<s>
The	O
Saitek	B-Device
X52	I-Device
is	O
an	O
advanced	O
HOTAS	B-Algorithm
Joystick/Throttle	O
combination	O
from	O
Saitek	O
released	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
X52	B-Device
was	O
one	O
of	O
Saitek	O
's	O
flagship	O
products	O
and	O
features	O
both	O
a	O
Joystick	B-Device
and	O
a	O
Throttle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
distinguishing	O
feature	O
of	O
the	O
X52	B-Device
is	O
the	O
large	O
backlit	O
blue	O
(	O
or	O
green	O
,	O
on	O
an	O
X52	B-Device
Pro	O
)	O
LCD	O
display	O
on	O
the	O
throttle	O
,	O
which	O
displays	O
the	O
mode	O
it	O
is	O
configured	O
,	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
the	O
button	O
being	O
depressed	O
and	O
a	O
chronograph	O
function	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
joystick/throttle	O
combination	O
includes	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
controls	O
,	O
including	O
trim	O
wheels	O
,	O
a	O
thumb	O
operated	O
slider	O
,	O
a	O
mouse	B-Device
control	O
and	O
three	O
eight-way	O
hat	O
switches	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
button	O
under	O
a	O
flip-guard	O
labeled	O
"	O
Safe	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
stick/throttle	O
combination	O
are	O
designed	O
to	O
function	O
as	O
a	O
HOTAS	B-Algorithm
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
means	O
that	O
games	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
without	O
the	O
player	O
ever	O
taking	O
their	O
hands	O
off	O
the	O
controls	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
keyboard	O
or	O
mouse	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
X52	B-Device
uses	O
only	O
a	O
single	O
spring	O
mounted	O
vertically	O
to	O
keep	O
it	O
centered	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
X52	B-Device
Pro	O
uses	O
dual	O
springs	O
for	O
stronger	O
centering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
X52	B-Device
also	O
features	O
an	O
integrated	O
mouse	B-Device
on	O
the	O
throttle	O
,	O
however	O
it	O
is	O
difficult	O
to	O
use	O
for	O
making	O
quick	O
selections	O
and	O
only	O
functions	O
when	O
drivers	O
and	O
the	O
SST	O
software	O
are	O
installed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Featuring	O
23	O
buttons	O
,	O
three	O
8-way	O
hat	O
switches	O
and	O
7	O
control	O
axes	O
,	O
the	O
X52	B-Device
gives	O
you	O
47	O
basic	O
commands	O
plus	O
the	O
control	O
axes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Smart	O
Technology	O
(	O
ST	O
)	O
programming	O
software	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
program	O
all	O
kinds	O
of	O
behaviors	O
for	O
each	O
command	O
of	O
the	O
HOTAS	B-Algorithm
,	O
even	O
custom	O
ones	O
such	O
as	O
setting	O
not	O
only	O
the	O
Pinkie	O
switch	O
,	O
but	O
just	O
about	O
any	O
button	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
a	O
shift	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
possible	O
,	O
then	O
,	O
to	O
have	O
multiple	O
shift	O
buttons	O
configured	O
per	O
game	O
Profile	O
,	O
which	O
raise	O
the	O
total	O
number	O
of	O
programmable	O
commands	O
far	O
above	O
the	O
canon	O
limit	O
of	O
282	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
allows	O
gamers	O
to	O
configure	O
their	O
controls	O
to	O
suit	O
their	O
preferred	O
gaming	O
style	O
and	O
to	O
save	O
the	O
configurations	O
as	O
personal	O
game	O
Profiles	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
selected	O
and	O
applied	O
on-the-fly	O
at	O
any	O
time	O
through	O
the	O
HOTAS	B-Algorithm
itself	O
(	O
the	O
MFD	O
will	O
list	O
the	O
available	O
Profile	O
names	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
acquisition	O
of	O
Saitek	O
in	O
September	O
2016	O
,	O
Logitech	O
has	O
been	O
providing	O
both	O
Driver	O
and	O
ST	O
programming	O
software	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
X52	B-Device
and	O
X52	B-Device
Pro	O
HOTAS	B-Algorithm
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Should	O
the	O
user	O
of	O
Logitech	O
's	O
driver/ST	O
programming	O
software	O
decide	O
to	O
revert	O
to	O
the	O
Saitek	O
's	O
counterparts	O
,	O
a	O
complete	O
removal	O
of	O
the	O
Logitech	O
drivers/ST	O
programming	O
software	O
plus	O
all	O
related	O
X52	B-Device
peripherals	O
installed	O
in	O
the	O
System	O
would	O
be	O
mandatory	O
,	O
lest	O
the	O
Saitek	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
ST	O
programming	O
software	O
would	O
fail	O
to	O
recognize	O
and	O
communicate	O
with	O
the	O
HOTAS	B-Algorithm
on	O
account	O
of	O
different	O
Hardware	O
IDs	O
set	O
by	O
the	O
driver	O
from	O
Logitech	O
.	O
</s>
