Saitek Cyborg Evo – PC – Review

A good flight stick
that looks really cool as well.

 

Anyone who has tried to
play a flight simulator using a mouse and keyboard will probably agree that it
is not the most effective method for that type of game. Anything from
Battlefield 1942 to Dawn of Aces III just proves to be more accurate using a
flight stick … period. Well, at E3 this year Saitek introduced three new
joystick models to the public, each having it’s own neat look and unique style.
One of these is called the Cyborg Evo, which not only has great handling and
response, but comes with some other big plusses as well.

 

Anyone who has used a
flight stick like the Microsoft Sidewinder will immediately be familiar with the
Evo. It provides the standard stick controls for up, down, left and right
movement along with a twisting base to allow you to yaw or rotate the top of
such things as mechs or tanks. In addition, it also has the 8-point hat switch
at the top to allow you to look around and a manual throttle located on the
base. OK, so since all of this sounds familiar … what makes the Evo unique?

 

For starters, the hand
rest grip located at the base of the stick is reversible, so it can be adjusted
and moved based on whether or not you are right handed or left handed. This
really helps out a lot as you can imagine, since a lot of the peripherals
nowadays seem to be geared towards one or the other, many of which being for
right handed gamers.

 

Another neat feature with
the Evo is in the number of programmable buttons that are found on the stick.
There is your standard trigger and a middle button for secondary fire or
whatnot, but there are four others located just on the top of the stick to allow
for many different functions that would need to be used on the fly. The base
also contains four function buttons that can be programmed as well, and two
additional shift buttons to help maximize the number of features or actions that
can be programmed in.

 

Lastly, the stick looks
really futuristic and pretty neat. The top of the stick contains a blue neon
light that looks really cool in the dark, and the function buttons glow a deep
red color. This especially looks great in the dark, and the stick has an overall
futuristic kind of look and feel to it.

 

Overall, I can say that
the $40 price tag for the Cyborg Evo is an investment in a good and solid
product. Granted, you can pick up some other flight sticks for a little less
money nowadays, but the Evo is a responsive and solid stick with a cool look
that will provide a long time of fun gaming.

 


Pros :
The Cyborg Evo has a few features
that make it a good buy. It has everything that you can find with a lot of other
flight sticks out there, but also comes with an adjustable grip to accommodate
both left and right handed gamers and has a nifty, futuristic look to it that
makes it stand out. The controls felt tight and responsive, and I was more
comfortable with it than the one that I am currently using.

    

Cons:
Again, it all comes down to “been
there done that” with the features that can be found on other flight sticks on
the market. While it provides a bunch of programmable buttons and has enough to
handle most of the “need to have” commands, some games don’t require that many
to be used. In those cases, the $40 tag can seem a little high put up against
similar joysticks for half the price.

 

Verdict : 8.7
Honestly, the pros of the Cyborg Evo
far outweigh the cons in my opinion. The look and adjustability options make it
a good buy for any gamer looking for a new joystick, and kids will definitely
get a kick out of the futuristic look and neat light up effects. Add in the fact
that the controls are tight and responsive, and it makes for a good investment
overall even if it’s not the cheapest one on the market.