Reviews

I have recently bought the STECS Throttle System - Max. The packaging is highly professional and the delivery was only 3 days which is Australia is impressive. I primarily play Star Citizen and the throttle is excellent for this. Easy to set up and the detent (using the W at the 50% mark) allows me to feel where the forward/reverse point is. Lots of buttons and switches to use although I am unsure if a HAT can replace the button at the MB2 position, I tried it and it didnt work. Not a big deal just the position fits a HAT.

The STEM is great and is easily adaptable for my needs.

The ATEN is good but I feel let down by the plastic safety covers for ARMED/SAFE. I keep catching my sleeve on them and as there is no spring to push them back down they then annoy me a bit. A spring for these in future would be a nice to have upgrade which I would buy.

I am hoping that at some point in the future VKB will make a panel specifically for Star Citizen players with the power triangle and some labelled butons to suit us. Until then this is a much appreciated upgrade from my X56 which was fine for what it was and how much I paid for it.

Finally I think this product is well worth the amount I paid for it and I am looking forward to many years of use.

Question. Is there anywhere that has a button map picture for me to print out so I can write down on it what each button has been assigned to. Tried the internet but theres not much out there. Maybe a way to print out from the Device Config utility with user labels a picture of the device and its config. Just a suggestion.

I received mine last week and after spending time setting it up I am impressed by the quality and the ways it can be customised to exactly what I need. Coming from the X56 this is like suddenly waking up :)

Highly recommended. If you cant afford one just keep saving. Its worth it.

A full disclaimer: I exclusively (when time allows) play Elite Dangerous in VR, it's a hobby I love - and this is a non biased review from not a technically minded person.

Years back when I started playing ED i always knew I wanted to try a hotas, this is long before VR. My starter setup was an old hotas and it lasted remarkably well. However as time went by I felt the urge to spoil myself to an upgrade. It took six months of reviews, and reading to settle on a direction, Hosas or Hotas? Purely out of simple preference I decided to upgrade my throttle and decided on the VKB Max.

The main reason I chose the Max was simply because I could easily customise it to emulate the button and hat layout my fingers where muscle trained to.

Once I had done this - via the easily navigable software package, I was set to go. That's when the magic happened for me. I needed to change a hat - go to the youtube tutorial - bingo - easy. I needed to tinker with setting detents - video tutorial - bingo. Whatever I needed to the info was easily accessible - nailed it. After settling in to the new throttle and software the real benefits began to show, button choice, paddle choice, detents, comfort and feel all happened and over a week I went from the comfort of what I knew to a real game changing experience.

After moving beyond what I was so used to I really settled into this throttle and it has been a long time since I have played Elite and with a controller said 'awww yeah man - that's cool'.

TLDR: I love this thing and I can't overstate it. It is absolutely perfect for me. When I have the cash I am returning for the pedals!!! With just this one product alone I will be a repeat customer.

Excellent.

I recently received my Gunfighter MK4 and STECS Standard and fell in love immediately. The STECS is a solid piece of kit with heaps of buttons and sliders. I like how you can set variable detents on the throttle, and set up buttons and switches how you want them. The config software is easy to use, with heaps of YouTube vids and the official discord server for help if I got stumped. If you’re looking for a good high end throttle for your HOTAS with heaps of versatility, then look no further. I am really happy with my purchase, and I am sure you will be as well.

Recently I purchased the Gunfighter MK4 MCG Ultimate. I was initially put off by the price but decided to treat myself, and I am so glad that I did. The stick is buttery smooth, solid and comfortable to hold with all the buttons easy to get too.

VKB were quick to answer any questions, and the after sales support through their discord is second to none.

I recommend that you treat yourself too, as you will not be disappointed. Perfect for someone just starting out or even the most experienced of veterans.

I have MND and have been finding it impossible to use a gaming controller. I purchased a pair of left and right Gladiator EVO 'Space Combat Edition' Premium and they have saved my gaming for a bit longer. best on the market. Thank You.

Despite the plastic feel and look, the buttons and switches are great and have a nice solid feel to them.

This is definitely a must have if you are looking for something reasonably priced!

What an exciting unboxing event; to first-hand hold see and discover this beautifully crafted well designed joystick.
Rarely these days do we say (and truly mean) "far better than expected", however, in this case; it's true!.
All up~and~running very nicely. The professional finish and operational feel of this magnificently manufactured thoroughbred is supurb.
Anticipating the "road to discovery" ahead being aided by forum members who likewise are loving learning ever more of these wonderful adjuncts to our flying passions.
So very glad I have finally purchased such a quality product.
Loving this.

My controls are …
Blue for air brakes
White for flaps
Green for trim (painted knob)
Yellow for release (painted switch)

It pairs beautifully with Condor and its lovely coming in to land with fine tuning of the air brakes… takes me back to the mid 70’s

Absolutely brilliant Module add on to my already Vkb throttle quadrant , quality and construction very well made, a must for flight simulator

The Gladiator EVO has replaced an old Logitech Extreme 3D. I'm getting into DCS and this is so much nicer to use. The precision is really good and I can make subtle inputs to the stick and see a smooth response from the flight sim.

One point to note, I needed to update the firmware after I put the stick and the base together. The buttons on the stick didn't function otherwise. There's a technical support page on the VKB website with instructions.

I bought this joystick after getting tired of continually recalibrating and battling drift/inaccuracy in a cheaper Thrustmaster stick. I read reviews suggesting you could afford to buy 5 or more replacement Thrustmaster sticks for the price of the Gladiator EVO, but that just means putting up with 5 or more inaccurate sticks ruining your gaming experience when it can be so much better with the EVO. I absolutely do not regret spending the extra money on the EVO - it feels so stable, with over-the-top button/switch options. There is a little bit of assembly to do, but there are good YouTube guides, and I did have to download the VKB config utility to unlock full functionality, but now it has really put the "joy" into "joystick".

Massive upgrade from my last joystick (Their company rhymes with 'Podgitek'). Almost no flop or dead zone with this stick, the twist is extremely satisfying and the buttons all work with no jiggle or give. Came with a packet of parts for replacement or adjustment, which I was blown away by. My only regret is I didn't buy a throttle with it and didn't get the Elite model in the first place.

Feels great to use and has great build quality. The interchangeable buttons and detentes are a nice addition. The software is the same as other VKB hardware which is as functional as it is unfriendly, but at least it works which is a damn sight better than some competitor’s I’ve used in the past.
The only part of it I don’t love is the lack of an analogue hat / mini joystick located under the index finger. There is one under the thumb, but your thumb’s relation to it changes as you move the throttle making your inputs inconsistent. I’d hoped to use this for space sim axes of movement that are perpendicular to the throttle, but thus far I have not been able to dial in that muscle memory. If at some point in the future VKB releases a mini joy you can swap for the digital hat in that slot this thing is would be perfect.

Heaps of buttons, pretty well laid out, detent system is great.

A game changer for dcs, could never complete an air to air refuel with a cheaper stick, got this and completed a refuel almost straight away, well laid out and feels quality

This makes the FSM module perfect as a stand alone item since I travel with one of my FSMs and my laptop.

Since Microsoft decided to remove support for much of my flight sim hardware I have finally found the perfect replacement and it's one nineth of the cost of my previous setup. A very big 'THANK YOU' (I found it so good I bought two, one for my laptop as well as it is compact enough to travel.)

I bought this to play Elite Dangerous and some other flight sim games. The throttle feels incredible to use, very accurate and smooth. Ergonomics are excellent and buttons basically everywhere you might put your fingers - which is a good thing! Hard to fault, if it made sense to play E:D with two of these I would.

This is a best bang for your buck throttle and I will be pairing it with the right stick of same level (maybe even the convertible so I can fly dual Omni throttles in a HOSAS setup for SC and ED.
Very happy, software and interactive calibration etc could be better but no complaints.

I am fly small panes, but wanted to keep my skills up with a good flight sim, having purchased these peddles I found them to be excellent, just like the real thing. Solid, positive control. All quality !

I have since made two seperate purchases through VKB. After research and majority communities praising vob for quality, entry level and durability, i decided to purchase ly first joystick with them. Not realising that the joystick was out of stock, i wrote and email frustrated that my same day express order was not sent out.

Luc kindly explained the reason and stated its shown on the website itself, which i understood and accepted

after i received my product, received excellent customer sevice it was a no brainer to continue to support vkb in purchasing my throttle, which was same day shipped!

Will be saving alooking to get the rudders to complete the set! thank you luc and vkb

Makes a VKB Gladiator much more like a throttle without losing any inputs the stick has.

Incredibly adjustable with really good software once you know how to work it. Up to 128 buttons (physical and incorporating a shift button) which makes assigning buttons difficult as there's a lot of choice, especially with a H.O.S.A.S/H.O.T.A.S (Omni throttle adapter). Great postage to N.Z and follow up. Also tonnes of online video instructions. Have fun!

Bought a pair of sticks for Star Citizen as an upgrade from T1600. Initial setup and calibration of the first went fine. The second device would not detect through Windows. A forum scan later showed this was not a new problem and a suggestion to change the USB cable led straight to the problem. Only one of the bundled cables was functional. This is why we keep all those extras from printers long since gone, but it did diminish the experience before even getting setup in game. Two weeks on and the sticks are now doing everything expected and feel positive in all axis of movement.