We did run into a major problem with the Cyborg 2000. When you press the index trigger and the center thumb button, the joystick thinks you are pressing the hat switch to the left. When we were playing Barrage, we would run into a problem where, if we wanted to fire guns and launch missiles at the same time, we would find ourselves looking to our left and firing nothing. This is a major flaw but we did find a work around. After disabling the hat switch in the Windows control panel, we were able to play just fine. This means we lose the hat switch but we almost never use it anyway. We have talked to Saitek to see what the problem is, but we're not sure whether we have a defective unit or it is a design flaw. When we find out for sure, we will update this article. There are also two minor gripes we have with the Cyborg 2000. First, we wish the spring tension were adjustable. It is still a bit stiffer than we like. Second, the buttons don't feel sturdy. We don't trust them to last for years like we do with the Top Gun USB.

Overall the excessive stiffness of the Top Gun USB forces us to shoot that Maverick down. Any flight stick that takes enough effort to cause soreness is a pain in the butt. We don't want it and we can't recommend it for anyone but a WWF pro-wrestler. As for the Cyborg 2000, we find it very compelling, but the hat switch problem stops us from recommending it whole-heartedly. If you don't care about a hat switch go ahead and buy the Cyborg, it should make you very happy. It is better than many joysticks in the $80 range. But if you need a hat switch, we can't recommend the Top Gun USB or the Cyborg 2000, so you're on your own.

Jon Simon
Assistant Editor