Joystick causes game crash - Resolved by stick driver update.

[Scoob]

Hey all,

So, I bought a cheap joystick to play the game with - it's just a very basic flight stick - the Speedlink Phantom Hawk, the cheapest I could find online. However, when trying to launch the game, GoG version, it crashes before it even gets to the splash screen. If I remove the stick the game launches just fine.

Really didn't expect an issue like this. Any advice?

Note: the stick configures fine under Windows, with all buttons and movement responding how you'd expect. It just insta-crashes X4 for some weird reason. I can plug the stick in after launching the game, but it is of course unresponsive and the game doesn't recognise it. Not really a surprise, but thought I'd try it. Will be returning this stick if I can't get it to work, as it's only for X4, nothing else.

Scoob.

[Lazerath]

Return it and get a Sidewinder Pro. It’s fairly cheap and works well. That’s my backup stick!

Edit: I forget to say that getting the cheapest stick you can find can lead to problems. You get what you pay for after all.

Your experience will be better with something decent like I mentioned and it’s not expensive either!

Cheers!

[Scoob]

A Sidewinder Pro would have been my first choice of a budget stick - I had one previously - however, the Stick seems fine, it just crashes X4 for some bizarre reason. I had read (ages ago now) of others having odd issues, but that was with Game Controllers IIRC.

If I can't get it working, or there are no work-arounds, I will send it back. The thing is, I have an X52 HOTAS, but it feels like total overkill for X4 and takes up too much space, so thought a budget simple stick would do the job. The stick was £22, so budget, but not cheap and nasty... Perhaps I should look for updated drivers...shudda thought of that.

Scoob.

[Lazerath]

I had the x52 for many years, I actually purchased it for X3 Reunion. Wore it out with that game and X3: Terran Conflict. Ahhh the fun memories!

I could not stand the center drifting I experienced with it and picked up the Logitech G940 Hotas only to have Logitech discontinue it a couple months later.

Still works thankfully! Hope it works out for ya!

Cheers!

[Scoob]

I got my X52 specifically for Elite Dangerous. Sadly the stick snapped - so much for it being a metal shaft (one of the reasons I bought it, I can be a little rough lol) that's a lie sadly, it's just plastic with some metal - it snapped just above the metal. Anyway, a very generous forum member (who didn't know me at all) lent me his spare stick - actually posted it to me. So I used that for ages. In the end, I offered to buy it from him - which I did. So, a great stick, but OTT for X4.

Hopefully updating the drivers (must have been an old set supplied with the cheap stick) will sort the X4 crash issue - seems it has for others in other games - as I'm not too fond of the mouse controls in X4. Initially they seem fine - I really do like flying with the mouse - but aiming can suck with it, plus it also has a tendency to over-steer even when correcting the turn just fine. Also, sometimes it just goes crazy and acts like the mouse has been moved a long way, when actually just small corrective movements were taking place.

Anyway, hopefully I can get the stick working...will report back when I do, getting a bit late now though. If it works, it'll be nice to be in "easy mode" again lol. Before the Sidewinder finally died, I used it in X Rebirth for a short while and it was quite hard switching to use the Mouse.

Scoob.

[Scoob]

I tried newer drivers today after uninstalling the supplied ones - X4 launches now. Seems the stock drivers are bad. It's funny really, I must have been tired when I tried it as I NEVER use stock drivers and always download the latest ones.

Now to see if how the game plays with a stick - my only concern is the VERY clunky key/button mapping support in X4, it's really horrible.

Scoob.