Saitek J24C X45 Flight Control System Joystick and Throttle (USB)

Other products by Saitek

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005TOTG
• Item model number: X45
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #18 in	Video Games > PC Games > Hardware > Controllers > Joysticks
  #25 in	Electronics > Computers & Accessories > Game Hardware > Controllers > Joysticks

• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 7, 2002

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The X45 is the world's most detailed throttle and stick combination for maximum aeronautical authenticity. Precision engineering, solid performance, advanced programming software and a huge range of instrument options quickly replace keyboard controls for a vastly improved gaming experience. Stick controls are comprised of four fire buttons, a missile launcher, a pinkie switch and two eight-way hat switches. The separate throttle supplies two fire buttons, rudder control, two rotary analog controls, an eight-way mouse controller, a four-way hat switch, and throttle control with detents.

What's in the Box
Joystick with throttle, CD-ROM with drivers, setup guide, user's guide, warranty and registration card

Product Description

The X45 Throttle and Stick combination promises to give you the most realistic flying experience ever. The Throttle and Stick come in two separate units - giving you the ideal flying position - and they are laden with features to keep your hands off the keyboard during complicated maneuvers. The X45 combines stunning looks, an advanced feature set and virtually unlimited programmability thanks to Saitek Gaming Extensions (SGE), the advanced software interface from Saitek. The sculptured design and fingertip control allow hours of fatigue-free game play - and as the X45 is one of the most solidly built controllers on the market today, it won't let you down. So the next time you take to the skies, be sure to come fully equipped with the X45, the world's most advanced Flight Control System.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Saitek X45 Joystick and Throttle, August 28, 2002

By	Robert Caryl "Bob Caryl" (GRANT, AL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This product is quite fully featured for its intended use. The three major axes of motion (x,y and throttle) were rather stiff, but are adjustable to the users preference!

The unit is also programmable from a "button" point of view (i.e. keyboard macros) *and* from an axis point of view. This is important because it incorporates three additional axes that can be used (two thumbwheels and mini rudder "pedals" built-in to the forward side of the throttle handle). These other axes can be mapped to various features in your game software as well. In addition to that, there is a tiny "hat" switch that can be mapped to operate the mouse cursor in game... this truly means you never have to remove your hands from the controls...

Now, for the "not-so-good" stuff. IF you are running WinXP and IF you install the drivers right out of the box, you are in for some trouble and inconvience. At the end of the install from the CD, it mentions downloading a newer version of the drivers and to be sure to "un-install" the current ones before loading the new ones. Unfortunately, complying with these instructions also unloads your regular mouse driver as well. This is where you learn how to shut down your system using strictly the keyboard. Fortunately, once you reboot, XP re-installs your mouse driver and all is well.

One last thing: If you are using a USB hub that derives its power from the computer, your new Saitek joystick WILL NOT FUNCTION when plugged into that hub. I have a good Linksys USB hub that says it derives power from the computer, but also comes with an external supply. The Saitek would NOT work unless the external power was plugged in. Just a word to the wise.

Overall, I am quite pleased with my Saitek X45.

121 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Veteran Gamer and Real Jet Pilot, January 2, 2003

By A Customer

The type of person that looks for advanced gaming control systems that sell at and above this price range should be one intelligent enough to use it to it's full potential. It's not meant to be an "out of the box just plug it in and fly" one step controller for kids or casual simmers. It's a system for those who want to maximize control of the game! Well it takes a little time and effort to get there. For those who said you read the directions yet you couldn't even figure out how to hook up the the throttle, you just made a BIG lying fool out of yourself. The throttle doesn't use a serial port connector, it uses a gameport connector which plugs right into the joystick and the joystick plugs into the USB port. Setup is the easiest part and if you can't get that right just put it back in the box and take it back to the store right now! It's not recommended for WinNT(read the Box) and if you're using WinXP just go to the Saitek site and look in the right places and you'll find the proper driver that solves the problems provided you know how to download, install, and setup, a simple SGE program. I have four computer systems in my home (one is a laptop) all on a LAN. My Saitek X45s work on all of them just fine, even my laptop! MY systems are using three versions of windows...98SE, ME,and XP. I actually read the directions and downloaded all the driver updates before installing them so I had very few problems.
True, if you write Saitek an email asking for help they'll take a long time getting around to it. But Hey, they're in Europe what do you expect, everything is slower over there. They're laid back and Americans are always in a hurry. So despite a couple of minor nuisances I give it five stars for the way it feels in your hands, the ergonomic placement of buttons and controls. The throttle friction is easily adjustable from one screw on the bottom. (disassembly not required)It's programmability is the ultimate in flexibility. You can easily setup multiple or combination key presses too. To top it all off it's designed just like the control sticks on Europe's high tech EF2000 fighter jet. For the number of buttons and modes available it is second only to CH Products F16 Stick and Throttle combo. Yet it costs less than half the price of those. Thrustmaster is too stiff, not adjustable, and very expensive. The MS Sidewinder is for kids. The Logitech Wingman is a joke. They're durable, I have the old X36 Stick/Throttle combo and two of the newer X45 controller sets and they work as accurately as the day I bought them. Clean them and your USB/gameports once in a while and you'll see how sharp they can be! For Value, Features, and Design it scores an A+. Games I play with it? Starwars Starfighter, Battle for Naboo, Rogue Squadron, X-wing, Need for Speed, EF2000, F22ADF, Nascar2000, Janes Fighters Anthology, USAF, F-15, F/A-18, Mig-29, F-16, F22 Lightning 2 and 3,AH-64D Longbow, Comanche4, MechWarrior, Jedi-Knight, StarTrek Elite Force, Quake 3 Arena, and OF COURSE... Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000, 2002, Combat FS, Combat FS 2 and 3. Get yourself a set of CH Products Pro Pedals USB to complete the package. You too will get closer to being "as real as it gets".

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Value, March 25, 2003

By	Peter Blanc (Dallas, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews

I have had good luck with this throttle/stick combo. I am using it with Windows XP without any problems. Using the basic driver software provided by Saitek for XP, all buttons and axes are recognized and work properly. I can't get the advanced programing software from Saitek to load properly (allowing more specific button programing for use with older games and sims) but this may be due to a conflict with my sound card (SB Audigy), and it isn't necessary with newer sims, which allow you to fully configure the controller through the game program, anyway. I haven't had a problem with buttons sticking. I agree that the "Safe" cover over the "launch" button is a bit hokey, but it looks like it would be fairly easy to cut off if it really offended one. The throttle action is very smooth and both the throttle and the stick fit my hands comfortably. The stick has a rocker lever that substitutes for rudder pedals. This isn't quite as nice as a good set of rudder pedals, but I find it is good enough that I usually don't bother to hook up my CH pro pedals anymore. The spring at the base of the stick that centers it and provides resistance to its movement off- center makes the stick movement just a little "jerky" and provides a little bit too much self centering force for my taste, and this is not adjustable. That and the lack of Force-Feedback capability I would say are the only real drawbacks to this controller, but I would certainly buy this again and would recomend this device to anyone looking for a good (and economical) alternative to a non-Force-Feedback throttle, pedal and fighter-stick Hotas combo. By the way, I was amazed what a difference having a good throttle makes, especially in combat flight sims, compared to using the little throttle axis lever provided on most all-in-one sticks (such as the Microsoft Force Feedback controller).