Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Tester

Testing an Extreme 3D Pro

Logitech’s Extreme 3D Pro is a single USB joystick with 12 programmable buttons, an 8-way hat switch, a twist handle for rudder and a throttle slider on its base (Logitech). It needs no driver: plug it in, move the stick, and it appears in the device list as “Logitech Extreme 3D Pro” with USB id 046d:c215.

The tester is already set up for it. Chrome and Edge on Windows and macOS place a joystick’s axes by type, so the Extreme 3D Pro’s X and Y come out as axes 0 and 1, the twist (Rz) axis 5 and the throttle slider axis 6, while axes 2 to 4, 7 and 8 read 0 and never move. The hat switch is axis 9: its rose lights up as you push it.

What to check

• Buttons 1 to 12. The trigger is button 1 and the thumb button 2; the rest sit on top of the stick and on the base. Press each once and look for a mark in the grid.
• Hat switch. Push it into all 8 directions. A diagonal that never lights is a common sign of a worn hat.
• Centre check. Let go of the stick. It should settle within a few percent of centre on both axes; a reading that drifts is best hidden with the recommended deadzone.
• Range test. Push into every corner. Each direction should reach 100%. If one stops short, recalibrate in joy.cpl before assuming the stick is worn.
• Axis smoothness. Test the throttle slider and then the twist: move each slowly from one end to the other. Spikes and jumps on these axes are a common complaint as the stick ages, and the plot shows exactly where along the travel they happen.

How Chrome numbers the Extreme 3D Pro's axes

These are the slots Chrome and Edge usually give it: they place each axis by its HID type on Windows and macOS, and the tester preselects them. Firefox on Windows uses the same slots; on Linux the numbers differ, so use the Find buttons there.

USB ids the tester recognises: 046d:c215 (Logitech Extreme 3D Pro), from the Linux kernel's device list and SDL.