Mad Catz rolls out new Saitek Aviator flight sticks for Xbox 360, PS3

Flight sticks may not be quite as common as they were during the heyday of PC flight sims, but there's still quite a few would-be Chuck Yeagers out there, and Mad Catz is doing its best to cater to them with its new pair of Saitek Aviator sticks for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. From the looks of it, these are mostly identical to the existing Aviator PC flight stick, with the notable exception of the requisite console-specific buttons, and a slightly spiffed-up appearance. As a bonus, each of these will also double as a PC joystick although, naturally, you won't be able to swap 'em between a 360 and a PS3. Look for both to hit all the usual shops later this month for $50 apiece.

[Freakin Ijit @ Jan 7th 2009 3:20PM]

>>> Flight sticks may not be quite as common as they were during the heyday of PC flight sims...

Why aren't flight sims even more popular now - with the graphics and sound capabilities of even non-rocket machines nowadays I'd think they would be at least as popular as ever.

[White @ Jan 7th 2009 3:24PM]

'cause they aren't fly

bro

[Game_playa @ Jan 7th 2009 3:25PM]

Your "White" not black, so stop acting like it.

[Wolfticket @ Jan 7th 2009 3:28PM]

I think they may have a bit of a renaissance once Microsoft decides to integrate live local satellite pictures into Flight Simulator. Google earth flight sim just doesn't cut it.

[Flashpoint @ Jan 7th 2009 4:17PM]

I used to be a BIG flight sim fanatic.

F22 Raptor
F22 Lighting III
JANES USAF
F:16 Multirole fighter
and the most impressive sim of all, FALCON 4.0/5.0

The problem with 360 is that, although it has well more than enough power to run sims like Falcon 5.0 (and the rest) 360 doesn't allow you to use a Keyboard and Mouse which are neccessary for common flight sims nowadays. They made a copy of the SAITEK X-45 for the 360, which is ten times better than the above piece of crap, but they limited the games to ARCADE STYLE games like Ace Combat ...that sucks.

Furthermore, Flight simulators are a small genre because most gamers have moved to Simulators such as Rock Band and Guitar hero and DDR which offer pick-up-and play functionality. Flight Sims are DEEP and require "studying" before you can successfully "fly".
The manual for Falcon 4.0 was 700 pages long.

Because gamers have gotten "lazy" and less enthusiastic, the flight sim genre has faultered on the consoles. I doubt that most companies that make sims would even bother going after the small amount of money in the flight sim market.

What's sad is that technology is SO GOOD NOW. A 360 or PS3 could give you extremely good graphics in a flight sim as well as REAL satellite imagery for the ground like we get with Google Maps. Its really the gamer's fault for not creating the demand.

Of course, you could just buy a PC. I don't like playing on a laptop, but either laptop or PC can run pretty much any flight sim on the market since they have more powerful processors than Pentium 4's of old and nowadays, good GPU's are inexpensive.

[nathan.wong @ Jan 7th 2009 3:38PM]

Those are great, but what would you fly with a PS3? It's not like there's an Ace Combat game on that system.

[zebrid @ Jan 7th 2009 3:40PM]

Warhawk?

[cduran01 @ Jan 7th 2009 3:44PM]

Theres these >> http://www.gamestop.com/Browse/Search.aspx?N=141+103

[cduran01 @ Jan 7th 2009 3:46PM]

Forgot theres also 1944 on the PSN, though its not really a flight sim more of an arcade game.

[Mo @ Jan 7th 2009 3:49PM]

touchee xbot-chan

i do miss my ace combat... damco bandai

oh well... here's hoping multiplatform *is* the future...

back to my little big planet :-P

[Swisslakes @ Jan 7th 2009 5:11PM]

providing ideal controls for selected software such as
the Blazing Angels series. The Flight Sticks have been fully
tested to work with the new Ubisoft combat flight simulator Tom
Clancy's: HAWX. both Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 models
are fully PC compatible.

HAWX will be launched in march for PS3 and Xbox 360 and PC

[Patriks7 @ Jan 7th 2009 6:07PM]

HAWX is coming out in about a month I think, and that game really looks awesome! I might actually buy something like this just for the game!

[Necrotix @ Jan 7th 2009 3:54PM]

If only there was a decent mech sim for 360 to go with teh stick /sigh

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 7th 2009 4:12PM]

Too bad Microsoft bought out FASA Interactive development and closed the doors on Mechwarrior games...

Yet another reason I hate the evil empire.

[Mauricio @ Jan 7th 2009 4:15PM]

YES!!! Mech Sims FTW.

Fuck, ill take MechWarrior 2 for XLBA.

[dcoaster @ Jan 7th 2009 4:12PM]

My Aviator already works fine.

[Ricky @ Jan 7th 2009 4:18PM]

This does make you wonder when will M$ put the Flight Sim series on console?

[Flashpoint @ Jan 7th 2009 4:19PM]

Look at the X52 or X45 and compare it with these pieces of JUNK.

i was on Saitek's site the other day looking for a flight sim PRO system and I'm going with the X52, pedals and a dashboard mount so I don't have to use the keyboard. I'm currently taking flight lessons in JFK.

These sticks are made for the current line of twitchy arcade style games. Crimson Skies, Ace Combat - I've played em, they are junk. You want a REAL FLIGHT SIM...????

Falcon 4.0

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 7th 2009 5:45PM]

That's alright, I'm still pissed that the old Saitek Cyborg sticks used to "twitch" to the left (or was it right?... I can't remember) at random causing the game you were playing to respond in unfavorable ways. I even sent my stick in for a replacement and the replacement did it. They claimed it was faulty drivers (even though it did the same using generic drivers) and never really fixed it.

Turned me off Saitek (and joysticks) since.

[MW @ Jan 7th 2009 4:37PM]

Exactly what flying games for consoles are we suppose to play these with?

Current games mind you , real or not I don't care, Ace Combat 6 is cool, but not worth buying a joystick over.

[Jeremy @ Jan 7th 2009 4:54PM]

I have Ace Combat 6 with the flight sticks it sold with, and I love it! It's much more fun that just boring Xbox controllers.

[The Number 1 Cubs Fan @ Jan 7th 2009 4:45PM]

Flight Simulator 2004 for the win baby!

[WickedEast @ Jan 7th 2009 4:57PM]

I don't know about these but I used to own a few Mad Catz stuff and they are all TOTAL JUNK.

[Version 1.0 @ Jan 7th 2009 4:59PM]

Why is there 2 buttons less on the PS3 version?

[Nadool @ Jan 7th 2009 8:19PM]

I think it's because the Xbox has those white and black buttons. Or whatever color they are now, I don't play Xbox. Only thing I could think of. Or it could be buttons designed to randomly spew out reasons why the XBox is better than PS3 on random forums to make the Xbots feel better about themselves.

[Sam @ Jan 7th 2009 9:58PM]

The Xbox 360 controller has the same amount of buttons as the Playstation 3 controller: Two Analogue sticks, one D-Pad, four buttons on the top, one start button, one select/back button, and four shoulder pads. And they both enable another button by clicking the analogue sticks.

Even the Dualshock 2's had the same amount of buttons as the original Xbox controller, if you think about it.

[Loban @ Jan 7th 2009 5:35PM]

These would be sweet with HAWX when/if it comes out. Not that HAWX is going to be a pure sim or anything. I actually prefer a combo sim/arcade flight game anyway rather than pure sim.

[Sharky @ Jan 8th 2009 1:06PM]

HOTAS Cougar + TrackIR

There's nothing closer to the real thing for such a price.