Manufacturer: Saitek

Release Date: 10/1/2009

Colors: Black

MSRP: $24.99

For this being my first flight stick, I like it. I decided to enter the flight sim genre, but you can’t without an introductory flight stick. This base model by Saitek feels great and works with most flight games. Most important, the stick has rudder control (Z-axis), which you use by twisting the stick. The buttons are all laid out around your thumb, as is the hat switch in the middle. I found this to be very comfortable, but people who like buttons on their bases may not like this.

The stick has a trigger and pinky button, but I found that I hit the pinky button too easily because of how small it was. During intense fights, I would squeeze the stick too hard and press. The stick also has a throttle control switch, which feels nice and smooth. Overall, when it comes to buttons, there aren’t a lot, so if you want to use every control on your game on your stick, look somewhere else. The stick feels good in your hand but will make your hand sweat and chafe if you aren’t used to using them and don’t have the nice rubber of other sticks.

The stick feels like it’s made of cheap plastic, but it’s surprisingly durable. The spring is sturdy but makes the stick feel a little stiff, so precise control is a bit of an issue compared to higher-end sticks. The stick also has removable feet, but I preferred them for more stability. The software is great and allows you to calibrate and assign buttons to the keyboard for games that may not support sticks directly (most don’t, but you can assign buttons to most games). Overall, the V1 is a great entry stick for a beginner, but more hardcore flight sim gamers should look elsewhere.