Saitek, looking cool in bloo
Saitek, looking cool in bloo
One of the great things about CTS 2005 is the array of products on show. In my stroll round I saw the whole range, loads of software and more peripherals than you could shake a big peripherals stick at. Now, being a bit of a propeller head/flight sim fanboy, I instantly gravitated to the Saitek stand, makers of my favourite joystick to see if they had anything sexy on show.
There, on display were two of my favourite, and so far untested, bits of Saitek magic, the X52 joystick and throttle system and the Saitek PC Gaming Keyboard. Now anyone who’d into their flight sims will already know of the X52 as this is the much anticipated update to the X45 flight stick system.
The X52, which has been designed using feedback from the gamers using the X45, addresses many of the niggles from the previous stick and adds a few totally new touches. For example, the spring tension on the stick has been greatly reduced so you no longer have to cable tie the spring coils together to get a more sensitive, delicate level of control. The throttle now has a friction adjustment knob on the side which allows you to lock it off at a set level, ideal for long flights where you might want a hand free to pick your nose or something…
New additions are the multi-function LCD display, which, among other things has a stopwatch built in. For the serious sim fan, this is perfect fro timing legs on long flights and in a game like Pacific Fighters, where most of the map is just blue sea, a stopwatch is essential in figuring out where you are. As well as that there’s now a two-stage trigger button, better detents on the throttle and rotary switches and a wealth of other improvements… Expect a review soon.
Just as I had finished drooling over the X52, Geraldine Beaufils, PR and Trade Marketing Executive for Saitek came over with a handy box of Kleenex and showed me my other Saitek goody that I’ve been itching to get my hands on, their PC Gaming Keyboard. Styled with Saitek’s usual sleek, modern and individual look, the Gaming Keyboard is certainly a sexy looking bit of kit.
The whole thing is backlit with an intensity adjustable bloo light so as to make finding keys in a darkened PC room that much easier. But in addition to just getting a ‘standard’ keyboard, Saitek have thrown in a command pad too which is fully programmable through their software and allows you to macro up to 27 key presses to one key… which would give even a kack handed flop like me a leading edge in pretty much any RTS I chose to play.
Key presses felt clean and positive and overall the board looked and felt solidly built, something which Saitek seem to improve upon with each new product they bring out. The wrist rest has an innovative three position setting to give optimum comfort for long gaming sessions.
Saitek also had a few other items on show which will certainly interest every gamer for every genre, but we can’t talk about them as yet, even though we’ve had a glimpse of one and a play with the other! All I am allowed to say is that both of these new products will appeal to gamers and look damn fine… and even better, neither are far off from launch! Right, I need a cup of tea, I’m dehydrated after all that drooling, sad, sad grey cardigan wearing sim junkie that I am.
