Logitech entered the world of PC peripherals in 1981. Their first product was a mouse that was to provide a more interactive communication between the user and the PC. They have evolved this technology to the ever changing needs of programmers, designers, gamers, and the casual PC user. Since those days almost 30 years ago, they have expanded into a broader product market than simply mice. Some of their products include keyboards, headsets, speakers, remote controls, webcams, and gaming controllers. More specifically, flight controllers. Today we are reviewing the Logitech G940 Flight System. It consists of a joystick, throttle quadrant, and rudder pedals. Logitech has spent a lot of time developing this product, taking every detail and feature into consideration of the end-user. I can assure you, it does not disappoint.

 

Quoted from the Logitech website: “For each of our product categories, we study how our customers use their digital devices, and then our designers and engineers set their sights on how we can create a better experience with those devices – richer, more comfortable, more fun, more productive, more convenient, more delightful.”


I’d like to start by giving you a brief background of my experience and my career relevance and how it relates to reviewing this product. Joysticks have been around since the days of my Commodore 64. I could not tell you how many hours upon hours I played my first real flight simulator, F-15 Strike Eagle on that thing with a simple 2 button 8 position joystick. I have watched the evolution of this device by many companies over several decades, and tried many of their products. I am also a huge fan of aircraft and rotor craft, military and civilian. My job experience for the last 15 years has been in the injection molding field. Simply put: Plastics. I am in the plastics industry and I have been involved in several projects and designs for automotive, medical, and consumer products. This experience of hundreds upon hundreds of different plastic products has given me an eye for detail and quality that allows me to shed a different light on things that many people use, but may not know the complexity involved in how it’s made. I will look at all aspects of this product, from its function, appearance, comfort, overall quality, and value. With that said, I hope you enjoy this review. Let’s go!

Packaging And Contents

I was a little surprised with the shipping box, since the regular package was simply put inside another box with no packing material whatsoever. Most of the time it’s ok, but this is a precision piece of hardware, not to mention it’s a huge investment as well. The main package was slightly damaged upon arrival. You can probably imagine the grief I had upon noticing this. All I could think about was what was damaged when I opened this box. To my relief there were no major components near the crushed corner. I took pictures and moved on. It might be a good idea to make the main box a little bigger and give a little more cushion to the contents. The contents included the joystick, dual throttle quadrant, pedals, power supply, driver disk and instruction manual. I know, you may be bummed about having another powered device to add to your overloaded power strip, but it is necessary for the force feedback motors that can really push on you.
































Features And Construction

Usually these categories are separate, but I felt the need to combine them because many of the observations could be taken as a feature, construction, or both.

Force Feedback is one that hit a home run with me. When I bought my Logitech WingMan Force Feedback USB Joystick over 10 years ago, I was blown away with the force feedback feature. It added so much realism to my games, and it was just plain awesome!

Joystick Design is superb and original. This has a feel like you are sitting in the c o c kpit of a modern aircraft.





The Dual Throttle can function together, or there is a button that allows them to separate, giving independent movement that helps if you are flying into a crosswind. Give the left side a little more engine for that right side crosswind. It also has 12 buttons with 2 4-way hat switches, 2 wheel sliders, and a 3 position mode switch that will allow you to have different settings at your fingertips with the flip of this switch. The 8 lighted buttons on the base of the throttle are programmable and illuminate in green, amber or red to show the status of critical systems and warnings. There is also a tension adjustment knob on the bottom side of the throttle to control how much force is required to move the controls from zero to max thrust. Total customization is what you get with the G940.









Pedals are customizable as well, for comfort. There is a knob in the middle of both pedals that allow you to adjust the tension required to switch between pushing left or right. This was an awesome feature to set up, because it gives you a little extra resistance, and you are not swaying back and forth while flying because of the pedals being to “loose”. Toe brakes area also present in both pedals. Simply press down like you would a gas pedal and you bring your aircraft to a stop. Also an outstanding achievement is the use of, what I call “carpet grabbers”. These tabs flip out on the bottom of the pedals furthest away from you so as to secure them to the carpet if you get pushing a little aggressively. They grab and do not allow any movement under normal conditions. It’s as if they thought of everything here! Additional features like the mountable hard points are a fantastic addition and option. I have seen rigs that are permanently mounted flight systems, and this gives you the ability to secure them to your flight rig, table or flight chair.










Product Construction from a manufacturing standpoint it is what I would call a work of art. The lines flow smoothly on all edges, and yet it looks very solid and dependable. “Classy, sassy and strong”, if I were to pin a phrase to the G940. The joystick and throttle are over-molded with a soft rubber for added comfort. It’s not very thick or too soft to the touch, but it’s enough to help you hold on tight. The pedals are well made and the flat surface itself is a contoured piece of stamped, painted metal. Let’s face it, you’re putting your feet on it, make it durable. Bravo! This is one of the best made controllers I have used to date. It should last for years to come.

Installation

Installation of the Logitech Gaming Software was a little quirky, but with help from Mark Starrett, the Product Marketing Manager for the G940, I was up and running in minutes.
“The profile manager loads game commands to the buttons on the stick and throttle, but cannot assign axis controls. In order for G940 to work properly with any flight simulation, the G940 axis controls need to be assigned within the simulation itself. Flight Simulator X has basic default assignments, but they are arranged for a simple joystick, and need to be reassigned. We include a Flight system G940 Game setup guide in the software installation. It covers most of the popular flight simulations.” Thanks Mark for the help! This made things much easier.

Here are some screenshots of the Software application that allows you to customize your controls and launch the game from it.









Performance

This unit performed better than I expected. I had high hopes, don’t misunderstand me, but the G940 surpassed my preconceived ideas of performance and comfort. It gave me a whole new experience while flying. The force feedback is subtle for landing gear and flaps, and powerful when laying on the 20mm trigger. You know the difference, and feel it in the stick. WOW!

Final Thoughts

My advice is simple. For the hardcore combat/commercial flight simulator enthusiast, the G940 is a must. You will have made an investment into one of the best controllers I have ever used. If you are a newbie to this genre, it WILL make you a hardcore enthusiast. It will immerse you into the game like never before. Some of you have seen my system configuration in these forums. My multi-monitor configuration, along with the Logitech G940 has given me an experience like no other. As far as I am concerned, it is the reigning champion for the flight controller title. You might also consider the price at $299.99 to be expensive or pricey. I would ask you to consider that with any purchase, what will you be doing with it? Playing once in a while, or as a newcomer to the world of flight simulators, then this is not for you. However with any computer component you purchase, the term “getting what you pay for” applies whole heartedly here. You wouldn’t buy a $50 video card to play Crysis with maxed out resolution and texture settings without getting undesirable frame rate results. The same applies here. If you want to experience your games the way they were meant to be played (sorry nvidia for borrowing your slogan), then this is definitely for you. This has been one of the most enjoyable reviews I have done thus far, and it’s an experience I will continue to enjoy each time I head for the sky…



Overview

Performance: 10/10 - The G940 performed above and beyond the call of duty. The control accuracy and ease of use are superb. I look forward to using this joystick for a long, long time!

Packaging: 8/10 The damage was incurred during shipping and should not really be counted against the rating, however, some shipping cushion would be nice between the shipping box and the product package. This will probably also be a preference of the company you purchase it from if other than Logitech. The box was packed full of pictures of the unit and listing the features. It looks real good.

Features: 10/10 You’ve read the review. You know the features. That's why I give it a perfect score. It is amazing what they have designed and included with the G940.

Construction: 10/10 “Classy, Sassy, and Strong.” It is a superbly designed piece of flight simulator equipment. Respect it and it will respect you.

Price: 8/10 At $299.99 it might take you a while to save up for it, but trust me, it will be money well spent, and it will last you for the next several generations of flight sims.

The Logitech G940 earns a 9.3 out of 10 which gets it the Xtreme Gaming Clubhouse Platinum Award! Great job guys!