Reviews

Fantastic product. Straight foward assembly and easy to follow set up videos. I bought this stick to see if I would get into the flight sim hobby. I originally looked into various cheaper options as an entry point, but found other reviews were very clear that "you get what you pay for".
It's only a matter of time before I order more vkb products to add to this stick. 10/10 would buy again.

This is thick and sturdy with no noticeable flex. It made my wooden joystick stand building far more pleasant, not having to perfectly line up screws for the base, and allowed for easier access to springs etc.

Adds so much extra throw to the vkb gunfighter. Sturdy, no wobble, allows even stronger default off acid position to left is needed. This is excellent for use as part of a center stick. Bear in mind you'll need to sit further back from your desk or lower or mod your table. I do not advise using this as a side stick, especially on higher spring strength, as pulling back out to the right will be like rowing. Side sticks usually have less throw. I had a lot of fun learning how to do wood working as I chased building my first joystick stands - my chair and desk doesn't support most existing mounts, so I had some misadventures learning to build my own. Reconnected with my dad over wood working in the process, which was an added bonus. Thank you

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.

Very comfortable and a great layout.
Just great to use
I recommend for space sims

Easy to setup and use feels very smooth and it’s at a great price I’m very happy

This is my first proper flight stick and honestly I'm really impressed with it. I've been using it alongside the Omni Throttle for helicopters and space combat games.

The stick feels solid, the movement is smooth and precise and there's a heap of buttons, hats and controls to customise. The Premium version was definitely worth getting for the extra controls.

There's a bit of a learning curve if you're coming from a controller or keyboard and mouse, and getting all the bindings set up can be a pain depending on the game, but that's not really a fault of the stick itself.

I've been having a blast learning to fly with it and I'm looking forward to eventually using it in Star Citizen as well. Definitely happy with my purchase.

This is my first proper HOSAS setup and I've been really happy with the Omni Throttle so far. Mainly been using it for flying helicopters in games like War Dogs and Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Took a bit of getting used to coming from someone who mainly uses keyblard and mouse, especially learning how to control helicopters properly, but once you start getting the hang of it, it's a completely different experience.

The build quality feels great, there's plenty of buttons to customise and I really like that you can adjust the springs and lock certain axes depending on what you're flying.

Setting everything up in different games can take a bit of time, but overall I'm really happy with the purchase and would definitely recommend it.

This bundle was a really good find for someone getting into flight sims without wanting to spend a fortune straight away. I was already looking at getting into the hobby, and finding a bundle like this made it a much easier decision because I could get a bunch of games for the price of what I would normally spend on one or two.

I’m still a beginner, so having a few different games to try has been great. It lets me work out what I actually enjoy instead of dropping a heap of money on one sim and hoping I like it. For the price, I think this is a really easy recommendation if you’re curious about flight sims and want to try a few different experiences.

It also helped justify the STECS and Gladiator purchase to myself, which is obviously the important part. My wallet is happy, my HOTAS is happy, and apparently I’m now a pilot. Just don’t ask me to land.

I’m pretty new to HOTAS and flight sticks, so I had no idea what I was getting into with the Gladiator EVO. I mainly wanted something to make space and flight games more immersive, but I didn’t expect it to change how I play them this much. Going from a controller to an actual stick took a little getting used to, but once it clicked it was so much more fun.

The build quality feels great and the stick is really smooth and precise. There are a lot of buttons, which was a bit overwhelming at first, but I’m getting used to having everything within reach. Setup was easier than I expected too, especially with all the videos and helpful people in the community.

Paired with the STECS, it’s completely changed my experience with these games. I’m still a beginner and probably doing half the things wrong, but I’m having a blast learning. My biggest problem now is remembering which button I mapped everything to 😂. Definitely feels like I’ve accidentally discovered a new hobby haha.

Now I just need to explain to my wife why I apparently need a cockpit in the living room.

As a complete beginner to this hobby, the STECS Mini Plus has been an absolute game changer.

I’ve played pretty much everything under the sun; VR, handhelds, racing sims, you name it, but I’d never experienced anything quite like using proper physical controls to fly a spaceship or helicopter. Going from a keeb and mouse to a HOTAS setup felt like a massive leap into a completely different universe of gaming, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I was ready for it!

Thankfully, getting started with the STECS was much easier than I expected. There are heaps of fantastic videos, setup guides and support resources out there, and the VKB community has been incredibly helpful.

The STECS feels fantastic, and paired with the Gladiator, it has completely changed the way I look at these types of games. What started as me thinking “I’ll give this a try” has turned into me actively looking for new games to play.

Now when a new game comes out that I would normally skip, my first thought is “Does this work with the VKB STECS and Gladiator?”
For someone new to the hobby, I couldn’t be happier with the experience so far. It’s made flying games feel exciting in a way I honestly didn’t expect, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this rabbit hole takes me next.

Excellent feel and responds well, I have it on a mounting bracket and it sits and rolls well. The buttons and nice and clicky and the springs are adjustable exactly as I need it

Got this for Ace Combat 8, even though everyone will tell you it's a gamepad game and I did need to do some trickery to get it working, it's a great piece of equipment and I feel like I can get around just fine with just the stick. Next I'm off to reinstall X4 and Flight of Nova and put it through its paces. Using the throttle at the base works just fine but time will tell if I feel compelled to add more to the setup.

This is my first stick in circa 20 years, since a Logitech Extreme 3D.
While there was a pretty steep learning curve figuring out the software and config, (which the video tutorials and online forums were great for) the stick has been flawless, has me flying cyclics better than ever!!
Have now also lashed out for a second, and OTA for left handed throttle to fine tune it even more.

Absolutely amazing product! coming from my old retired Saitek X52 pro I've had for well over decade. The Gladiator premium hits all the right spots and more. Extremely happy and can't wait to order the Omni for a complete hotas set.

VKB is the best in the business, always a incredible product at a great price and everything always arrives in perfect condition really fast, i own a gladiator and a STECS max, i'll be buying a gunfighter in the future because of my great experience with VKB

Stepped up from entry level equipment to VKB. The Gladiator Premium, the difference is huge, does not feel like a toy. I play Elite Dangerous and this stick is great to use.

My first time.

Started shopping around for a joystick and found availability in NZ to be very lacking and overpriced.

I was glad to have VKB as an option. Not much more expensive but much higher quality.

Still coming to grips with using the joystick as I'm a newbie, but I can't fault the feel and quality of it. Plenty of buttons for bindings.

Shipping to NZ was a little slow and expensive, but still worth it vs what I could buy in NZ.

Top what to say about. Easy to use. Fits perfectly for DCS .

Its my first hotas so I don't have anything to compare but the quality feels amazing for the price ! 10/10

Great bit of gear- Gamechanger when it comes to strafing

Great joystick! Highly recommend!

For a long time i spend flying on keyboard, and i decided to take the dive into HOTAS properly with VKB.

This flight stick is amazing, it feels extremely high quality, looks amazing, Its beautiful to fly in games with.

The gladiator has high precision allowing very fine movements. Customisability with the VKB app throws another amazing level on top allowing you to adjust sensitivity to your hearts content. for how high quality this product feels and looks. i have no complaints on its price and feel its very reasonable.

First time HOTAS owners? Buy this, Dont go cheaper! This will last you a long time!

Easy to set up, great to use - should have bought them sooner.