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I've bought this flightstick with only one game in mind: Elite dangerous, and I haven't been disappointed. I have also had the occasion to test this with War thunder and Microsoft Flight simulator, with no problems.
While not really a must, joysticks of this type make flightsims and spacesims much more intuitive and enjoyable. You push the throttle stick forward, and you intuitively understand you've accelerated your ship.
Compared to other flightsticks of similar prices, this one seems to be the best choice. (To anyone comparing about the price, keep in mind that a wireless xbox controller is similarly priced.)
The buttons on the stick and throttle are all easy to reach, and the 4-way button on the right joystick maps nicely onto the power distributor in Elite. My one complaint is that for a game like Elite Dangerous, 10 - odd buttons are not enough for all the different ship functions you might want to access without losing focus of the game screen. You can however, map these on your keyboard.
The two parts clip in the middle, but can be detached and separated by about a metre (limited by cable length). This means you can keep them on the side of your desk, or exactly where your arms feel most comfortable, but also allows you to use it on the move (well, more or less), since you can clip the two parts together and put them on your knees (I've done it with a laptop). It is a little bit big to easily fit in a backpack though, so bringing it with you to your lunch break might be a challenge.
Another important factor is that it works right out of the box. No external drivers required, and the 3 games I've used it with so far all automatically recognise it and map the controls accordingly. Elite even has a specific controls layout for this particular flightstick.
Oh, and it came in a nice (if a bit bulky) box which, if you can figure out how to put the joystick back into it, will allow you to hide it from dust / transport it without damage / so on.
Overall, a must have for flightsim and spacesim players.
While not really a must, joysticks of this type make flightsims and spacesims much more intuitive and enjoyable. You push the throttle stick forward, and you intuitively understand you've accelerated your ship.
Compared to other flightsticks of similar prices, this one seems to be the best choice. (To anyone comparing about the price, keep in mind that a wireless xbox controller is similarly priced.)
The buttons on the stick and throttle are all easy to reach, and the 4-way button on the right joystick maps nicely onto the power distributor in Elite. My one complaint is that for a game like Elite Dangerous, 10 - odd buttons are not enough for all the different ship functions you might want to access without losing focus of the game screen. You can however, map these on your keyboard.
The two parts clip in the middle, but can be detached and separated by about a metre (limited by cable length). This means you can keep them on the side of your desk, or exactly where your arms feel most comfortable, but also allows you to use it on the move (well, more or less), since you can clip the two parts together and put them on your knees (I've done it with a laptop). It is a little bit big to easily fit in a backpack though, so bringing it with you to your lunch break might be a challenge.
Another important factor is that it works right out of the box. No external drivers required, and the 3 games I've used it with so far all automatically recognise it and map the controls accordingly. Elite even has a specific controls layout for this particular flightstick.
Oh, and it came in a nice (if a bit bulky) box which, if you can figure out how to put the joystick back into it, will allow you to hide it from dust / transport it without damage / so on.
Overall, a must have for flightsim and spacesim players.
My first joystick in 15-20yrs. As such, I come without any preconceptions.
I wanted something affordable but with full functionality and durability.
The main selling point is the magnetic sensor instead of analog, meaning virtually infinite lifetime. That comes with some contested side-properties. Here's what I think of them:
+ It IS capable of precision and it has NO deadzone. If you are having issues, check your in-game settings. If you are used to a soft stick, this will take some getting used to. Give it a chance.
+ It is a stiff stick, with a strong snap-back to centre. I like this, as it makes it easier to find the zero point. I tend to let the stick support the weight of my hand, so a stiffer zero-point means I can still maintain course. It does not affect my dogfighting. If you are light-handed, it might be difficult or tiring.
+ The throttle is not very satisfying, as it lacks friction to make it smoother, but it is not that bad and it is definitely a useful addition. I use it almost as much as the trigger.
+ The buttons are not as bad as some reviews claim.
+ Without being too heavy, and without using sucker-cups or other anchoring devices, it is sturdy enough to fly one-handed, despite its stiffness.
- It is fairly tall and fat. I have small hands for an adult guy, it feels like it might have been aimed at hands 1.5 times the size of mine. Got used to it though. Most of the time my thumb's on the secondary fire anyway, rather than trying to grip all the way around, so not an issue for me.
- The base has 12 buttons, but the symmetric ambidextrous design means that realistically you can only access 6 of them. The other 6 are far and awkward to reach from a normal playing position. Pretty much useless, unless you have a second user of the stick who has opposite dexterity than you.
- The green light-up base. It doesn't bother me too much even in a dark room, but I can see how a lot of people hate it. Useless and potentially distracting.
I wanted something affordable but with full functionality and durability.
The main selling point is the magnetic sensor instead of analog, meaning virtually infinite lifetime. That comes with some contested side-properties. Here's what I think of them:
+ It IS capable of precision and it has NO deadzone. If you are having issues, check your in-game settings. If you are used to a soft stick, this will take some getting used to. Give it a chance.
+ It is a stiff stick, with a strong snap-back to centre. I like this, as it makes it easier to find the zero point. I tend to let the stick support the weight of my hand, so a stiffer zero-point means I can still maintain course. It does not affect my dogfighting. If you are light-handed, it might be difficult or tiring.
+ The throttle is not very satisfying, as it lacks friction to make it smoother, but it is not that bad and it is definitely a useful addition. I use it almost as much as the trigger.
+ The buttons are not as bad as some reviews claim.
+ Without being too heavy, and without using sucker-cups or other anchoring devices, it is sturdy enough to fly one-handed, despite its stiffness.
- It is fairly tall and fat. I have small hands for an adult guy, it feels like it might have been aimed at hands 1.5 times the size of mine. Got used to it though. Most of the time my thumb's on the secondary fire anyway, rather than trying to grip all the way around, so not an issue for me.
- The base has 12 buttons, but the symmetric ambidextrous design means that realistically you can only access 6 of them. The other 6 are far and awkward to reach from a normal playing position. Pretty much useless, unless you have a second user of the stick who has opposite dexterity than you.
- The green light-up base. It doesn't bother me too much even in a dark room, but I can see how a lot of people hate it. Useless and potentially distracting.
The Hotas Warthog The Hotas Warthog joystick is the result of an intense collaboration between Thrustmaster's development teams and members of the simmer community.