First Impressions – VPC ShaKa-50 Control Panel

The ShaKa-50 Control Panel aka Control Panel #3 and my first impressions review of the unboxing, look, feel and my final opinions prior to any installation and any long term gameplay.

You can find out more information about this device here on their webstore.

Full Disclosure

The ShaKa-50 Control Panel was sent to me for free by VIRPIL, however this review is my own and is not influenced by VIRPIL to review in a favorable way.

Price

€259.95 ex. VAT

What’s in the Box:

★ 1 x VPC Control Panel
★ 1 x USB Cable
★ 1 x OUT-AUX Cable 1m.
★ 1 x OUT-AUX Cable 0,5m.
★ 3 х Button Inlays Set
★ 2 x Allen Keys
★ 1 x Spanner
★ 10 x Handle (including preinstalled)

Unboxing

The control panel was wrapped in bubble wrapped and placed inside the white carboard box, it had an additional cardboard layer over the top of it for additional protection from the other parts moving around in the box.

All the other additional accessory parts, cables, allen keys, spanner and axis handles were provided in their own individual plastic zip lock bags.

The axis lever handles were additionally wrapped in bubble wrap to provide additional protection from each other.

The button inlay set was in an envelope with a cardboard backing to provide a bit of protection from being bent.

VIRPIL also includes a pre-flight checklist card with QR code and website.

The Look

The ShaKa-50 control panel box itself if made from aluminum and powder coated black, with a chamfer edge showing a silver edge finish, this product is made to look premium with the the internal mechanics being made from Duralumin.

The top plate has printed labels clearly showing the commonly used controls from the Ka-50 Black Shark Attack Helicopter. The print finish of these labels are sharp & clear, the font used is large and legible. The screws used are all hex key.

Some of the square push buttons and both rotary encoders have generic labels, this is so that you can bind these to anything you feel would suit their purposes without it confusing their primary function labels.

The square push buttons have both a button inlay that you can install behind the key cap to display an image from an assortment of included button inlays, and there is also the LED lights, these together will give you further customisation options to the look.

The LED is controlled from within the VPC Configuration Tool and VPC Link Tool.

The axis lever handles have a premium look with a vibrant colours and a high quality gloss finish

The control panel has 2 locking Mini-DIN (circular mil-spec like) connectors, one is for USB and the other is for AUX (attaching other devices to it or from it in a daisy chain fashion). The opposite side to the Mini-DIN is a VIRPIL Controls faceplate with a similar one underneath which includes the certification markings along with the serial number.

I have mine placed on my desk, however this can be mounted to a simulation cockpit fairly easily. the included side brackets with rubber feet keep it from sliding and the hole pattern on the bottom is easily attached to VPC mounts or some third party mounting products.

The Feel

I will start with saying that the axis levers are the most satisfying levers I have ever used, period. The levers are for want of a better term,
• Buttery smooth or smooth as butter
• Silky smooth or smooth as silk
Or as some might like to call it
• Slicker than snake shit
Honestly, it doesn’t matter what you call it, it’s absolutely amazing.
The added bonus of the high gloss from the lever handles just makes this feel premium. and the ability to loosen or tighten the lever mechanism is a huge advantage for those that want to customise their feel.

The square push buttons are clicky with tactile feel, these are fantastic and I have used them extensively as they are easy to find in VR.

The round push buttons are perfect for their functions that they are labelled for, these push buttons do not have a tactile feel and they have a good travel to them, I want to take a moment and provide a little bit more context on this one. The reason why I put these 3 push buttons in another category of ‘VIRPIL did their research’, is because the functions in the Ka-50 for these buttons are to be held down for 2-3 seconds and a tactile bump or click is not what these buttons need or deserve, so in conclusion, these buttons are perfect. sorry for my rant, but I had to mention this.

The toggles are metal with a solid tactile feel, some are 2 way latched, some are 3 way latched.

There are 2 rotary encoder knobs +push, these feel like they would on a mouse scroll wheel and work as intended.

Last but not least, there is a 5 way mode switch, very functional with a solid tactile feel.

In Summary as per product description:

★ 4 x Digital Axis Levers
★ 10 x Customisable RGB Push Buttons
★ 3 x Push Buttons (round)
★ 7 x 2-Way Toggles
★ 3 x 3-Way Toggles
★ 2 x Infinite Scroll Encoder Dials (+ Push)
★ 1 x 5-Way Mode Dial

Opinions

I want to note that this is the first product VIRPIL has released (from my understanding) to include an allen key and a spanner to open up and adjust the device, for this I am thankful and it goes a long way, this is just another small step to maintaining a premium product in a hobby like fashion.

Ok, a bit long winded from a usual ‘First Impressions’, but I couldn’t help it, much of a first impressions detail can be lost and I wanted to capture as much as I could prior to a full in-depth review.

I will be working on a full in-depth review, please keep in touch and I hope to provide as much detail as my other reviews.

A little bit of trivia knowledge in parting.
Q: How many parts makes up the VPC ShaKa-50 Panel?
A: 439