A joy to come to grips with
ProductThrustmaster Fox 2 Pro joystick Price: HK$300 Pros: Solid feel, customisable Cons: Masked fire button is cool but superfluous, no printed instructions for Thrustmapper software
Like any peripheral device, joysticks can be a troublesome experience, but the Thrustmaster Fox 2 Pro is a great out-of-the-box experience.
Installation is smooth and easy. The joystick can plug into the joystick port on your sound card or via a USB port.
The joystick's large base and optional suction cups keep this baby from sliding all over my desk when I get excited.
The base has a smooth sliding throttle for easy to control acceleration and three auxiliary buttons.
The stick has four buttons plus an eight-way hat. Flick the hat left and right and most simulators will pan your view to look to your left and then to your right side. Every pilot wannabe should have an eight-way hat.
All buttons are customisable so players can map keyboard shortcuts to any joystick button using the Thrustmapper software.
The masked thumb fire button gets extra points for coolness. You have to flip the cover before you can press the fire button. It may not be 100 per cent authentic, but it is certainly cool. Highly recommended.
