The VKB Omni Throttle has done the near-impossible, it has turned me into a (barely) passing combat pilot in Elite: Dangerous. :) All kidding aside, this is an essential companion to the VKB Gladiator stick. Sure the Gladiator by itself will work as a throttle and you can map pretty much every function in your game to the buttons, switches, and hats available to you, but adding the Omni Throttle means that you don't have to scrunch up with your hands on the stick and base just to make everything work - You can just sit back in comfort and enjoy the ride.
These things are perfect
My previous stick was Saitek X-52. Thought about getting into aviation and space games again, and every suggestion I've read was "get VKB". Want a simple stick? "get VKB". Want HOTAS? "get VKB and omni-throttle". Want dual sticks for space 6dof? "get VKB and omni-throttle".
$700 for stick and throttle set was quite an investment. But the build quality is amazing - not in the same league as the old X-52. Buttons are snappy. Things are engineered so that dials or buttons won't pop out like X-52. Material is solid.
I was a cleaner back when I was in uni, many decades ago. The thing is sturdier than the industrial vacuums I've used. I'm a scientist now, with a bit of familiarity with materials and engineering. I can believe it when people claim this will last you decades.
Hefty up-front cost. Never spent that much on a grown-up toy before. But worth it.
Got this stick as my first entry to using sticks in Star Citizen. I am using a HOSAM setup currently.
Have been very happy with the quality of the stick, pleasantly surprised how stable in use sitting on my desk without any mounting, and while learning to use a stick after so long of keyboard and mouse has been an adjustment there were some immediate improvements to my flying.
I was often encouraged to start with other brands that are much cheaper in quality and price as an entry level stick, and I'm really happy that I ignored that advice and went with something that is considered towards the higher end in quality.
I'm currently on the fence about getting the right handed stick for a full HOSAS configuration, but if I do make that move VKB will be the only option I'll consider.
Great product, very well built and works like a dream. Fantastic customer service experience