How do I set it up though? Are there premade setups you can use or does the game itself have configurations for hotus setups? I'm worried I'll have to set up every single button and have a shitty config.

There are default setups for most common flightsticks, including the X52. With extensive customization possible, but not necessary. You really need to get it, dude. It plays like a buttery dream.

Draugen broke it down quite well. Plus customizing for this game is probably the easiest I've had. It will reference the labeled buttons in the customization with the most recent version - usually games will go "OKAY FIRE IS JOYSTICK BUTTON 5!" which doesn't really mean shit all when you're trying to customize.

I just got a Thrustmaster Warthog... Elite is so god damn amazing with it. Get ye a joystick!

I picked up an X-55 Rhino a few weeks back for Elite, and it has changed my game.. Flight Assist Off is actually a feasible way to fly sometimes (and gives you a pretty big advantage in dogfighting once you get comfortable)..

There is no shitty config, really. It all depends on what works best for you. I started with the built-in config for my T-Flight HOTAS X and customized it to my liking as I played the game and learned the controls.

I would recommend going with a trackIR (or alternative) as it is as much of a game-changer as getting my X-55 was.

Keep in mind that you can actually bind multiple buttons at the same time to an action (e.g. Button 1 to do A, Button 2 to do B and Button1+2 together to do C)

I use this to define a key that's essentially a shift-key for some actions:

• I bind the pinky button to nothing.
• I bind the main hat switch (up/down/left/right) to do the power management (eng/reset/sys/wep).
• I bind the pinky button + the hat switch left to deploy shield cell.

This makes it so that the hat has 4 extra buttons.

You can even bind actions to double-clicks of buttons.

Went with CH Products' Fighterstick and Pro Throttle and I like them quite a bit thus far. CH Control Manager took a little research, but now I've got a setup which works well for me. I waited until I could swing both the game and a proper HOTAS setup at the same time, because I knew my enjoyment of the game hinged on using a stick.

This will be my first time getting a flight stick in well over 15 years. I'm also thinking of getting the X52. Are there are disadvantages to getting the X52 and not something else?

Got a x52 pro for this. You CAN set up a layout using the awkward utility, but you also just plug it in and it has a sensible layout already. Its so much fun.

I love playing this with my X52. I also own the XBox version for messing around, but without TrackIR and my HOTAS, it's not the same.