Saitek's X52 was a fantastic HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) setup when it debuted a few years ago. Fortunately for flight sim fans, Saitek somehow found a way to improve upon their original design and released the X52 Pro just in time for the Flight Simulator X. Though at a quick glance the X52 Pro may look like little more than a paint job change, spend some more time with it and you'll quickly realize this baby's got a few extra tricks up its sleeves.

If you're not familiar with the X52 joysticks, let me give you a quick rundown of the features on the X52 Pro. It can be quite mind-boggling:

• 3 8-way hat switches

• 2 rotating dials

• 1 mini-joystick for mouse emulation

• 1 scroll wheel

• 1 slider

• 2-stage trigger

• Multi-function display

• Rudder twist

And that's not even a full list. The joystick itself has 3 2-way toggle switches in the base, as well as an adjustable pinky button and a great looking Fire button concealed under a "Safe" cover. Flip the cover up and the Fire button changes from green to red instantly. Did I mention that almost every button on the X52 Pro is backlit? The effect itself looks fantastic, and helps extend the illusion of really flying cutting edge hardware.

Setting up the X52 Pro really couldn't be any easier. Simply pop the included disc into your computer, install the drivers, and you're set to fly. Saitek offers a couple of different installation options, letting you choose whether you want to install their configuration software or just leave programming up to the games. Even without the Saitek software, the basic control panel is extremely robust, allowing you to calibrate every aspect of the stick, as well as modify LED and MFD settings. Once you install their software is when programming the X52 Pro gets really interesting. With 3 different modes that can be selected on the fly, and a clutch button to toggle through even more settings, there are dozens of possible functions you could map to the X52 Pro, including macros. Though only the most serious flight sim fan would take the time to program that many functions (or learn them all) it's nice to see that Saitek includes a robust programming package for those that are willing to invest the time.

Hitting the skies with the X52 Pro is a blast, and the setup worked perfectly in Flight Simulator X. With the ability to control nearly every function of the simulator without touching the keyboard, the gameplay experience enters a new world of fun. Using a HOTAS setup becomes an extension of yourself, and before you know it you forget that you're interfacing with a machine and not just controlling the aircraft with your thoughts. Alright, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but the flight experience with the X52 Pro is amazingly transparent and intuitive. The throttle's adjustable resistance makes it easy to customize for your needs, and the idle and afterburner detents are placed perfectly in the throttle's range.

I know I mentioned the multi-function display, but you want to know what it can do, right? Well besides telling you the time, interfacing with Windows Media Player, and telling you what mode the X52 Pro is in, installing Saitek's SST software will allow the MFD to talk directly with Flight Simulator X, displaying information from your radio stack and other data. More plugins are constantly being made, so be sure to check Saitek's site to see if your favorite game has been given MFD support. If only for the MFD upgrade alone, the X52 Pro is a worthy purchase for X52 owners.

In addition to the multi-function display, the other big change from the X52 is the new dual-spring configuration on the stick. Designed to add a bit more tension to the stick, the dual-spring setup still feels a little weak. The stick tends to float a bit more than some of the other sticks I've used, but overall it's really not an issue. It just means you'll have to spend a little but of time getting used to the amount of precision needed on the X52 Pro if you're coming from a different joystick.

There's no denying that the X52 Pro has a great feature set, but it's the little touches that go a long way to make it a winner. Both devices in the X52 Pro are the perfect weight, but if you still find them sliding around on your desk, Saitek includes suction cup feet that you can place on the bottom to keep them in one place. Though I never found them necessary, it was nice of Saitek to consider that problem and include a solution to remedy it. The fact that the two devices only consume a single USB port is also convenient and might make the difference between having to buy a USB hub or unplugging other devices when you want to fly.

One important feature of the X52 Pro that I must point out is that it's compatible not only with Windows Vista, but also the 64-bit versions of XP and Vista. With so many Flight Simulator X fans moving to Vista for DirectX 10 support and utilizing the 64-bit version to take advantage of 4GB of RAM, it's worth noting that the X52 Pro won't cause you any headaches and its entire software package is compatible with x64 editions of Windows. Props to Saitek for being forward thinking and embracing gamers who are on the cutting edge.

As you can tell, I don't have too many complaints about the Saitek X52 Pro. It's replaced everything else that has come before it as my primary Flight Simulator X interface, and I can't see myself switching any time soon. Though the price tag ($199.99) requires a rather serious commitment, it's not unreasonable compared to the competition, especially when you factor in the X52 Pro's capabilities. Flight sim fans still looking for the perfect HOTAS setup owe it to themselves to take a look at the Saitek X52 Pro. This one's done just about everything right.