A Dark Side?  

The HOTAS Cougar is not new gear.  Initial versions were released at least four years ago.  You would think current owner Guillemot would have everything nailed by now.  However, over the years, there have been some complaints about the potentiometers (pots) and gimbals being of cheap quality.  No flight simmer wants to experience flat zones, dead axes or in game spiking, especially after paying top dollar for a controller.  Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but I’ve yet to have a controller of any brand fail on me in that way.  Fortunately, I’ve not experienced anything negative in my 50 hours testing the HOTAS Cougar.  Of course, as with anything else, your experience may vary.

Overall Impression

By now it should be obvious that the Cougar is not amateur gaming gear.  This is near military grade equipment for enthusiasts who are uncompromising in their quest for the most realistic virtual combat flight experience possible from the safety of their own homes.  For $250 (U.S.) you could buy a Nintendo Wii game console or a better video card for your current PC.  Only the most serious combat flight sim-fanatics are likely to put out that much cash for a controller useful primarily in one genre, but if you’re one of them, it doesn’t get any better than the Cougar.  And how many PC gaming controllers have a dedicated fan web site?