Belkin Nostromo n52 SpeedPad - game pad

...been previous versions of this Belkin pad, it only has one competitor that I'm aware of: the Saitek Pro-Gamer Command Unit.

I bought the Belkin product first, and loved it. Lured by the fancy lights, and my good experience with Saitek in the past, I bought the Saitek product to replace this, and I only half regret doing so.

I've never liked using the keyboard to play a game, and this is an excellent solution. The software ...
...with the joystick, whereas the Belkin unit is laid out in a way which makes this more difficult.

However, although the Saitek software makes for much, much better programming - it does everything the Belkin software does, and much more - I've had a problem which I suspect is a conflict with my Saitek joystick (x52), resulting in frequent system crashes. Even with the joystick disabled, the profile manager locks up or fails to load. ... more

Although there have been previous versions of this Belkin pad, it only has one competitor that I'm aware of: the Saitek Pro-Gamer Command Unit.

I bought the Belkin product first, and loved it. Lured by the fancy lights, and my good experience with Saitek in the past, I bought the Saitek product to replace this, and I only half regret doing so.

I've never liked using the keyboard to play a game, and this is an excellent solution. The software that comes with it does the job, and I've never had a problem with it. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it's worth the perseverance.

I've got very large hands, but the unit is adjustable and it's quite comfortable. The underside of the pad is a lurid orange plastic that does a passable job at keeping the unit in place. If you're upgrading from using a keyboard, you'll notice a big difference.

This, with a mouse, is the best input device for gaming that I've found - certainly for RPG's and 1st Person shooters.

If you're considering buying this, then look seriously at the Saitek alternative before doing so. In my opinion, it looks much better. The Saitek is less prone to skid when you're using it, it's more adjustable to suit your hand shape, and the keys are laid out in a more thoughtful, intuitive way. The thumb buttons are obviously intended to be used with the joystick, whereas the Belkin unit is laid out in a way which makes this more difficult.

However, although the Saitek software makes for much, much better programming - it does everything the Belkin software does, and much more - I've had a problem which I suspect is a conflict with my Saitek joystick (x52), resulting in frequent system crashes. Even with the joystick disabled, the profile manager locks up or fails to load. There's nothing in the Saitek forums, so I assume that I'm just unlucky, but this has unfortunately hampered my enjoyment of what seems to be a vastly superior product.

The Belkin possibly has a very slightly quicker response than the Saitek - but it's far from being an issue with either product.

So, in summary, the Belkin controller is a very good product but the Saitek is miles ahead - despite my own bad experience, people's opinions on the Saitek seem to be positive, so looks seriously at that before purchasing. 

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