Best price to performance flight stick

VKB's Gladiator NXT EVO is the absolute benchmark for mid priced high value flight sticks. I'm impressed with its build quality and gimbal performance. Also VKB's service is top notch. Watch this review to get all the details!
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[@epimetheaus1214]

The moment I upgraded to this thing from the t16000m I realized how much of a difference it can make in a dogfight. It's so god damn precise.

[@Willie_Biggie]

Just a quick question Im thinking of buying this just want to know did you buy a new throttle as well?

[@epimetheaus1214]

@@Willie_Biggie Nope, still using the TWCS. I'd need to get really heavily into DCS and MS Flight Sim to need that thing upgraded. The TWCS isn't perfect, but it's easy to repair and maintain for now.

[@R0d_1984]

So was it ok? Mark out of 1-5? The VKB Premium is $325 where i live, the T16000 HOTAS is $195...

[@epimetheaus1214]

​@@R0d_1984 The VKB Premium is fantastic to use 4.9/5. It feels so smooth, precise and is customisable out the wazoo. Once you get familiar with the program you can damn near triple the buttons on it. It also fits comfortably with my 6'4" XL glove man hands. If I could get it for under $300 I'd give it a perfect score as the only thing holding it back is the price, it's expensive for a peripheral that has maybe 10 games you can properly use it on. The T16000m was good for the first few months to a year, but it has a fatal flaw in the z-axis(stick rotation/yaw) in that the switch gets dirt between the contacts and you can't open the button without breaking it open to clean it unlike the throttle which can be opened and reassembled easily. So if you're going to get the T16000m, skip it and go straight for the Gladiator.

[@epimetheaus1214]

@@R0d_1984 T16000m will break the y-axis/yaw/rotation and can't be repaired easily. VKB is fantastic and doesn't seem like it has a weak point that might give way after extended use. 4.9/5, could be slightly cheaper.

[@muranziel]

I've been thinking about getting a flightstick, and more I watch comparisons and reviews, the more I'm convinced that this is the best bang for the buck stick out there.

[@WatchMysh]

It is

[@ZaphodTube]

I am also researching right now. in EU the Winwing is also not so much more expensive and even better quality wise I assume. (around 500 € for hotas)

[@WatchMysh]

@@ZaphodTube if you don't need twist: yes.

[@ZaphodTube]

@@WatchMysh i thought there is a twist adapter (but sold out at the moment…).

[@WatchMysh]

@@ZaphodTube It's discontinued as far as I know. But they "are working on an alternative" - whatever it may be.

[@777Thibs]

I had a pair of VKB NXT (previous gen) sticks. I liked them. The only problem that I had was a screw hole stripping during construction. Thankfully, I had superglue on hand and a single drop fixed my error.

[@craigdavies4682]

Had one for years now. Outstanding stick. Only 'beef' is it really needs an extension mod. Doesn't need to be a long extension a few inches would be perfect.

[@PigeonForLife]

I bought an NXT Evo like 6 months ago, thanks also to your comparison videos. I still enjoy watching this review 😅 Anyways, I went for the standard version, not wanting to spend too much, but finally got the upgrade kit to premium. Worth it, but I had to install it myself 😂

[@WatchMysh]

Little bit of tinkering always is fun :)

[@cmdrbigity6914]

The premium version also comes with the 4-way (and press) hat to swap out for the ministick if you so desire. (and the single button for the lower hat)

[@WatchMysh]

Yes, I only briefly mentioned that during the unboxing. Thanks for mentioning it here in the comments for others to read! :)

[@vojislavvukovic7376]

Hey @MYSH, just wanted to say thank you for your hard work and dedication! You've helped me a lot in my choice for first high quality HOTAS. After your reviews and with some help/advices from hotas subreddit community, I've ordered Gladiator NXT EVO ‘Space Combat Edition’ Right Premium and STECTS throttle 2 days ago. It should arrive in a week or so. Wanted to get T16000M a while ago, but decided to skip it, save some money in meantime and go in this direction. Big thank you again

[@WatchMysh]

Hey :) Thanks for taking the time to express your appreciation for all the work we do (me, other flight/space sim KZbinrs and the r/hotas community). You made a good choice! This gear will accompany you for a long time. Quality stuff.

[@gavancorrigan8813]

Hey. I’m looking to place my order for the exact same as you. How are you getting on so far?

[@vojislavvukovic7376]

@@gavancorrigan8813 its really, like really good. I also got MFG Crosswind rudder peddals in meantime so big reccomndation for those also. Gladiator is nice and smooth to use, one of the best sticks I’ve used and honestly in that price range nothing beats it, at least in my opinion. Stecs is amazing, so many buttons, feels robust and its easiyl customizable. Out from the box, i needed like 20 minutes to put together Gladiator (you have a lot of YT videos if you are not sure) because their instruction manual isnt the best, so thats my only complaint. Stecs came in pretty much assembled with a lot of customization options (like different colors for throttle etc) so for me it was just plug, calibrate and play. calibration for both of those was easy, like couple of minutes for both Gladiator and Stecs.

[@blakewisswell]

I just ordered one last week. Still waiting for it. I'm so hyped

[@WatchMysh]

You'll not be disappointed. Like I said: I have "better" gear here and I still use it. It's just such a great little stick. :)

[@blakewisswell]

@@WatchMysh shipped this morning. 😁

[@WatchMysh]

@@blakewisswell nice! :) Have fun!

[@creamythroat]

@@WatchMyshwhich stick would you consider an upgrade from this one? I plan to buy this soon, as i fall in love with it, i’ll need to upgrade. I really like the virpil stick, especially with the cams

[@WatchMysh]

@@creamythroat upgrades to this one would be the VKB Gunfighter, the WinWing F16EX/Orion2 and the Virpils (Conny Alpha, MongoosT). They all use cam based gimbals.

[@DenkiBrandi]

Just ordered a SCG Premnium and an Omni Throttle. Can't wait to use it!

[@Macataklobasa]

Same here :D

[@WatchMysh]

Did it arrive, yet? How's it going? :)

[@Macataklobasa]

@@WatchMysh Yeah it did, I absolutely love it. I made the decision to buy it because of you, Thanks man😁

[@DenkiBrandi]

@@WatchMysh It's 100 times better than my crappy T16000M. The quality of these sticks are insane.

[@WatchMysh]

@@Macataklobasa Nice!! Good news!

[@leec3881]

Mmmmuuust buy... 😍🤩Great review. Thanks. Great esp. as I only have the use of one hand (right) and I only have use of one foot. I shouldn't have to let go of the stick for most of the buttons in a dog fight.. REALLY good for the disabled. Maybe pass that on to the manufactures' advertising department. There's far too little help in this category... Also, maybe do a piece on this subject?

[@WatchMysh]

Thanks! I'll pass your comment on to VKB! For your use case the Constellation Alpha grip from Virpil might be better then. It has a scroll encoder on the grip instead of on the base. You also could use racing pedals to throttle up and down with just one foot. This combo would give you lots of control without ever taking your hand off the stick. I'd gladly do a video on the topic - but I have no personal experience so I can't give really solid advice.

[@hummingbird9149]

Biggest issue for me is the obvious and to me annoying transition between pitch and roll when you're moving the stick in a circular pattern. Here you can easily feel that the two axis are seperated, unlike for example on the T16000M where no such transition can be felt. Hence a couple of weeks after buying my Gladiator I sadly actually eventually went back to using the T16000M as I just couldn't get over that annoying center "bump" you feel on either axis when using the Gladiator :(

[@confinedorigion8242]

My set arrives in 4 days!! Did you buy any kind of mount or do you just move them out of the way when your done flying and switch to FPS? I’m kinda limited on desk space

[@WatchMysh]

I just move it out of the way. If I want some Immersive flying I use the sim rig.

[@gavancorrigan8813]

How are you finding it? I’m looking to place an order

[@HvV8446]

I bought a heavily discounted flight sim a few days ago (AC7) and decided it would be a good time to dust off my old Logitech freedom 2.4 ... well that plan went right into the water because it doesnt work anymore. Decided to skip over the cheaper hotas and joysticks and ordered the vkb gladiator prem., also thanks to this and your hotas videos. Well, i first ordered a Logitech X56, but after seeing all the bad reviews i quickly cancelled the order. It arrives tomorrow, really exited to try it out because well, using a mouse isnt really exiting.

[@WatchMysh]

That's a massive step up from your mouse lol. :)

[@HvV8446]

@@WatchMysh yeah, but i'm more of a 'buy once, cry once' guy.

[@WatchMysh]

@@HvV8446 Then getting the Gladiator instead of the X56 was quite a good idea!

[@Napoleonic_S]

ace combat is the worst flight game to try quality flight stick with... unless you're just flying free fly mode or such...

[@HvV8446]

@@Napoleonic_S makes the next game i try a better one then

[@karlhungus545]

This stick basically made the Warthog obsolete. Add a Winwing F15 throttle, and you're set.

[@WatchMysh]

This. Or get a Winwing F16EX/Orion2. Same price as the Warthog but miles ahead.

[@gregx3322]

Strange, that vkb makes 2 versions of this stick -premium should be the only one in price of standard. Price difference is over 40€ for...additional ministick (which cost factory maybe 1€). Which one versuon would You recommend more as a universal stick for all purposes used with separate throttle (msfs GA mainly). ??

[@WatchMysh]

The premium hat the mini stick, the additional 2-way trigger on the front and another 4-way hat. I'd get the Premium because of "more input options" but I don't know how important the mini stick is for MSFS GA. I mostly use it for slew in DCS. So maybe the Standard would be totally sufficient.

[@marcquintin7855]

Seriously!! I started with the long awaited STECS throttle to see if it was worth the hype, from the previews, it looked great. Shortly after I got the Gladiator NXT EVO, I'm really impressed, nothing come close to that combination and price, nothing, the options, being able to customize your setup, I really like that

[@WatchMysh]

Which STECS did you get?

[@johnnybanana8004]

bro, pls where can i buy this? i need/want it realy bad but i dont know where i can buy it, i live in the middle of europe

[@WatchMysh]

I've linker to the VKB store in the description :)

[@theblackfox9645]

So since it's at a similar price as the base version of the Winwing F16EX Stick, which would you recommend as an upgrade from the X56?

[@WatchMysh]

Depends on the use case and equipment you have. The F-16EX lacks the mini stick if you don't get the shaker kit and also doesn't come with twist. If you have stick mounts, pedals and a throttle with slew control then it's the WinWing. Less features, more quality and better gimbal. If you want a versatile setup with twist for tabletop use, it's the Gladiator.

[@theblackfox9645]

well, as I said, I currently use a X56 so I have the ministicks which are fine. In Terms of twist, I actually switched to using race pedals for my rudder controls. Also, the Shaker kit can be additionally purchased and attached, if I'm not mistaken. One thing that does worry me though is the Stick mount part... @@WatchMysh

[@WatchMysh]

@@theblackfox9645 So if I understood correctly you want to keep the X-56 throttle and replace the stick and you have pedals, yes?

[@theblackfox9645]

Is the F16EX really bad without mounts?

[@theblackfox9645]

@@WatchMysh yes, that seems, at first glance, even though I did do quite a bit of research, like a good choice. Strange that we are communicating using the youtube comments section lol

[@killdano]

make a force feedback mod

[@xxxbg311]

When I can buy this thing? It's "sold out" in the VKB store....😢

[@WatchMysh]

They often get restocks. You can get email notifications.

[@jaythehybridyt9031]

Is there games it’s not compatible with?

[@WatchMysh]

Sure. But as long as games support joysticks in general there's no problem. Do you have a specific game in mind?

[@clxped_u]

Does anyone know if this stick is compatible with ps5?

[@WatchMysh]

It's not

[@clxped_u]

@@WatchMysh that sucks well thank you for letting me know,do you have any recommendations for this type of sticks for ps5 that good for the price

[@WatchMysh]

@@clxped_u Sorry I don't know a lot about flight sim gear for consoles. There's not a lot available - as far as I know - especially for the PS5.

[@clxped_u]

@@WatchMysh fair ok well Ty for all the help and love the video

[@WatchMysh]

@@clxped_u Thanks for the appreciation! :)

[@BaptheBaker]

is this compatible with xbox?

[@WatchMysh]

No. Sadly not.

[@PigeonForLife]

No sound?

[@WatchMysh]

Works fine on my pc and just tested it on the phone as well. Maybe reload the browser tab?

[@PigeonForLife]

Now it works

[@R0d_1984]

Premium: $325AUD; Standard: $275AUD Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS HOTAS For PC $195AUD Logitech G X52 HOTAS Pro $350-450AUD [Pitty these are mostly crap, after all these years no improvements...]

[@WatchMysh]

Good news incoming ;)

[@R0d_1984]

@@WatchMysh You rotten tease ;D

[@leroymay8156]

Too bad its out of stock :(

[@WatchMysh]

You can opt in for email notification once it becomes available again. They restock on a regular basis. Or ask in the VKB discord, they are quite active there and will give you an estimation.

[@perry0123]

Looks like new batch is coming by the 19th of April, finally I can put my ol' reliable T.16000 to rest

[@franklinhadick2866]

I recently purchased the Gladiator NXT and very much regret it, the joystick itself is very well made the problem is the software is pure garbage, trying to configure the joystick to calibrate it is a nightmare. After finally getting it to work reasonably well the hat switch will not function or switch modes, (a known issue). ANY joystick that you have to put in lines of code to get to work is not worth it, for about $80 USD more I could have gotten a Win Wing F16 throttle, just stay away from this thing.

[@WatchMysh]

Hey, what's the problem? I didn't have to mess with the software at all to use it in IL2 and DCS. Calibration also shouldn't require any programming. Maybe I can help?

[@karu1585]

Dont agree. You only need to spend 1 min in the software for which multiple youtube tutorials help you out and then you can forget it forever. Easily one of the best hardwares for flight sims. In the software which they provide you literally have to press 3 buttons, thats it.

[@Duriel92]

You probably installed old software when you didn't even need to do anything.

[@karlhungus545]

No issues for me either. I'm not sure why you would ever need to add lines of code? I bought mine when it first released, and I don't even need to deal with the software anymore, Windows just automatically picks up the stick and it is picked up immediately in DCS and IL2, even after I changed motherboards and did a full reinstall of Windows.