They are a good weight, feel sturdy, and fit my average male hands very comfortably, (the joystick has a height adjustment for the palm rest and is good for me set one of six slots up from the lowest/tallest position). The two controllers (joystick and throttle) are both built with large rectangular plastic bases. Released in 2006, it is far from cutting edge, (though it has been improved a little), but this also means it comes with a proven track record of precision and durability. £40), the X52 Pro is more than 3 times the price, so I was expecting a significant step up, and, so far, I am not disappointed. 5 is a perfectly adequate product, with very varied reviews on reliability and build-quality. It also feels more like I imagine flying a spaceship would feel, though in the future I am sure there would be plenty of other ways to actually fly a spaceship! I still rate the X-box controller too, for a more relaxed, leaning back, type of game-play, but for sheer precision and smoothness the joystick/throttle combo wins hands down for me. For me, though, joystick and throttle controls seem the most natural and effective (perhaps improved by pedals, but I have yet to try my new pedals). If keyboard only, or mouse + keyboard, is your thing, then I am not going to try to dissuade you. People are different, and there is much debate about the best controller type for Elite: Dangerous (ED).
