VKB Sim controllers, anyone have experience with them ?

They have a new model out, and I am very intrigued. However It will cost me $412 Canadian in the end. $108 of that will be on bloody tariffs.
I know they make very high quality stuff, but this is a lower end model. It replaced the Gladiator Mk II. I'm hesitant to pull the trigger as they are made and shipped from China.
I know there were models similar to the Gladiator made under the FlashFire and Cobra brands (made in China), they have very poor reviews.
VKB Gladiator K

I've been waiting since April 29th when i pulled the trigger on a VKB Gunfighter Mk.III ‘Modern Combat Edition’. It was shipped first week of May and still shows in transit in the air, must be a ton of air to air refuelling going on and the guy is just doing lazy figure eights somewhere over the Pacific.

I did weeks of yt vid watching, strip downs, reviews, comparisons, forum reading etc before deciding on it. The Warthog lost out straight up and then it was a near coin flip between VKB or a Virpil with Virpil losing out due to too many negative stories about after sales service and that the VKB is better quality and finish inside the stick where it counts.

I know that doesn't really help much Wango deciding on a new stick is quite the challenge.

I like the idea of a one piece unit. that is what attracts me to the Gladiator K.
I've owned pretty much every low to mid range HOTAS in the past. Right now is a horrible time to be shopping for flight sim gear, prices are jacked, thanks to Covid-19.
The last Hotas I had and sold was the X56 from Logitech. I liked it in general, but the twist rudder had a bit of a "click" to it. It made me question the quality, and I sold it on Ebay.

BTW Ajay, If Australian customs is anything likes Canada's, you can wait up to 6 to 8 weeks. Those tracking system always seem to be behind, especially international packages.
I hope you get it soon, give us a review !

I know they have some failings but for the combination of quality/price CH Products are hard to beat.

VKB joysticks is overall considered the "top of the top" on the market, followed very close by VirPil, in option of this and many other guys (DCS players):

http://jaytheskepticalengineer.com/...ar-reviews/vkb-gunfighter-mcg-pro-mk-ii/

Gladiator MK.II is a very good "entre-level" joystick, I bough pre-used by 1.5 years at more than 1 year ago and still working flawless.

Their plus over other entry level joystick (Thrustmaster T.16000M, Logitech 3D PRO and even Saitek X-52/X-65 H.O.T.A.S.) is that twist rudder axis use contacless sensor (VKB MaRS™), instead the ordinary potentiometer of the other mentioned joysticks, that wear out fast, causing spikes in axis response.

But Gladiator lookalike KG-12A grip is very limited, 3 buttons + POV HAT, with one button (pinky) used as shift allowing have 2 physical buttons + POV HAT + 6 virtual buttons under shift (and +6 in mode 2), base has 13 buttons.

Last year VKB made available a kit that allow install VKB VKB SCG "Kosmosima" grip in gladiator Mk.II, a bit a bit laborious operation.

So now, perceiving a market for a <$200 stick (what are available in this range is X-52 and CH Fighterstick that don't offer rudder control), offer this option ready to use, in form of Gladiator K.

SCG "Kosmosima" grip has more functions (in press buttons and HAT's) than Warthog grip, and Gladiator base has a button for select between 2 modes (advanced users can manage use 3).

If you want a "all-in-one" joystick: Gladiator K.

SCG (Space Combat Grip) "Kosmosima" (Cosmic simulation) name is an appeal for space sim games (e.g. Elite Dangerous), but SCG grip is an very good as all around grip for DCS planes, in opinion of veteran players.
https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=4264068&postcount=82

I have bough stuff in Aliexpress without problems, but in this "pandemic times" things may are different.
Anyway VKB Controllers in USA send for Canada.

BTW - VKB programming software is very powerful, storing changes in controller memory instead rely in a program running in games background (like TARGET and others), but their language is very hard do master.

VKB makes Left Hand Sticks? Seriously?? This is game changing for a left handed friend of mine who I've been trying to convince to get a right handed HOTAS for years!

Yes,I have owned them in the past. Very good quality. And I always liked the trim wheels on the Fighterstick.

Sokol1, thanks for the link to the in depth review article.

Well, I pulled the trigger. There were only 2 left in stock. (right handed premium model). Not looking forward to the tariff charges.

My left handed friend ordered the left handed premium Gladiator K, $41 shipping.

Yeah, my shipping was $46 usd.
Tariffs are what my lovely government charges for parcels crossing the border, plus they want their share of sales tax (even though it wasn't bought in Canada).

$56.60 for Customs clearance. Not bad.

Two VKB sticks cost me a fortune as well in shipping and tariffs, but absolutely no regrets!

What did you get BlueHeron ?

Thanks to the "space sim" games, and the players created HOSAS (Hands o Stick and Stick) concept, left hand grips became a reality in last few years, being available be VKB and VirPil brands (think that WingWing too).
And right hand throttles are available in by GLV224 (lases topic here), customized at some degree by buyer wishes, queue is ~3 mounts. So a left hand HOTAS is possible.

Any model of this videos can be made for right hand, the only thing that are not able to chance is the base box format.
https://www.youtube.com/user/GVL224

Got the Gunfighter MKII Pro with the KG12 and MCG grips. I really enjoy having dedicated grips for WWII and modern sims, and the stick extension makes a huge difference in precision flying. I loved CH products but just can't go back after this.

Well it arrived today. 8 days, not bad. Now to play with it. Came with what I assume is a coaster, it's not a magnet


To the other VKB owners here, are you using their software, or are you just using the in game controller mapping ?

Basic controller mapping here. Nice stick, it seems the purpose of the Gladiator is that plethora of buttons and an extra axis!

41 buttons. More than enough. The base has a nice weight to it. It seems like a great all in one solution.

Nice! I'm using in game mapping as well, enjoy mate!

I will, thanks.

Been a VKB user since the Black Mamba days several years ago. Awesome equipment!

In modern games you can map all Gladiator K 41 buttons direct in game controls (e.g. DCS, IL-2 Great Battles seires, X-Plane...)

Old games, e.g. original IL-2, CloD others like Elite Dangerous follow the old DImput 32 buttons limit - what only SCG grip fill, so you need a keymapper software for buttons above 32 like Joystick Gremlin, JoyToKey...

Or change this configuration in Gladiator K firmware using VKB DevCfg:

http://forum.vkb-sim.pro/download/file.php?id=9032&mode=view

This create two virtual joystick, one with buttons up to 32 and another with buttons #33 and above, and so can set all buttons in games limite to see 32.

http://forum.vkb-sim.pro/viewtopic....=529ebd18634c70fa8a4710222a4941c4#p40736

Thanks for the info Sokol1.