Gunfighter Mk.IV Modern Combat Edition Ultimate with Twist

Amazing quality, all metal. The buttons and triggers feel solid and enjoyable to click, the swappable hotsticks gove create customisation, and the adjustable palm rest is a great addition.

I've had my beloved old Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback 2 for some 29 years. It still works and has a good feel, but to fix a couple of buttons on the base would risk breaking plastic pins etc. I lacked enough buttons and mouse and keyboard rifle aim was beating out my joystick for precision and latency, and games long ago ceased supported force feedback like they used to. There was no supporting software, I had to emulate a stick to adjust curves, etc. And support had vanished shortly after I bought it. If I was going to buy anything to replace my ms sw ffb2, I wanted something that felt like an upgrade.

The T16000 thrustmaster was definitively a downgrade, with an awful axis that would wear down over time. The gladiator, while an excellent product, had too strong a center detent, and I still preferred my older plastic grip. I appreciated the local Aussie customer support from Luke on these some years ago, which is why I considered coming back to vkb and not the competition. If I was going to make the change, I wanted something that would hold up for the next 29 years. I wanted all metal, something I could take apart and fix myself.

The gunfighter and MCGU is the first joystick that feels like an upgrade. My precision and response time is far better. You must take photos before taking it apart, as the order of washers etc matters to help keep it moving smoothly and not have parts bump into rmeach other. I fiddled with it for the first few weeks, learning what spring strength I thought I would like vs what I actually needed once in game. I love that it came with multiple cams so I could so drastically change how it felt. I love that it came with multiple POV hats and ministicks so I could find what best fit around my hands. The vkb config software was daunting at first, but oh so powerful

I learnt a lot about ergonomics - the grip sits higher than I was used to, which meant my shoulder was poorly positioned. Even with the adjustable palm rest on highest settings, the grip and base felt like it was designed for larger hands (mine are under 7 inches index to wrist, and I'm not tall).

I had a few minutes of buyers remorse before I started trying out every coffee table in the house, looking to figure out what exact height I needed the stick to be at for comfort. In my case, I clearly needed my base to sit lower than my desk - but my desk is glass and trading for wood that could support clamps is not a viable option when you've got little blind old birds that like to rest on your tabletop! I needed to make my own joystick stand, somehow, to work out if the problem was me or the stick. But I'm not a hardware kind of guy. I didn't know how to cut square, or even how to cut wood with a handsaw full stop, what a countersunk screw was or how to countersink, just... None of it.

So I went to Bunnings anyway, and they were kind and patient and showed me I didn't need to be afraid of cutting ply and sent me off with some free offcuts, cheap posts, plywood and screws. I spent an afternoon making a thing. The stand showed me that the issue wasn't the stick but how I positioned it. And then I made a second thing. By the fifth version of my joystick stand within the same fortnight, I had reconnected with my dad who was finally interested in something in my life, and had far spent more time wood working than actually playing with my new joystick. It was already money well spent and not at all how I had expected. I had worked out that the MCGU wasn't too small, but actually your hand isn't meant to be glued into just one position on the stick at all times. I learnt that big buttons on the top don't need to be your most hit buttons - those should instead be near your default grip. I learnt that center stick is awesome to accomplish a build for and feels most ergonomic but gets in the way of keyboard access and requires being further pushed away from the table and monitor. A poorly positioned side stick and wide back chair will lead to struggles pulling back out to the right. The best position for me was out near my knee.

The discord is a spectacular place for advice and feedback and all the other things I learnt, I highly recommend the company and wisdom available.

I have been playing with the stick as well. I tried going back to the old ms sw ffb2, and now that feels like the downgrade with the clunky grinding of the ffb base as I move through the axis. But with the Space-S cams and 20*2 springs, the gunfighter is ideal for me, whether I'm emulating a controller for battlefield or learning how to fly in msfs.

Thanks, Luke & VKB.

"Wow!" That's what I said when I opened the box and took out the stick. The build quality is incredible, especially based on my previous HOTAS. It just feels like "quality" in your hand. The thought and engineering that has been undertaken with these products is immense. I now fully understand why people highly recommend VKB products, I know I will be from now on. I can't wait to set it up and start using it.

Happy flights to all SimAviators out there......and don't forget "Aviate, navigate, communicate".

No regrets at all. Amazing piece of equipment. Just wish there was info available to match real life stick characteristics.That's too much of an ask though.