an aftermarket USB 3.0 PCIe card. Whatever the cause, unplugging and re-plugging the USB cables fixes the issue; at least until the next time it happens. Another issue is the throttle itself. It isn't bad per se but its design does mean that it is rather limited (especially when dealing with twin engine aircraft). These days, even entry level HOTAS setups really should be twin throttle at a minimum. Normally I play sound through my 2.1 full range speaker system through the PC optical out connection but being in the early hours and not wanting to wake the wife I connected my new Turtle Beach recon headset for the first time using the green and pink connections on the front of the desktop unit and had to fiddle about with the sound settings to get it to work. Previously with my old stereo headphones I just connected to the headphone output on the DAC.

Logitech X56 has two rotary knobs on the throttle’s base that, like its dials, can be mapped to anything. However, we couldn’t find any real benefit in doing so.

Customer reviews

With button configuration and layout vitally important for many games; this is especially true for flight and space simulators. A lot of gamers enjoy having a separate control for throttle as it offers more versatility, and extra speed, at your fingertips. Logitech X56 looked and felt solid out of the box, and throughout our 400-plus hours of testing, it remained fully functional with no problems in terms of its build quality. If you want it to be a more fixed and permanent part of your setup, the X56 has holes present in bases to affix it to nearly any surface.

It's great to see cross-compatibility with the Xbox Series X/S, although the Xbox branding does pull away from the authentic look a little. It's an easy thing to overlook, but it would be better if it was optional to have your switches marked X, Y, A, and B. When choosing a HOTAS flight control peripheral, understand the actions it will be used for. Become familiar with the types of aircraft you will be simulating, if buttons should be programmable, if comfortability is key, and how much you are willing to spend. Primary Aircraft Depending on if you are looking to buy a HOTAS as a flight student and would like to accomplish some chair flying between flights or if you are a serious gamer looking to simulate combat, the right HOTAS for you will depend on the capabilities of that device. The more complex aircraft you plan to fly with the HOTAS the more programmable features and precision you will need. Buttons I own a X56 (and the X52, and X45 before it). The X56 is a good "mid-range" HOTAS in the sense that it offers a really solid control layout and can be quite versatile. That being said, where it is strong in versatility, it is weak in overall quality. Mounting the yoke itself is as simple as slipping it over the edge of your desk and doing it up, no drilling necessary, and the throttle quadrant doesn't even require mounting at all if you don't feel like it, though the process is also pretty straightforward.Not only are there detailed instructions on how to set the whole thing up—with control mapping charts and diagrams—there's even a little instruction leaflet for adjusting the yoke tension with an included spring. That part does require a little faffing, but isn't too scary.

There is the potential that all this can get confusing, but once you've got yourself all mapped out and are used to it, the Raptor Mach 2 is a dream. It's a really smooth, sturdy piece of kit despite not being as heavy as its sister, the Raptor Mach 1. The key elements are there. The detachable throttle is probably the neatest feature: given that you're going to need easy access to your keyboard for its extra buttons, being able to split these components around it is a definite advantage.