Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X – Joystick and Throttle
Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X – Joystick and Throttle for PC/PS3
| Weight: | 2.15 kg |
| Dimensions: | 26.49 x 25.4 x 24.05 cm; 2.15 Kilograms |
| Brand: | ThrustMaster |
| Model: | 2960703 |
| Colour: | black |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Thrustmaster |
| Dimensions: | 26.49 x 25.4 x 24.05 cm; 2.15 Kilograms |
Worked out of the box, perfect in every way thank you
Replaced my old ThrustMaster of the same model with another as I liked the device that much and was comfortable with it as a beginner player using it for Elite Dangerous occasionally. Nice and easy to use and lasts long enough to warrant the price even when not treated perfectly and straining the stick with the cable wrapped around the device.
I purchased this back in April 2016 and have been using it quite often since then to play various games like Elite Dangerous, ArmA 2 OA, ArmA 3 and more recently Microsoft Flight Simulator. There have likely been some other games I’ve played it with, maybe Star Wars Squadrons, but I can’t remember all the games I’ve played in 6 years.
It’s a clear winner if you want one of the most affordable HOTAS controllers that are also super durable!
I’ve only one complaint, the stick isn’t smooth at all, there’s a lot of friction inside even when you reduce the resistance wheel on the bottom. It’s not hard to push, but the friction makes minor adjustments really hard to achieve. This could possibly be solved with something to lube it, but I’ve not tried anything yet as I didn’t want to break it by using lube not fit for purpose. It’s been like this since I bought it though and I’ve just gotten used to it. I feel it’s not really much of a problem to drop a star though, since the product works very well overall, but definitely a minor improvement I’d like to see.
The build quality is alright, it is mostly made out of plastic but that is to be expected from such a price point. I also feel like the throttle is a bit too sensitive and has barely any resistance.
Overall, this is a go to HOTAS if you’re buying on a budget and the price point justifies its build quality.
I don’t regret buying this stick at all. Apparently I picked it up for 29.99 back in September 2017, nearly three years ago when I wanted to explore the world of combat flight simulation without having to stump up for a 100+ stick.
About eight months ago (so maybe two years in) the stick twist broke, meaning that any use of it introduced volatile input as though I was mashing the rudder left and right rapidly. Ultimately I had to disable the stick twist completely and use the paddle on the back of the throttle for rudder instead. Now, almost three years later, and the same problem that affected the stick twist is starting on the paddle. From what I’ve read, this isn’t uncommon, and can affect most parts (I have a couple of buttons that require quite firm presses these days, too).
So while I don’t regret buying it – it’s been perfectly capable playing IL2: Sturmovik BOS and other titles – I won’t be buying another one. Do I think I got value for money from this 30 stick? Yes; that’s how it’s edged the fourth star. Would I like it to have lasted longer? Definitely. But it’s time now for more expensive, more durable equipment.
For Eve Valkyrie though, I was zipping about in no time (outstanding in VR btw).
The unit detaches so you can have the stick and throttle separate. All the buttons are easy to reach and seem to be placed in logical positions.
I’ve seen comments on the build quality feeling cheap. I really disagree. However, as I said this is my first flight stick so I can’t compare. May seem like a downgrade to the veterans! For the price, you really can’t go wrong with this.
ALSO, if you are new and confused like I was, get the PS3 one. It’s cheaper and works with PC. Why would anyone get the PC one?!
Having just installed x-plane and really enjoyed it I was desperate for a better form of control than mouse and keyboard. In amongst the questions and answers there is reference to the Thrustmaster working with an iMac even though it only specifies PC/PS3 etc. However there often seems to be someone saying that it doesn’t work, whether or not this is genuine or people being deliberately unhelpful; I don’t know….Anyway I took a punt on this and it works very well with my 2017 iMac and Mojave. Instantly recognised by x-plane and easy to set up. I can’t compare to anything else except using a mouse and it’s infinitely better, making x-plane so much more worthwhile to work on.
Hopefully if you have an iMac/x-plane and you’re looking for a joystick then you know you can consider this one as there doesn’t seem to be many out there badged as iMac compatible.
The Hotas X is not quite as solid as the X52, and it doesn’t have quite so many buttons and hats, but it is about a third of the price. I love it – the entire design ethos seems to have been “let’s build it with a budget, but make it as good as we can”.
The stick is solid and responsive (with an adjustment wheel underneath). The throttle has a useful midway detent. And unlike some cheaper sticks it has a twist rudder as well. The base is not exactly heavy, but it’s wide enough to provide good support. Again – they’ve stripped out some premium features, but made the basics work as well as you could want.
As other reviewers have noted, one downside is the short cable between the two sections if you want the throttle on your left and the stick on your right (especially to match up with Elite Dangerous). It’s just about long enough, but you end up with the cable stretched over you which is a little awkward. It seems like it was designed to be used on a desk in front of you, and it’s a shame they didn’t use a detachable cable like some other designs that you could swap out.
I’ve been using it with DCS World where it works great – I was worried I’d miss the extra buttons and wheels of the X52, but it really does work as a good HOTAS since I rarely have to resort to the keyboard. Buttons-wise, there’s a trigger, a second button for the trigger-finger, a hat-stick and two buttons on top of the joystick – together these are good for launching/switching weapons and slewing/locking sensors. The throttle has three big thumb buttons (useful for switching modes/sensors), a little thumb button I use for countermeasures, plus two finger buttons I use as clutch/modifier buttons which essentially triple the number of functions. On the throttle base are two more buttons I use for flap settings.
If you can afford a Saitek X52, you probably won’t think twice about getting one. But if you’re unsure, get the Hotas X – you won’t even notice what you’re missing.
Pros:
1) OUTSTANDING VALUE: This performs as well as something twice the price.
2) Solid Features: There is the ability to remap buttons, change joystick resistance and the joystick and the throttle can be separated if need be.
3) Compatibilty: Works on Windows 10 with FSX, X plane11 and Elite Damgerous
Cons:
1) Mediocre build quality: It is plasticky but you can’t really complain at this price
Summary:
This is for you if you enjoy elite dangerous and want an upgrade over standard controls. If you are new to flight simming this is also a great stick. I cannot, however, recommend this to pilots as there are better products out there for professionals such as this logitech yoke: Logitech G Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System .
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to comment below, I will try to answer them. If you found this review helpful in anyway please press the “yes” or “helpful” button.
For the money I honestly doubt you could get a better HOTAS. It’s less than 40 for crying out loud!! I gotta be honest; I wasn’t expecting much when I ordered this but I was most surprised by it’s build quality and functionality.
Works a treat with DCS World and Elite Dangerous and all buttons can be rebound easily. The Joystick itself offers good levels of feel and sensitivity which is very useful for DCS being a proper flight sim. My only remark is the z-axis (joystick twist) seems very all or nothing, but this is a minor gripe. The joystick is also comfortable and ergonomically designed with all the buttons within reach in sensible positions.
The throttle is light and smooth through it’s travel though it does have a notch in the middle. Which is great for Elite Dangerous as engines are either in forward thrust or rear but not so great for flight sims where a completely linear action would be better but to be honest you kinda get used to it after a little while and I have heard that it can be modified if one so desires.
It doesn’t have sucker caps on the bottom but it is actually quite heavy and I haven’t lifted or moved it at all while playing even when moving the joystick around fairly vigorously.
As far as longevity is concerned I can’t say at this point – I’ve had it less than two weeks but I hear they last very well if looked after – but first impressions are extremely positive. As I said, I honestly don’t think you’ll find a better HOTAS for less than forty quid. Top dog!
As many others have, I got this HOTAS set up to play Elite: Dangerous. I had been using an Xbox One controller before hand and it was… alright. It got the job done. I thought that a throttle and stick would enhance my performance and it really did.
It really enhances your immersion, makes you feel like you’re in the game. Especially when you free look at your hands and see the throttle and stick move with the movements you make.
Personally, the preset buttons aren’t great, and I might have had more fun if I had bound my custom keys better. Also, I decided to go for a slightly cheaper 2nd hand version and the top key on the row of three on the throttle didn’t work and it didn’t grip well to my table.
At times though, it can feel quite “hands off” compared to the controller. I took the trader/explorer route and it felt, when going to space stations that I’d just adjust to the trajectory, set the throttle and sit back and listen to a podcast or something whereas with a controller, one that can fit easily in your hands, can feel a lot more hands on.
Personally, it is a very high quality HOTAS to introduce someone into the concept or for someone casually playing like myself. It is very well priced (at time of writing) at 33 and has added immensely to my enjoyment of a game I already love. I think I’ll be using this for quite a while.
PROs
Detachable throttle control
Direct configuration for immediate takeoff!! (Cool or what)
Entirely programmable for PC and (PS3 – I can’t test this as I don’t have one)
Its Plug & Play (Litterally and Ive no issues with any version of Windows from 7 upwards)
Extremely easy to use
Dual-system control – you can rotate the handle or by tilting
High-precision with adjustable resistance – reminds me of my older force feedback pro
Wide hand-rest for optimal comfort – I like this having bigger hands
Weighted base for greater stability – ok as long as you go crazy lol
A PRESET button allows you to switch while playing from one programme to another
The internal memory allows you to save your programming even when disconnected
The MAPPING button means that all functions can switched around (great if you do things the opposite way to others)
12 buttons and 5 axles entirely programmable
Trigger for brakes (civil flight) or for rapid fire (military flight) + multi-directional hat (panoramic view)
The functions are pre-configured and are defaulted to the following on PC (Im using PC):
Flight Simulator X Microsoft
Microsoft Flight
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X.2
CONs
I haven’t found any yet, unless you compare it to FAR more expensive joysticks. But you need to spend a fortune to get better than this one.
In the box
Joystick
I purely bought this for ELITE, as many others before me have done, I reviewed loads of joysticks and reviews, noticed that prices ranged from around 20 to 250+ and to be honest for the price you get more bang for your buck with this than any other. Its well made, fun to use, works really well, and makes game play far more realistic. Is it perfect no, but its damned close. I would buy another one in a heartbeat.
The joystick brings me great joy haha (so funny, ain’t I), however, there is a few things I don’t like:
1. The throttle bit is just not heavy enough and it doesn’t stick enough. Every time I push it forward, the back bit lifts up. If you push it normally it’s OK but if you push it with a little force, it lifts up. It’s kind of inevitable as you’re most likely going to whack it to the max when you’re having a mad chase in-game as you need to act quickly. Solution to this could be just using tape or some sort of glue to secure the back bit to the table. EDIT: The throttle got a bit easier to slide over time, so it’s not so much of a problem anymore.
2. There could be a few more buttons on it, especially if you intend to play Elite Dangerous like I am. The ships in the game have too many functions for this joystick. If you don’t mind fitting the keyboard in between the joy and the throttle, you gonna be alright. It’s only a real issue if you’re playing with VR headset as you’ll have trouble finding the keys on the keyboard with the headset on.
3. The wire between the joy and the throttle could be a bit longer.
Other than this, it does what it says, has a great feel to it too.
DON’T FORGET TO PUSH THE SWITCH TO PC ON THE BACK OF THE JOY IF YOU’RE PLAN ON USING IT WITH A PC BEFORE YOU CONNECT IT TO YOUR USB PORT.
I wasted at least 45 minutes before I figured out why the controls are not working as intended.
Definitely great buy for the money, but if you’re looking to play ED with the joystick only, I advise you to find one with more buttons.
EDIT: After about 50 hours of use the joy started to have contact problems. If I pulled the wire a bit it disconnected from the computer. Roughly 4 months have passed since I purchased the joy, so I thought they might tell me to sod off if I contact them that I’m having problems, but they actually sent me a new one and issued me a pre-paid return label for the old one. This and the fact that some one of the initial problems I had (number 1) is fixed, I’m giving it a 5 star.
Good value for money, and not had any problems at all yet using it for Elite Dangerous. Why not 5 stars? It just feels slightly light and plastic. I suppose you get what you pay for and I think that the feel of the more expensive units is better. That having been said I wouldn’t pay the extra money for something that feels a little different.
I’m slightly confused as to what the “programing” is about as all it seems to do is provide the ability to swap buttons around. In my situation I’ve met that sort of need by changing the bindings in the game, not needed to get the stick to swap buttons around. Maybe some games need it?
I do like the ability to securely join the two halves or split them apart. it means that you can use it on your knee or on a table top..
The buttons are quite well placed, the only issue has been on finding the ones behind the throttle sometimes.
The T flight hotas X is a great bit of kit, if your consider its price. Its a product in a market place where you get what you pay for and this HOTAS is no different. Its pretty limited in the number of buttons you are provided but it does its job really well. If you use buttons 3,9 and 10 as modifiers you actually do end up with quite alot of functionality and the stick itself is really nice to use. There is a friction setting underneath and I found I had to tighten mine a bit from the factory setting for it to feel comfortable. Where I do find the biggest issue is with the throttle, its not stiff enough but it does stay in position. There is also a bit of an issue with the sensitivity of the stick itself close to the centre, I have found that putting a 20degree curve on the axis’s on DCS makes it fee much better. The hat switch is 8 way but it feels quite akward to use and hard to map the diagonal directions. The unit can be spit so that the throttle and stick are seperate but at the moment I use it exclusively attached together which gives it a nice weight. Excellent value for money but will only ever be a stepping stone to something much better.
For the price, this is a fantastic joystick. So far I have only used it with Kerbal space program, but it really does work well with this game.
The drivers from thrustmasters website installed quickly and the stick was detected by windows with no problems.
The stick itself is really nice in the hand, with buttons and the little hat joystick placed upon it well. If there was any criticism to be had it would be that the stiffness adjustment could be a bit tighter, even when screwed in fully it was quite easy to push the stick in any direction. The twisting action felt really nice though.
The 4 way hat joystick on the top feels really good quality with a nice positive feel to it.
The throttle controller is again nicely ergonomic with all buttons sensibly placed. It would have been nice to have some way of stiffening the throttle control like the joystick but it feels pretty good as it is. It can sometimes move about on my metal computer table when pushing the throttle fully forward, but its pretty rooted to the spot on other surfaces.
The hotas can be used as 2 units or joined together, which is a nice touch.
So far Im really liking this hotas, flying planes in Kerbal is so much more fun now.
A while ago I bought a combat flight game called Sturmovik: White Cliffs of Dover on Steam and I was looking at a flight stick to play it to its best.
I had looked at Saitek controllers which looked perfect but I could hardly justify the price. The Thrustmaster T-Flight controller is much cheaper than the Saitek devices and serves a similar purpose although it’s more simplified. But it has lots of buttons, throttle, rudder paddles (on the back of the throttle), hat, several triggers, stick and twist actions. It’s sufficient for most main functions in flight sims though most Saitek devices can map a few more. The throttle and stick are fixed together by a screw but you can separate them if you wish. Personally I think they work well next to one another.
It’s a comfortable controller with a weighty base and doesn’t creak in use. It feels smooth, solid and comfortable to play with and my biggest issue was simply remembering what button I had mapped to which action.
The game I’ve most enjoyed using it is not a flight sim but Elite Dangerous. This is a space ship simulator and really benefits from a proper stick controller. The Thrustmaster T-Flight really works well in the game although you’re still find yourself reaching for the keyboard thanks to the sheer number of mappings in the game.
Fantastic Product and not only because of it’s cheap price. I play Elite:Dangerous mostly and have been doing successfully for over a year with a xbox 360 gamepad. I thought that I wouldn’t gain much by getting a joystick for this. I had toyed with the idea but as I was happy and most joysticks are a bit pricey I put it off. Thanks to a link from a fellow gamer I received a link for this item when it was just 20. I am more than satisfied with the purchase.
For –
The stick, although the PS3 edition, worked perfectly with my PC. I run windows 10 and I literaly plugged the stick in and it worked. Elite:Dangerous even had some basic flight controls pre programmed in but I had to edit a few in the game which can be expected.
The build quality of the stick feels solid enough. It has a small alan key in the base that is used if you want to have the 2 sections either attached or seperated, you can fasten it with the inbuilt screws and it won’t budge. If you prefer to have the stick and handle seperate that is also an option. I have read somewhere that the cable that connects the 2 isn’t long enough but I didn’t find that the case. It actually has more cable underneath that just needs pulling out if you want it to go further.
The responce time on the stick is instant with no visible lag at all, my gameplay skill has increased a lot with the addition of the stick. I find myself able to make tighter turns and am able to follow enemies in my sight easier. I have no issue staying directly behind other ships now and am out manouvering ships that are supposed to be more agile than mine!
There are a large number of buttons on this stick that are fully programable within the game I play so I very rarely have to use the keyboard for anything.
Against –
The only thing that would improve this stick is an aditional HUD but other than that for the price this is probably the best thing to invest in if you are unsure and want to test using a stick before splashing out larger amounts of money for some of the other sticks!
Like a lot of people who have left reviews i bought this controller to play Elite Dangerous.
I have to say that i am genuinely impressed with this controller considering it’s sub 50 price. It is plug and play so you can plug it in and off you go and the construction is surprisingly sturdy (although plastic). Elite Dangerous has it’s own setting for this controller, however, i found this difficult to use. Fortunately in game everything is easily re-configurable so i quickly had a button configuration that suited me.
As i said in the title getting used to playing with this controller changes game play in many ways, but, this is a wholly positive experience for me. You probably find that there are various little tweaks you will need to make to get the controller to suit you. One example i can give is I had to desensitize the Twist Yaw control as, simply due the the angle and way i hold the controller, i was always yawing slightly to the right.
The buttons themselves are fully programmable for games (and other programs) outside of the game. To give and example I use Teamspeak for Elite Dangerous and other Games to communicate with others who play the game. One of the buttons on the throttle is set as my ‘push to talk’ button which allows easy communication.
Over all i am extremely impressed. I have used other controllers and yes there are ‘better’ controllers with more configurable buttons available. That said this controller is sub 50 and the others cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of pounds (the next ‘cheapest’ I’ve found is around the 100 mark). Put simply this controller does everything i expected it to and more.
On a final note, though i’m sure it’s been mentioned before, although the picture shows an ‘all in one unit’ the Throttle and flight stick can be split (which is how i have mine).
I gave it 5 stars and here’s why:
This HOTAS is cheap and is perfect to “try it out”. It doesn’t cost all that much as a whole system. Although it’s not as quality as other a lot more expensive systems. So as I’m left handed I didn’t know if I’ll like to use HOTAS and will I be able to use one as all of them are right handed. I bought this and had a BLAST with it in Elite: Dangerous. Couple of hundred hours and still going strong! This is a perfect product as a starting HOTAS. Now the pros and the cons.
Pros:
Really cheap.
Comfortable.
Compatible with most games.
Easy to set-up.
Quality for the price is marvellous.
Large hands – friendly.
A lot of axis.
A very good amount of keys for the price.
Decent base ensures that you won’t flip the stick over with a bit heavier hand.
Can control the resistance of the stick.
Cons:
Writings on they keys are gone (for the most used keys after couple of hundred hours of gameplay).
One of the keys on the stick itself is badly placed so you will have to train yourself not to push it.
Stick might get squeaky.
Overall the setup is great for starters and provides a good value.
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.
I have used this item for many hours a day, every day for over three months and am extremely happy with it. I couldn’t imagine playing Elite Dangerous without this HOTAS.
I bought this after trying the Saitek X-55 Rhino and the Thrustmaster Warthog. This item is over 100 cheaper than the X-55 and over 200 less than the Warthog so I was not expecting much. However it turns out to be absolutely marvellous – when split, the throttle and joystick sit neatly either side of my keyboard and so at a very natural spacing for control. The joystick is a good height, with a comfortable rest for the heel of your hand so your hand isn’t held up as high as with those other two systems and so produces less strain. The big plus is with the throttle, this is nowhere near as massive as the other two systems (which take over your desk) but is a delight to use with some great features. For example; the base has a “domed” (curved) upper surface so you can rest your wrist on it whilst still controlling the throttle lever and accessing the buttons. (The other two systems I mentioned give you a real ache in the arm and wrist after even a short time, not so this one.) The various buttons are well placed and are sufficient although of course a few extra and another hat switch would have been great but for the price you can’t complain.
I have had no issues with this item but even if the buttons failed or the axes became wild after the guarantee period, I could still buy replacements two times and still be cheaper than the X-55 and not have drivers issues not have some great lump take over my desk space.
In summary – buy this item – you won’t regret it.
The main upsides:
* Fairly extensive set of buttons and switches – they’re not as comprehensive as some, with a few notable omissions, but really not bad at this price-point;
* Robustness – some other reviewers haven’t been so lucky, but mine has been completely fault-free since I got it, despite a fair battering – and I’ve had no software-side issues, either;
* It’s a ‘proper’ HOTAS and feels like it – a world away from gamepads and joysticks and a real step up from the basic HOTAS I had previously.
The main downsides:
* Some questionable design choices – button placement is odd and apparently for someone with a markedly different hand shape;
* The overall feel of stick and throttle movement is very clunky, creaky and rather sticky, so control isn’t very precise or reliable – and I found the twist feature on the joystick is far too stiff to be at all useable (it can be locked off, but not loosened);
* The HOTAS is designed for both PS3 and PC – and if you accidentally knock the easily-knocked control switch, it stops working, which is really, really annoying the first time, because it looks like it (or the game) is malfunctioning until you finally figure it out.
On balance:
A good intermediate HOTAS, well worth the investment. It’s tricky and takes effort to get this working at it’s best – and it does have some real flaws and peculiarities one needs to adjust to – but it’s quite rewarding once you do. For the price point it’s at, I don’t hesitate to recommend it.
I’ve had this device for years now and its still going strong. With the reasurgance of both flight and space sims a decent flight stick is becomming a requirment of PC gaming again. This is a decent low entry stick for people who don’t want to spend 100+ quid on a saitek x52.
Its got a huge base, good for stability, poor for storage, the base can be split for comfort so that the throttle can be moved to a more comfortable reach. As far as buttons go there is plenty for standard input. The controller has both a rocker and a twist rudder, unfortunately they both use the same channel so you have to assign them to the same input in game.
It only has one high hat which is entirly digital with 8 directions, it would be nicer if this was analogue or there was a second high hat on the throttle.
As far as comfort goes I have no complaints or wrist strain. After several years mine has begun to feel a little creaky as it has taken a beating over the years.
The sensitivity for the main stick is only okay, the dead zone before it registers moment is quite large making fine adjustments quite difficult. If mm precision is important to you spend the 100+ quid on a saitek x52, if a solid stick with occasional use is what you require or your on a tigh budget this stick will do you just fine.
For games like Elite Dangerous or Star Citizen I find myself using the keyboard in my left hand for strafing and throttle controls and my right hand on the stick, having no analogue stick on the throttle means full 6 degrees of freedom you need to use keys. This is also only for right handers, I think any left handed person using this would feel incredibly awkward.
The unit feels great to use, although to be fair I’ve not used anything else I can compare it to. It certainly feels significantly better than playing the game with an X360 controller. It took a little bit of getting used to initially, but before long it was like second nature – I wouldn’t go back now. Other than mapping the controls, the HOTAS was good to go straight from unboxing. No modification was required to get a good mid-point on the throttle, no spring replacement required in the joystick – all things I understand some people need to do with other competitors.
My only concern with this HOTAS is build quality. I’m not concerned that it feels plasticky – for the price, I’d expect nothing more. However, while it feels generally fairly sturdy I often wonder how long it will last. I’ve been using it a lot for a couple of months now with no problems, but we’ll see what happens in the future. Having said that, I’m aware of many reports that the more expensive competitors have build problems all of their own, so keep that in mind.
It lasted 5 weeks of average gaming (20 so hours/week)
Good points, its a dirt cheap HOTAS, if you dont want to shell out 100+ for one.
You can separate it, although there is a connecting cable that goes between then (about 600mm long) but its kida gets in the way of the keyboard (too short).
It worked outa the box, 100% plug n play (for Elite: Dangerous)
Once i had set my profile up, and set the keys to do what i want, it was GREAT.
Its fairly big (if you have big hands you know the problem)
Downsides: Its made of chap components, and relies upon potentiometers for the joystick(wears out)
My joystick hand got uncomfortably hot due to the feel of the plastic, no synthetic pu or and kinda of thermal reduction
After 2 weeks it started to glitch and the lights flashed a few times, it did this several times more- unplugged and rebooted it- seemed to sort it..
5 week in, it died, after a dog fight with a viper.. there was a “click” sound in the base of the joystick, after that my ship just did barel rolls without any help from me, and i had to hold it to the far right to make it fly straight, made docking “interesting”.
Overall 7/10
Its a great piece of kit, but made from cheap parts. Having read more about the HOTAS`s in general there seems to be a huge issuse about quality control from several manufacturers.
Advice, if you have the cash, get a x52 pro, yes its +100 but should last a lot longer than this one did.
If not and you buy it, expect it to last under 6 months of casual use!
The Joystick worked straight out of the box, no lengthy installation process required and easy to connect with other games. All I had to do was plug in the USB, and it came calibrated already (but a nice clear configuration menu is provided).
This joystick is by far the best Joystick in its price range, as all of its competitors lack the throttle control and Z-Axis movement (you can steer the aircraft left and right by twisting the joystick). The build quality is not as good as the ones worth 100+, but its still good enough to not fall apart in your hands.
What I liked –
Good Compatibility- I have used this Joystick on War Thunder and Elite: Dangerous to great effect, and plan to use it on Microsoft Flight Sim soon.
Flexibility- The T-Flight can be separated into two modules to allow you to keep the throttle and flight stick at a comfortable distance. Plenty of buttons in good positions for key binds. There is also a dial underneath the joystick to allow you to adjust the resistance of the joystick.
What I disliked- Although the build quality is worth the price you are paying, the plastic does feel a little artificial, so if you are looking for an authentic feel then you might not get it with this. Also, having separated the two modules like I said above, I have to admit it is pretty clunky to reattach them.
I needed a Flight joystick and Throttle for Elite: Dangerous. I wasn’t prepared to go for a top class HOTAS at this stage and decided on a lower level. At the price I thought this might be too cheaply made but was not going to lose much if it didn’t work out. I was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the product. Thrustmaster have a very good name and reputation and this HOTAS does not let them down.
Build quality is sturdy and the weight is good for stability. Button layout is good and although only12 buttons in all, plus a HAT on the Joystick and a single axis control on the back of the Throttle, there are enough to give a good experience. The only really awkward bit is that the lead between the two parts is not long enough to fit a gaming keyboard in between. However, if you could, the Throttle and Joystick would be too far apart for comfort. I have got around this by using a Logitech G13 Gamepad for additional functionality which I have placed to the left of the Throttle. That allows me to keep hands on with the Joystick at all times in-flight whilst using the G13 for additional in-flight/combat functions. I would recommend this solution to anyone else having problems with trying to use their keyboard with the HOTAS. The G13 certainly fits the bill.
All in all I am very pleased with the product and its performance. For anyone wanting to buy a HOTAS for the first time, this provides a very good low cost solution particularly if you already have a gamepad for additional functionality.
It feels a bit cheap, but that’s because it is! Despite being mostly plastic, it works absolutely fine, the axes are smooth and the joystick stiffness can be controlled by turning a knob on the base. The only downsides are as follows:
It’s light, so unless you have the two pieces bolted together it is possible to knock them over if you’re being particularly energetic. I currently play with them attached together, although I have played with them separately and not really had any issues. You could easily fix this by glueing something heavy onto the bases.
There are fewer buttons than on many of the competitor’s products, however I have made it so that one of the buttons on the joystick acts as a ‘shift’ or ‘function’ key, meaning that different combinations of button presses can do different things (effectively I’ve doubled the number of buttons using this trick).
The throttle has quote a large dead zone with a noticeable resting point in the middle. This is only an issue when you’re trying to do very low speed manoevering as it’s easy to push the throttle from 0 to too high, and is hard to have the throttle on minimum without accidentally pushing it into the ‘off’ state.
I have to say that this Joystick/Throttle combo is an excellent entry level product! I’m having lots of fun using it to play Elite: Dangerous, and am looking now to add to my flight/space sim collection. I balked at the prices of the more expensive options, and I haven’t regretted my purchase one bit. Very much worth it!
I’ve been using this for a month now and I now feel it’s time to put my thoughts down. I only bought this for Elite Dangerous as I found the Xbox 360 gamepad a little awkward to fine tune flying movement, don’t get me wrong the gamepad is a brilliant bit of kit just not as good as the T-Flight Hotas X for this particular game. It’s very simple to set up but it does take some time to eventually settle on a configuration that’s usable in the way you like it, however as you progress through the weapons, utilities and ships you may prioritise this differently.
Used on a desktop it performs flawlessly, initially the thruster lever is a little jerky as you move back and forth through the scale but after some use it becomes smoother. I’ve not lifted it of the desktop yet from getting excited or frustrated. It become less easy to control if you have it on your lap the give in your legs makes for less precise movements.
You can separate the joy from the thruster if you want them further apart but the cable between them isnt long enough the be able to have one on each of an arm of a chair and be able to get up without moving one of the parts, shame it could have been a permanent fixture of my chair 😉
I purchased for Elite Dangerous primarily and with a decent set of bindings I can now play the game entirely on the stick without the need to touch the keyboard short of typing in information to the galactic map or browsing the commodity markets with the mouse. My current bindings allow me to have thrusters bound to the hat switch and have modifiers to allow free look in the keyboard.
I really can’t praise the stick enough for the money.
Pro’s:
Price – For the asking price this stick simply can’t be beaten
Construction – It’s plastic but it feel solid enough.
Usability – One configured to you choosing it’s a thing of pure joy
Con’s:
Controls – Only has one hat so you have to get used to using modifiers to get the most out of the stick.
Construction – It’s a sturdy thing but it’s not very heavy so it can tend to lift if you make fast movements and it does creak a bit due to the construction materials.
Overall I would recommend this stick to anyone. It’s a great introduction to HOTAS and should you want to upgrade to X52 or X55 at a later date there is good resale value to be had.
First week impressions- Really nice comfortable controls, plenty of buttons for flight SIMs, though you may find it only just enough for the more input heavy titles such as Elite:Dangerous.
I love that it can detach into two parts for those with broader shoulders, and I’ve stuck a Nostromo keypad in between in order to compensate for the lack of extra buttons in Space Sims.
The thruster feels big and sturdy in my hand, I haven’t played with the adjustable resistance on the joystick, but I can imagine that it’d be nice if you wanted a different feel.
It sits nice and steady on my desk, and it worked without any fuss on my PC.
At this point I’d recommend, definitely one of the better budget peripherals out there.
The controller itself feels nice and solid and is a good weight. It is made completely of plastic with no rubber hand grips or anything but it still feels a solid piece of kit. Straight from the box elite had support for this. It was however missing a few things mapped to buttons but this was easily done with the in game options and the buttons mapped to what I think it’s a better option.
The stick handles flawless. It takes a little getting used to after the xbox controller but not much. The controlled seem a lot more instinctive and easy to get used to. The throttle has little resistance when moving but has a good little centre zone that you can feel to let you know when going from forward to reverse and also holds it there easily for no throttle.
The fire buttons feel solid as does the buttons on the throttle. My only complaint is the one on the front of the joystick next to the trigger that I keep accidently pressing but time will get me used to that.
The joystick had a very, very small deadzone and in all truthfulness is very hard to notice. I only notice because I actually looked for it due to other comments here but it is no way as bad as others have said.
Overall this is a fantastic option for a budget stick. If you feel the need to have every button you may need mapped then you will need a more expensive option but with this I can do everything I need straight from the stick.
There are a few minor issues. Some people, myself included, have found the throttle initially works in reverse – just invert the binding for that. Some people, myself again included, have found one or more axes to be insensitive and/or sluggish – in this case it is well worth calibrating the device by going to Control Panel, Devices & Printers, right click on T-Flight HOTAS and select Game Settings. In the window that opens select Properties > Settings > Calibrate and run through the instructions. You should then find the stick responds more effectively and precisely in game.
Another slight issue I’ve had is the units shifting on the surface – during times of vigorous use such as combat (and a few particularly hairy dockings) I’ve found the stick unit can shift a little, but this will likely depend on surface and during combat in particular I keep the throttle at a single setting so I can free my left hand to steady the stick unit. I’ve also found the throttle is a slightly odd, clunky shape but I adapted to it very quickly.
Overall I’m very happy with it. In ED I used the various combat training scenarios to test and fine tune the stick and throttle and get used to it, and after maybe two hours I’m comfortable and happy with it – and I’ve already noted a significant improvement in my combat ability compared to pure keyboard use, particularly my use of yaw (the stick twists to yaw quite easily and comfortably, and the throttle has a rocker switch that is equally easy to use) and how frequently I hit the target.
This is a well made, well designed and user friendly way of enhancing your game experience. Given the option I would prefer more buttons and a slightly more ergonomic throttle but all things considered it is a good device for the price.
A genuinely great little stick if you are a casual flyer. Plastic but very solid with a strong base and adjustable tension on the stick.
It has some faults, true. Split the base and it becomes slightly unstable and a few more buttons wouldn’t go amiss; there is more than enough room for them. It’s also ugly, but that’s just subjective. The stick feels great in the hand but the throttle could do with more resistance and the centre feels a little wooly.
Having said that, to get something better than this you’ll have to spend another 100, the rocker switch behind the throttle works really well for yaw control (it also has a z axis for the same thing) and it’s plug and fly.
For what you pay, it’s great value for money. If you are looking for a stick in the 60-100 price band, buy this one and save some money.
After a bit review hunting of 12 year olds waffling inanely on youtube I decided I’d go for it, even if it was garbage I’d salvage the throttle and integrate the sticks buttons and functions into it somehow, for the price comparatively I had little to lose I thought.
Anyway the meat of the review, great stick, is it as good as a squillion CH, Saitek or it’s bigger Trustmaster cousins, no definitely not, but for the price it’s superb and I can’t fault it,, well,, except there isn’t a hat switch on the throttle but I guess fitting one would have potentially undermined the sales of it’s bigger cousins.
Stick side of things I have no complaints, the throttle however I wish the concave bevel in the top was flatter as it’s a tad uncomfortable for my quite large hands but again this is nit picking an otherwise well built and well functioned flight HOTAS setup.
Some people have complained about the deadzone/sticking point mid throttle range, personally this suits me down the ground as in Elite Dangerous that deadzone is the difference between launching my Cobra into a wall accidentally during take off and not.
Instead of doing the usual 5 or 1 star review, I’m being balanced and honest, it’s not perfect however it’s very very good but the lack of hat switch on throttle loses it 1 star in my honest opinion.
When I decided to buy a HOTAS setup it was because I joined the beta for Elite Dangerous, a game who’s development I’d followed keenly and was close to my heart given my gaming past. Given the time I had to spend playing I didn’t want to spend hundreds on a joystick, however I wanted solid functionality. This is where the T-flight steps in.
It is solidly built with a finish that is surprisingly good for the money that it cost. The joystick and throttle parts can be used separately or joined using the (included) allen-key. Installation was easy, with Windows 7 detecting it and installing it without a hitch.
It has a good number of buttons, although I feel that it could always do with a few more, especially for games where a million key bindings are the norm. If I had a single criticism it would be that the accuracy (or sensitivity) in the central area of the joystick is a tiny bit lacking. It’s a small point, and one that didn’t warrant a review star being lost given the excellent price position that this unit sits within.
For the money, I can’t see a better option. Highly recommended.
Awesome awesome awesome bit of kit – excellent gaming accessory and at this price is a no brainer.
Bought it primarily for Elite: Dangerous which it is perfect for – fully customisable keys and buttons and it works brilliantly.
I’ve only been using it for a few weeks but so far there have been no issues whatsoever – seems well made and should withstand many hours of gaming.
The only downside I’ve found has been mentioned by a few others already – when you split the left hand throttle section from the right hand joystick section the cable connecting the two is quite short..it isn’t even really long enough to be able to run the cable around the back of the keyboard, so it tends to just trail across in front of the keyboard…looks a bit messy, but doesnt really detract from the kit that much.
Cheap, works, looks good and makes you feel like a space gaming God! Let’s face it, who doesn’t want to use a real joystick and throttle and a real trigger in a space combat game 🙂
For the price, you can’t look past this.
The flightstick and thrust controls are detachable, which is fantastic if you have a low sitting monitor. You can effectively place the modules to either side of the screen to avoid it obscuring your view. The modules are connected via a cable and this could benefit from being an additional 2 – 3 inches in length, but it sits comfortably either side of my 24 inch monitor.
The Flight stick is responsive and tight. Yaw controls have good resistance and the ergonomics are comfortable. I didn’t experience any discomfort after a solid 5 hour play session. The thrust controls are also very comfortable with appropriate button placement. I could however see people with smaller hands having issues reaching some of the buttons without needing to reposition their grip slightly. The only (very minor) complaint for the thrust controls is that the ‘0% point’ feedback is a bit soft, meaning you’re not always certain it’s sitting at 0%.
The whole unit (even when detached) feels solid and has a good weight to it, meaning that you will be very unlikely to lift it off the desk, even when in intense combat situations.
No separate driver installation required (only tested under Win7). Completely PnP and detected by a lot of newer games automatically.
In summary:
It’s affordable, solid and high quality.
In my humble opinion, there is no need to spend more on a HOTAS.
I bought this to accompany my PS3 and the game IL2 Sturmovik. I found with using the DualShock 3 games controller I had trouble controlling my aircraft and the throttle at the same time. So I took up the game’s own recommendation and ordered the Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X joystick.
Had to return the first joystick sent to me because the throttle wouldn’t respond above 55%.
I’m pleased to say the replacement joystick works fine. It was a bit iffy at first. No response at all. Then jumpy as hell making it difficult to control anything at all. After about half an hour or s however, everything settled down. Must have been something to do with calibration perhaps It now works fine.
One point to note however. When investigating the problem with the first joystick I had received, my first thoughts were not to immediately return the joystick but to check out the ThrustMaster Support online. This was conducted by email and I was asked to download a couple of files and given instruction on how to use the software to recalibrate the joystick.
Sadly the files were .exe files that need a PC to run. As I do not own a PC I was unable to do anything to check the joystick out so I don’t know if the joystick was faulty or might have been fixed by the recalibration software.
It might have been helpful if I could have downloaded the software to run on my PS3. Luckily for me returning the joystick was no problem; made all the more easy by being able to take it to my Local Grocers SHop to return it. (Full marks to Amazon here).
Never mind though, it was just as easy to get another device from Amazon.
Bought this to use exclusively (so far) with EECH (Enemy Engaged: Comanche Hokum), and it’s been absolutely fine for that. Now been in use c. 6-7 months without problems. Programming very easy (although EECH needs JoyToKey or similar), responses good, adjustable tension a real benefit. Rudder slider a very useful feature if, like me, you dislike twisting the column itself; probably OK for fixed-wing sims but a little lacking in precision for controlling helicopter tail rotor.
Only really noticeable issue is that the throttle has a noticeable detent at 50% travel, meaning that (since it’s operating as my collective input) it can be a little tricky to make small alterations to collective around that point.
The fact that the two parts can be separated means it fits nicely on my desktop, and the overall feel is good and stable, though the rubber feet have some trouble gripping my desk’s veneered surface.
Would thoroughly recommend, especially if you’re a bit tight for cash.
After a couple of weeks of use, I got mixed feelings about this joystick.
As far as general feeling goes (how it feels in hand, handling, sensitivity, precision, etc), it is good – overall fairly better than my old Logitech Extreme 3D pro. The throttle in particular is absolutely great: fits very well in hand and the buttons are perfectly placed to be reached easily and identifiable by touch alone. In a way, I could fly blind with this joystick in hand.
However, the software is atrocious. The thing provided by Thrustmaster doesn’t allow for configuration profiles to be saved.
The only game that just works out of the box is MS Flight Simulator.
Others I’ve tried:
Battlefield 3 sees the buttons in a very awkward way: the trigger is actually seen as “pad down”, while the triggers 1 and 2 are the buttons on the right of the throttle stick (front side). Configuring the joystick to work is also a hassle and the throttle stick still doesn’t work as intended (eventually I settled to configure the two large buttons on front for “throttle up” and “throttle down” as the axis of the throttle isn’t detected properly.
IL-2 Sturmovik: I still couldn’t configure this joystick properly. Maybe it’s my fault but neither the buttons nor the sensitivity seem to work properly. Funny thing is that pitch and yaw work properly if I start a mission in the air but I can’t take off in any conditions (with default calibration, once I go full throttle the plane strays left and compensating right seems to be unaffected by sensitivity – the plane just turn right and keeps turning hard right no matter how gently I twist the joystick).
I am a left hander but found it no problem at all adjusting to a right handed stick, which surprised me. Both the throttle and stick grips are a good size and fit comfortably to the hand. The throttle is positive yet smooth with the buttons just where you want them on the hand grip for easy access, and are already configured for flaps and gear.
I’m using the Thrustmaster Hotas X with the throttle and stick separated. And they both sit nicely on my desk either side of my 17 inch wide keyboard. OK, the cable that joins them could have been a little longer, but to be honest I personally find the throttle and stick just the right width apart.
One little tip. When you initially set up the throttle and stick separately you might think the cable is way too short, but the extra cable length is wound underneath the throttle lever.
Overhaul I’m very pleased so far and have no hesitation recommending this product. And for the price you can’t go wrong.
Sometimes this type of purchase is based on hope and a wing and prayer because it’s difficult to find out what is and what is not compatible with the system you happen to be running. So you may find the following helpful.
1.The joystick is perfectly compatible with Windows 7, 64 bit operating system.
2.Just plug in to a USB port and it will install itself
3.Go to Devices & Printers, right click on the icon for the joystick, select Game Controller Settings, click Properties to perform simple tests to ensure the joystick is calibrated properly. Personally, it was OK and I didn’t have to change anything, so very simple to set-up.
The joystick is very good, sturdy, stable, has rudder control and separate control for the throttle (difficult to see from the photo on the box) and plenty of assignable buttons. If the cable between the joystick and throttle control was a bit longer (it’s 23″) I would have given it a 5 star rating – but it’s OK and just about manageable as is.
The joystick is perfectly compatible with IL2-Sturmovik Cliffs of Dover – this game is also compatible with Windows 7 64 bit, IntelCore i7, Nvidia GeForce GTX560M. They recommend a DirectX graphic card but I think it’s included on the CD when you install the game, so no problem – why can’t they just say that instead of burying the answer in “techno speak”! The more RAM you have the better, my game runs well with 8gB.
From a month of steady use I’d rate this Thrustmaster stick and throttle set very highly. I actually own one of Thurstmaster’s Cougar premium HOTAS sticks, but I just don’t have the desk space or the time required to configure it – plus out of the box it’s not the most responsive controller. In contrast the T-Flight Hotas X has a good feel. For me, this has a slightly more robust feel than I expect from the lower-middle rank of joysticks – clearly this isn’t in the same league as the pro-level sets, but at the price it opens up the HOTAS feel to the masses. I’ve taken to the virtual clouds in “Take On Helicopters”, “DCS A-10C Warthog”, “Aeorfly FS” and a quick attempt of flying in Arma 2. Each title either supported the joystick set with an installed profile or was quickly configured in-game. If you’re getting into flight sims and fancy getting a more immersive this is the perfect toe in the water. It won’t break the bank, but if you find you take to HOTAS you won’t immediately need to ditch the Hotas X for something more satisfying.
This stick actually passed my expectations as a casual sim-flyer. Nice solid bases and a very comfortable grip has meant I’ve been able to play for hours in comfort. The split setup also allows for better posture where I used to hunch over with my previous flight stick having the throttle control on the joystick base. No more aches between the shoulder blades. The T-Flight Hotas X is worth having, over the throttle on stick alternatives, for this reason alone. The Hotas setup (with 10 buttons on the sticks and 2 on the base) also means that most common actions can be performed without removing your hands from the controls. I also like the flexibility of the rudder control. This stick gives the option of twisting the main stick or a rudder rocker on the throttle stick – both analogue.
The stick was plug and play fine in Windows7 and I was flying within 5 minutes without any setup woes. The stick doesn’t come with any button assignment software but this has not been a problem where most controls are mapped in games such as Microsoft Flight and Flight Simulator X. For other games I have used Xpadder free version (a joystick/gamepad button mapping application) which has also added better functionality for the stick in games such as Star Trek Online or for the brilliant online free GE Flight simulator.
Is this stick nice to use? – You bet. Just jump straight in fun and no setup woes.
After buying this would I recommend it? I most certainly would.
Would I buy a more expensive stick in future? No. There’s no need. This stick does the job admirably.
I was using a Logitech Extreme 3D Pro before this and overall it feels like an upgrade. Unfortunately though, it is tarnished by a pretty major issue given it’s intended use, the deadzone.
I don’t play terrestrial flight simulators using this joystick but I do use it for X3 Terran Conflict. This game involves a lot of ‘spaceship dogfighting’ and precision is key when you’re trying to lead your target to land some good hits. This joysticks deadzone makes that pretty difficult.
Even with the deadzone set to 0% in-game and when using third party software such as DXTweak2 there is a still a noticeably large deadzone for the x & y axis. Thrustmaster in their ‘wisdom’ have not included any way to alter this deadzone from its hardware deafult, ie, its built in and it’s here to stay. Some people will live with this but for me it means the controller is not as effective for flight as my old joystick or mouse/keyboard combo. There is a screw on the base of the stick that allows you to loosen/tighten the main sticks resistance. Loosening this fully does help somewhat with the deadzone but it doesn’t resolve the issue.
Unfortunately the rudder control (stick twist) also has a huge deadzone by default. This isn’t as problematic as the x/y axis but it’s still not ideal.
I have emailed Thrustmaster technical support but I fear that the stick is “working as intended” so I’m not holding my breath. In my opinion though, 0% deadzone should mean just that.
Overall I would still recommend this joystick for most people. For the price it’s hard to argue. If you like very fine precision however then I’d look elsewhere.
I’ve rated this product 4 stars as for most people it’ll be great. It’s also hard to dwell too much on the deadzone problem given the price tag.
Thanks.
This is a chunky, quite heavy unit, so you do need room for it.
It comes in two parts, so you can have each one, where you feel comfortable, But I found the only slight problem. is that the Throttle quadrant on its own, tend to lift off the desk when you apply pressure to the lever, could have done with a couple of small succker grips, however, I was happy to combine the two using the instructions, its fairly easy, bit fiddly, but once its done and the allen screws tightened, it doesnt lift up at all, and I found no problem using it like this as, lever is well away from the joystick.
The one thing I really like about this Item is the preset switch, that allows FSX to operate , almost every surface without hardly any manual configuration.
In pratcice, it was a joy to use, the joystick I was very impresed with, it gave gentle banks to my aircaft which the trust one, never gave me, The sensitivity, was very good. theres also a Friction knob under the joystick platform, you can alter the stiffness of the Joystick, to your liking. The usual 5 pov axis top hat worked well as did the middle red barred large button, to change views, braking was achived with the usual Gun type trigger under your finger. Thrust lever is fashioned like a real one, with side buttons for Flap operation, and on the fron lower part is the button For Undercarrriage operation, it is possible to accidently push this while gripping the lever, But its not a problem really. It has other levers on the front for for trim and other uses, which I wont go into , as its in the manual. All in all, its an attractive item, well made, with PC or PS3 switches. If you looking for your first real pro type Throttle & Joystick controller, I can recommend this item.
When it arrived I opened it with excitement (I still feel like a kid at heart), plugged it in and that is where my woes started. This is not a review about that stick so I shan’t say any more about it other than I returned it as it didn’t work for me. This now made me think if there was any joystick that would work. I hadn’t originally wanted to spend too much on a joystick when I would only use it for one game.
After much reading of reviews and forums I decided that there didn’t seem to be a decent joystick at all (for BF3) however, I had since purchased Apache Assault and Microsoft Flight sim X and had more reason to pay a little extra. So I thought I would take a chance on the Thrustmaster HOTAS x as even if it didn’t work with BF3, it does with the others… and it works with the PS3 which I also have. The stick itself looked good and had plenty of features and buttons that I fancied with a separate throttle instead of a little lever that so many cheaper joysticks have. So I paid my 33 and waited with anticipation as I really didn’t know if I could get it working with BF3.
The Joystick arrived and I rushed to unpack it and plug it in (after joining the two main pieces; throttle and joystick; together as I prefer that configuration which sits nicely between my mouse and gaming pad). I checked it worked in windows with no drivers loaded and it seemed fine. I loaded up BF3 and……….nothing. It didn’t work. I had already followed instructions that other people had suggested such as removing all joystick commands from the soldier and land vehicle control assignments with the saitek. However, there was something I noticed in windows when I looked at the device. Not only was the Thrustmaster listed but also a VIRTUAL HID device which I am assuming had been loaded when I had plugged other joypads and things in in the past. So I went into device manager and disabled the VIRTUAL HID device which I actually thought might affect the nt52 but it didn’t and tried to assign the joystick axes and buttons within BF3. It worked! BF3 recognised the joystick and buttons and I was able to use it to control the helicopters; it worked like a charm (for some reason the jet controls are inverted but then I don’t fly the jets and if you want to invert the controls for jets you can but the helicopters will probably not be set up how you would like).
The feeling of the throttle which is light and good for bf3 so you can respond quickly meant I could react to events in the game as I had with the keyboard but also have a analogue control rather than on or off like you get with keys. I turned the resistance for the joystick to minimum and again this gave me a great degree of control and now I am almost as good with the joystick and throttle as I was with the mouse and keyboard (I have only had it one day – so I see that as excellent progress).
The stick itself seems very sturdy to me and is a massive improvement over the saitek for 13 more! it looks really great and although some of the buttons are not in the best places for me, there are enough so you can use those that work for you. If you want to you can “move” the buttons about, What that means is that you can assign the button numbers to different buttons if certain games don’t give you the option to assign controls. I don’t need to do that so I probably won’t use the function.
One thing I really like is that the rudder control can be managed with the lever on the throttle or twisting the joystick (you can turn a small to disable) and for some reason I use both to control the rudder. If you are happy using just one or the other to control the rudder you can separate the functions so that the lever and the twisting of the stick are seen as separate axes. I found the whole stick to be very flexible, incredibly sturdy (when joined together they are quite weighty).
For me it is everything and more than I could have hoped for and I am a very happy customer.
Although I live in the wilds of Central Portugal, the Amazon delivery service was dirst class. For products to arrive within 4 to 5 days free (on orders over 25) delivery is fantastic.
The Thrustmaster is very good value for money, well built and adjustable to your requirements. The only minor anoyances are as follows; The detent on the throttle in the central position, why is it there? The only thing it does is stop the smooth operation of the throttle and cause the entire quadrant to move/tilt. I would suggest either remove the detent or have some means of stopping the quadrant from moving, of course you can attach the quadrant to throttle but I feel that negates the whole idea.
I felt the instruction manual was a little lacking in detail but that’s it, overal the Thrustmaster is very good, you would have to pay a lot more money to get any serious improvement.
Still, thats the worst thing I have to say about this stick.
I bought it a few weeks ago as a replacement for my Saitek X-52, which I’d had for a couple of years, but was developing faults in some of the switches. Also, the drivers played havoc with other parts of my computer, most notably the mouse.
Considering I paid under 30 for this (although it was advertised under a slightly different description for over 40) I really can’t fault it. Incredibly simple to use – just plug it in, let Windows find it and install the drivers and away you go (unlike the Saitek!) Configuring the buttons to use with games such as Lock On and MechWarrior is a breeze. The only thing you have to be careful with is in making sure the “mode” selector is on the right setting. This stick can be used with a PC or Playstation 3, but trying to use it in the wrong mode can cause a good deal of frustration!
The only real faults with this stick / throttle combo, after being used to the Saitek’s weightier and better designed controls, is that both the joystick and throttle feel very light…although you do get used to this with time. Also the throttle doesn’t sit very well in your left hand and some of the buttons can be awkward to reach. This is where its lightness pays off, as you don’t need to grip it very hard. Just move it with the palm of your hand, making it easier for your fingers to find the buttons. I probably found it easy to adapt to this stick as I owned a Thrustmaster Top Gun Afterburner some years ago which is almost identical to this. I would also recommend using it with the stick and throttle separated, as I found using them connected became uncomfortable after a while.
There are enough buttons to cover all the main functions you’ll need with most games, including a very nice rocker switch on the throttle, which will really appeal to mech jockeys (torso twist!).
Pros: Price, ease of use, decent number of features, is both PC and PS3 compatible.
Cons: Controls feel light and not as ergonomic as more expensive sticks. Not as many features as higher priced sticks / flight controllers.
That said, I am very happy with this stick as it offers nearly all the features of my defunct Saitek stick, without the hassle of installing drivers and programming software, for a fraction of the price. You really can’t go wrong with this.
This is a good quality controller at a budget price. Generally it lives up to the advertised specification with no significant issues. It’s solidly made and very easy to install (no CD required, simply plug and play). I chose it primarily because the controller can be split into seperate joystick and throttle components and for adjustable centering spring force on joystick. I find it more comfortable to use with the controller split in two and the connecting cable between the two halves is more than long enough (over 60cm/24in). When joined as a single unit the connecting cable is neatly stowed within the assembly. There are four buttons on the stick, six on the throttle and a further two on the throttle base. That’s in addition to the eight-way hat switch on the stick. These fall easily to hand (or rather to fingers and thumb) as they are conveniently spread around the controllers. This is one of the nicest aspects of the design as it lives up to its name (HOTAS = Hands On Throttle And Stick).
Joystick spring rate appears to increase as you get near the end of movement. I would ideally prefer a constant rate, but it’s not a show stopper. A nice feature is that the throttle control has an alternative rudder input to the usual twist grip of the joystick. Either or both can control the rudder. The default configuration is four axis with the two rudder inputs connected in series, but it’s easily switched to a five axis system, splitting the two rudder inputs giving you an additional variable input to assign. For a combat game the twist grip rudder is perhaps more intuitive to use, but for less agile civil flight sims the throttle mounted lever offers more acccurate control. An illuminated pushbutton controls the four/five axis selection with a green or red light showing what is selected.
There are a couple of negatives, which are the only reason I have not rated it at 5 stars. Joystick movement range is a little less than I have become used to with my trusty Sidewinder joystick, but you get used to it. The adjustable joystick spring doesn’t make a lot of difference in practice.
It was a bigger and more sturdy piece of kit than I was expecting but I guess it has to be pretty weighty to withstand the strain of looping the loop in a 747. Resistance of the joystick itself can be adjusted using a screw underneath (although it doesn’t seem to make a huge difference). The throttle and joystick can be separated using the allen key provided but it’s still the wrong way round if you want to fly as pilot in an Airbus where the joystick is on the left and the throttle on the right.
I’d like to try other makes and types of joystick to compare with this one as joystick sensitivity is critical – particularly with the smaller aircraft. However, overall the Thrustmaster seems to work fine and I can’t complain.
My biggest gripe is there is no analogue hat switch so you can not move your head / move the camera – i.e no equivilent of the R3 joystick. It’s a real shame. Makes me feel like I’m flying with a stiff neck!
There are no suction cups on either of the bases, so get your tie wraps out. The cable that joins the two halves together is short, about 12 inches. There is a pretty large ‘dead zone’ in the middle of the stick.
However, don’t let this put you off. I’m a fan of this stick, and would recommend anyone to buy one, Hawx is so much better with it, but, want to make you aware it does have some flaws.