Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog – Joystick and Throttle for PC
Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog – Joystick and Throttle for PC
Control Panel with 5 Programmable LEDs
The product’s final mechanical component, the control panel, provides an extensive number and variety of controls. It includes a friction wheel, allowing users to manually adjust the resistance of the throttles according to their own taste. It also features backlighting for functions, which users will certainly appreciate for night flights; the 5 programmable LEDs are also a plus for use in dark or low-light conditions. The base includes a “trim wheel” and 15 action buttons, including numerous push buttons with resistance identical to that on a real airplane and industrial metal switches (2 or 3 positions) with highly realistic pressure.
Thrustmaster expert flying ecosystem
These products are part of a range of flight simulation peripherals that can be used in conjunction with one another: a complete ecosystem featuring the HotasWarthog, TFRP rudder pedals* and MFD* (Multi-Functional Display) cockpit panels. These elements are also compatible with the T.A.R.G.E.T advanced programming software**.
* Sold separately.
** Free of charge, available for download from the support.thrustmaster website
T.A.R.G.E.T advanced programming software** on PC
The HOTAS WARTHOG joystick’s deadly weapon is known as T.A.R.G.E.T (Thrustmaster Advanced pRogramming Graphical EdiTor). T.A.R.G.E.T is a software suite allowing users to test, configure and program Thrustmaster controllers.
In this way, T.A.R.G.E.T allows for total interaction between different Thrustmaster USB controllers, with simplified configurations in simulators, and the use of a single preset for all controllers, rather than having to use as many different presets as controllers. Finally, T.A.R.G.E.T includes built-in presets for well-known games (both recent and older titles), and lets users create new presets too.
** Free of charge, available for download .
| Dimensions: | 460 x 250 x 320 cm; 6 Kilograms |
| Model: | 2960720 |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Manufacture: | Thrustmaster |
| Dimensions: | 460 x 250 x 320 cm; 6 Kilograms |
| Origin: | China |
Pinky switch on throttle broken on receipt. Target software is far too complicated.
Apart from these 2 issues this is a serious setup for flight sims. Using it mainly for DCS and X-plane 12.
Very accurate controls, really like the weighted feel of the joystick & smooth throttle response.
All other switches ( excluding throttle switch ) work well with a very postive feel.
The stick and throttle are very well made, buttons and switches gives multi use, so very little need to use the keyboard.
The target software installed on Windows 10 with no problems and a quick jump over to YouTube for some simple video setups was the way to go. I appreciate that this product has a very high price and i did consider opting for VirPil, but given that virpil is manufactured in Belarus i decided to go with thrustmaster. I expect this product to last a lifetime, such is the manufacturing quality of this product.
Wonderfully solid and we’ll made but how come you have to buy an aftermarket kit from delta electronics to replace one poor switch ( hat and depress switch on throttle)
I am a professional pilot and also was once a crew chief on the real A10A in another life. This setup is extremely heavy duty and expensive. But it’s worth every penny. I will say that the expense continues. You will not want to use these things while they are sitting on the desk. They are extremely excellent quality and since they are very heavy, they stay firmly in place. But I bought a fantastic gaming/pilot seat complete with throttle and joystick mounts. I highly recommend bolting these things down. Do not drop them! Just like the real warthog, if you accidentally kick one of them while entering or exiting your ‘Cockpit’ you will most certainly damage a switch tor two! I am extremely pleased with this product. I highly recommend!!
Purchased for my son to use on his flight sim.
It developed a fault a few months in and was replaced immediately without any issues.
He has used a professional sim since and was given high praise for his control and dexterity.
This is very high quality and you realise it’s worth the price as soon as you open the box.
Received this early 2020, bought to play games like Ace Combat 7, Star Citizen!
As someone who’s never had any experience with a flight stick and thruster, it was tricky to figure out what buttons do what to begin with. Once I got the hang of it though, such a fun experience in comparison to using a controller or mouse & keyboard.
The build quality of the Warthog is top quality, really sturdy, the base of the stick and thruster are made of metal!
The only downside is I believe it doesn’t have the ability to twist as some HOTAS can!
Great heavy duty controls. Need large hands to reach all buttons. No rotaries on throttle grip. I miss them. But feels like it could take some aggressive use.
Programming is a challenge though.
Excellent quality product. Plenty of buttons and switches. Bought as a replacement for an X55, and mainly used in DCS so far, learning the A10C. Perhaps the X55 throttle might be better for some sims (eg IL2) as it has 6 axes rather than just 3 on the Warthog (nice to have the extra ones for radiators and things).
Also the Warthog has no twist grip on the stick, so ideally you need rudder pedals.
The stick has quite a stiff spring, so can be tiring to use for situations where you need to make lots of small, controlled movements, but with a 10cm extension it feels great – you can be very precise and the buttons are really satisfying to press, as you would expect if they are going to release a weapon.
Overall pleased with the purchase. Hopefully it will last as well as it feels like it will.
The product is good and I quite like it got even x plane 11, although it had a little bit of play in the throttle handles and I’ve been reading into it and it seems like everyone has it due to a lower build quality.
If you want a HOTAS that feels real, then you cannot be disappointed by this setup. Well worth the price.
With native support in DCS it really couldn’t be more realistic and the heft and quality means precision and durability are unbeatable.
With so many switches, buttons and axes, configuring for any alternative use is just as good.
With options for extensions and adding grips as well, it’s hard to find any way this could be improved.
I bought this on 10th of November 2011!!
Still working like a dream after nearly 8 years, not had one single problem with either the stick or throttle. It might be a joystick for a plane but its built like a freakin’ Tank! And nearly as heavy as one too. It’s 99.9% metal construction, in fact i’m not even sure ANY of it is made from plastic.
The T.A.R.G.E.T. software is not for everyone (i’ve used it on and off over the years dependent on the sim i was flying and whether TARGET was a better or worse option than Windows Direct X native programming. But if it runs ok on your OS then have at it! Works seamlessly with ALL the major civilian and miltary flight sims i’ve owned (and i’ve owned most of them since the early 90’s.) Yes, i know this particular HOTAS wasn’t around in the 90’s! 😉
Over the years I’ve owned the Thrustmaster FCS and WCS, the FLCS, F22 FLCS and the Cougar HOTAS Stick/Throttle. I can honestly say that no other PC flight sim HOTAS has ever achieved the same level of realism and reliabilty, IMHO!
Worth every penny if you’re a hard core flight sim jockey! Buy it…..NOW!!!
Come very well packed in 3 boxes protected well upgrading from a x52 pro hotas the feel and quality from the TM warthog is truley amazing the stick alone weighs more than the entire x52 setup it feels real. It is a pricey product and i was sceptical about buying this but glad i have now if your serious about flight sims get this if you can affoard it you will not be disappointed
If your looking for a plug and play HOTAS as soon as the game loads, you maybe disappointed as this gear needs setting up in almost all simulators, and that’s even if they already support this gear. You will need to download scripts and activate them within the Target GUI programme (Thrustmaster setup), I found this to be a pain initially but soon reaped the benefits when I got it right, it is not rocket science by any means but is time consuming, and you only have to do it once
That is the only drawback to this HOTAS, but if you want the best, this is most definitely worth the extra effort! I would get a stand for these too, the one pictured is from Wheelstand Pro, and they can be found on Amazon.
Works brilliantly with DCS Warthog BUT needs a set of pedals (at extra cost) as it does not include rudders. Will also work with other flight sims but support is sketchy. The joystick and buttons will always work, the throttle might work, the throttle definitely doesn’t work as a cyclic if you are flying a helicopter and it can’t be used as a throttle if you are working a train sim, so it’s DCS A10 plus pot luck with everything else.
I really can’t imagine any better HOTAS. I was previously using something far cheaper and plastic. To be fair to that unit, it was great and did the job well, but fluid, fine movement wasn’t possible due to plastic on plastic movement. Maybe some grease might have fixed that short term. I opted to replace it entirely.
The Thrustmaster gear just feels superb to use. More subtle movement feels a lot easier. All the buttons, hats, etc, are all well placed. It’s easy to get set up and running with minimal effort. I’m mainly using this for Elite: Dangerous, Obviously, this is designed to mimic an A-10C but it works pretty well for space ships, too!
yes, the price is steep, but you will be glad you invested in the Warthog. Quality metal construction, of both throttle and stick, solid buttons and switches that feel firm to the grip and will not snap or break, with a bit of pressure.
Thrustmaster have gone the distance with its Warthog and you can feel the quality, when using a sim – responsive and sturdy, no snapping off bits with this beast, when you have to perform a sharp manoeuvre in your simulated vehicle.
I use it for DCS and Elite Dangerous, without difficulty, the sheer amount of buttons and switches makes this an immersive experience in gaming and you do get Thrustmaster’s T.A.R.G.E.T software, which has its strengths and weaknesses.
All in all, this is not a toy, this is a serious piece of kit and will improve your simming no end, the construction is solid and weighty and feels vastly superior to other products on the market. The packaging is satisfying too, which also protects the Warthog well, during transit.
I cannot recommend this enough and have been after this for a few years, now I have it, I know the wait was worth it,,,,this is a beast!!
Bought to replace an 8-month-old X56 that had bitten the dust, I’m now wishing I’d purchased one of these a long time ago!
Exclusively used for Elite Dangerous it’s finally allowed me, with some clever scripting written by Aussiedroid, to map everything that I had on an iPad and keyboard and play the game without removing my hands from the controls, aside from Lavian Brandy intakes.
Feels remarkably sturdy, great weight to both the stick and the throttle so absolutely no movement on the desk.
Great purchase.
Great gift! I got this for my partner who works in aviation and he was so impressed with the quality. He was overjoyed with the performance and how it picks up on the littlest of movement on sims.
Only problem I had was that I had to send one back as the first one got delivered in just the original box/packaging! Aka the box was a state and anyone could have got in and tampered with it having had it left out on my door step in the rain and no tape or anything. Having spent so much money on this gift I didn’t want to risk even opening it and luckily Amazon sent another one for the same price ( the price went up 50 by the time it got delivered)
Overall great and don’t think it will be needing to be replaced anytime soon.
If there were 6 stars, it would have got them all !!
I’ve loved this flight stick & throttle from afar for years…
It was well out of my price range (nearly 500), I was actually in the market for a new stick, after buying the fantastic X Plane 11. ..
You can’t go & get ‘Hands on’ when buying computer equipment, like you could in the old days (just about every computer shop used to have these things on display, so you could try b4 you buy)
So you have to read other people’s reviews, & try & read between the lines
I knew this Hotas Warthog was good, just from the number of 5 star reviews it’s got !!!
And I agree, any stick after this one is going to feel like a plastic toy !!
I love my flight sims, it’s a way of escaping real life for a while, & becoming a fast jet fighter pilot for a few hours is probably one of the better escapes !!
Maplins had this stick on a Web deal for 279.99 !!!!!!!!
I couldn’t get the money out of the bank quick enough! !
Thank you Maplins
Cmdr Matty MayheM.
I took a big gamble with buying this. I was very tempted to buy a cheaper product that does the same job, but after reading a few reviews I decided to spend the extra money. What I wanted was a joystick that didn’t have that scratchy resistance feeling that I had felt over many years of buying cheap joystick. I can say for sure that it was worth the money and the movement of the joystick is perfect. The thrustmaster’s hotas warthog software that goes with it isn’t the best and I avoid using it but to be honest I have not found much problem not using it.
I’ve used the thrustmaster’s hotas warthog for DCS World, IL2: Battle of Stalingrad, Elite Dangrous and ARMA3. I find the joystick is extremely sensitive and a basic 20% curve and a small dead zone is a must.
If you fly the A-10C get this one, if you get an X52 or something you will probably just end up switching to this one eventually anyway
so its going to cost extra money than if you just got this in the first place. Button layout is exactly the same as what you see in the aircraft which makes it 10x easier than trying to emulate everything using the X52, You can also modify these easily and improve for example the length of the stick, again making it more realistic.
After several cheap,nasty Saitek products (I am still using the Saitek yoke – my 2nd one until Thrustmaster or someone else make one), it is refreshing to receive such a well built controller.
It uses hall sensors, so none of the spiking pots which all Saiteks suffer from after a short time, and all the switches feel solid!
Can’t recommend it highly enough.
Some reviews criticise the switches/buttons, as a lot of them are toggle switches, which are hard to customise in game menus, but using the Thrustmaster Target software, the possible control options are limitless.
I have it set up with Elite and DCS, and it is perfect!
Solidly constructed. Excellent response from the throttle and joystick. One of the hat switches on the joystick is a little sticky in one direction. I probably should have returned it, but with so many alternative switches, hats, and buttons it’s not a problem for me. I haven’t seen much support for this kit in the gaming/sim world but if your software does support it (eg. DCS World, Elite Dangerous) you won’t regret getting this top of the line joy and throttle.
EDIT – after having this kit for over 3 years I can confirm that everything is still working well. I had to remove a rubber washer that got deformed from the flight stick, but it hasn’t affected the operation.
Having owned this for a few months now i will give my opinion.
It is a heavy beefy piece of kit, sit it on the desk, and be prepared to work out when you want to move it!
It is very fluid in it movement, no jerky movements, it is great, and very well put together.
I have owned various other HOTAS, and they were ok, or even good- right up to the point of breaking- in some cases it was broken out of the box – Saitek/madcats- Never again!
pros and cons
++ it is solid metal, Solid- OH YES – the joystick part that you hold on to with your right hand weighs more than my old X55(which was good, but cak build quality) and that is not even including the base- it is solid.
++ it is heavy, and will not slide about your desk like a lot of the other ones.
++ it is great for Elite Dangerous
– No twist yar, which is not that big of a deal, as i simply use the secondary trigger to move left/ right (it has a 5 was switch – l/r, up, down and press to fire). Once you get used to doing it, it feels natural.
– It is quite a price, BUT you get what you pair for- having killed 5 X55 rhinos in under 1 year, due to the utter inferior build quality, this beats them hands down!
Overall i`d say if you are a serious game, and want a quality piece of kit VS as expensive piece of plastic(Saitek) then get this one, if you cant afford it, then wait for the Thrustmaster thruster block (estimated 100) and get a t1600 flight stick with it.
Basically this is the dogs dodads of the HOTAS world- just buy it, and you wont regret it- only your bank manager(or wife) will…
What to say it’s the best piece of hardware I ever had.
From the box to the final product is something you don’t want to miss.
Is quite heavy, almost 4kg the whole combination but it worth every penny.
The Flightsick it has an awesome grip, every button is at hand and the metal feeling gives you an almost real immersion sensation.
Trhursters, separated or altogether, when you are hands on it you have the feeling of being piloting the real thing. The switches an additional buttons are a nice touch.
Cons: Target software is a nightmare to configure and use if you are not fond with json.
The stick has no Z axis for rudders, so if you are not planning to have your pedals, you will have to configure any of the POV or sliding controls to control your yaw.
Summary: if you are looking for the closest approach to be in the cockpit of a real combat plane, this is your option. If you only want to have fun and kill some stuff all the way… there are cheaper HOTAS options for you, this one is a lifetime investment for a serious flight experience.
However, I pulled the trigger and now I wished I had done this a lot earlier.
Both units just ooze quality and for some reason you know when you are using the joystick that it is made of metal as opposed to plastic, it just feels like metal. This might be a minor thing, but it really does add to the immersion of being in control of a real aircraft.
The first time I used it with DCS’s A10C resulted in a huge ear to ear grin. Being able to change display modes and move the caret around on all three displays without having to take one’s hands off of the controls is a godsend.
The joystick is a little stiff compared to other joysticks, but at least in my case, the movement is very smooth. It’s just a joy to use.
If you are on the fence and do a lot of simming I would get hold of one before production ceases like it did with the earlier Cougar model.
Superb top-quality HOTAS with rugged metal construction and deceptively ergonomic design worthy of an aircraft. Has more switches than you will ever need: never have to touch your keyboard again while playing Elite Dangerous!
The use of scripting software to manage certain aspects of the switch inputs is advised, but this is simple to use, there are many online guides on how to make the best use of it, and it can be downloaded completely free from the Thrustmaster website.
The most prominent issue with this HOTAS versus it’s competitors is the lack of Z-axis input (typically used to yaw a craft left or right) but the most authentic way to yaw in any flight sim is to use pedals anyway. Alternatively, the throttle has four analogue inputs, two of which make great inputs for the yaw, or one of the many hat switches can be assigned to yaw as a digital input.
Already clocked in several hours with none of the reported sticking issues cropping up. Flies like a dream.
I originally intended to buy the Saitek X55 Rhino, but was turned off due to greatly inflated prices presumably due to high demand for that product.
The thrustmaster is currently a much worthier investment despite still being slightly more expensive — and the quality is really on display with every aspect of this HOTAS. I would recommend it even if the X55 was still about a third cheaper.
It is nice, but it’s very heavy.
There are many, many, switches and buttons on it.
The action of the joystick is heavy too, it’s possible to lift the baseplate off the desk by moving the stick fast, which, given the weight of the baseplate, is surprising. It would be tiring to use for a long time, and the handle is all metal, so it is cold to the touch, if you suffer with cold hands that may not be ideal.
The build quality seems to be superb.
The product has a high quality feel, the buttons and switches all feel great. The thing is huge and is extremely heavy.
The product can have some stiction issues, which can be fixed by dismantling the device and regreasing, which is not ideal. I personally have not had this issue.
The only issue I have had is the paint peeling slightly on the trigger which I think may have been caused by the cleaning using polish on it.
Opted for these because i had the extra cash and do not get the wrong idea they are an expesive purchase, and you have to be a pretty serious sim user to bite the bullet tbh, also bought the `TRACKIR5` to complete my initial sim return set-up which is something definatly worth getting too!!
Pros: but will outline the pros and cons below
Pros:
Amazing all metal construction
Serious weight, feels expensive
Look the total business
many profiles
They have a learning curve (sim players are prepared for this)
Cons:
Pricey
Heavy
not for the faint heated
Get these you wont regert i
I wish I had found these two much earlier. As another writer put it, ‘this has transformed my flight simulator’. I whole heartedly agree! Yes, there was the downside of losing rudder for my flight sim, so the rudder pedals have now also been purchased. What a great combination and AGAIN I would suggest this transforms my enjoyment of my flightsim.
I’m not sure why anyone would feel the need to actually screw these two to a worktop or similar as they are pretty heavy, but there again I am not a combat flightsimmer!
The ultimate test was having a pilot here the other evening who used the controls to land a replica ATR (passenger aircraft) at a municipal aircraft. OK, so it was a joystick rather than a yoke but he was very impressed with the controls and landed the aircraft perfectly.
Save the money, buy and enjoy!
Both the throttle and joystick feel solid and smooth. The switches are good quality and the all round build quality is impressive. I would have given 5 stars if not for the fact that the DIN socket in the base of the joystick was loose, meaning a replacement was required, disappointing first impression from such an expensive hotas setup. After receiving the replacement however, I have been more than happy with the product!
This HOTAS combination is very high quality and is heavy / robust too. I attached mine to the table with screws and was also able to remount the joystick on to the base plate so the base plate was in a lenghtwise direction not portrait so as not to overhang my desk when it was positioned at the right length for my right hand to use. The AXIS controls for Roll, Pitch, Yaw and Throttles are the smoothest I have ever used.
Of course you can programme the buttons for most flight sims, but if you use it with the DCS A10C Warthog Simulator, the integration is very immersive – I would highly recommend this HOTAS system to all combat flight simmers.
One ‘side effect’ of purchasing this system is that I lost the rudder function of my old joystick. I tried getting by, mapping rudder to the small grey slider on the HOTAS unit, but it felt very hamfisted. I plucked up the courage to tell the missus that having already dropped the money on this beauty, I also needed to buy rudder pedals, and wow what a difference. If you don’t have pedals this is something you really should consider. My advice? Get this Warthog system and get a set of pedals! Then take the other half out to dinner and be on best behaviour for a few days!
Quality quality – Hefty and a pleasure to hold,Yes it works out of the box, but I need a handbook for the handbook DON’T PLUG IN until TARGET has been installed.
SOOOOO Smooth I can actually get behind the tanker and not be rocking the throttle back and forwards, bobbing and weaving behind the basket.
There is a lot of information on the internet, I’ve had it a week and learning about ‘profiles and where to put them etc’ Will take ages to learn how to set up, but so glad I got it. Packed VERY WELL, thanks Amazo
Wow. This product looks and feels totally amazing. The weight and heft is like nothing else I’ve ever plugged into a PC.
Good points : excellent smooth stick./ throttle, fantastic finish, well packaged, looks like the real deal, lots of programmable functions using the TARGET software downloaded online. The ergonomics are MUCH better than the Saitek X55 and the joystick action is miles better. Software will combine the HOTAS with other TM products like the Cougar MFD for maximum functionality. Buttons have a great feel and ate all in the right place. Accurate A10C replica.
Less good : Take care attaching the joystick – you can easily bend the pins. One or two toggles on the throttle do nit feel as solid as tbe rest. Costly.
The reputation this HOTAS system has amongs PC flight Simmers is well earned, i knew i was in for a quality HOTAS but only after holding the cold metal in my hand (pretty much no plastic on this beast AT ALL) and shire weight could i appreciate this for my self
this is my first HOTAS system comming from an old MS FFB2 and boy was i in for a shock , i didnt know you can have such accurate control in your hands
all in all – the price is reasonable and it will be the last stick you`ll ever own!
I’ve now had the joystick for about a month and it works like a charm.
Probably the best on the market and it really gives you a sence of realism.
So far i have no trobles with it but i’ve heard that for some, the throttle have stopped working and had to send it back to repair.
The price is still a little bit big and i seriously doubt that the production cost is so high that they need that high pricetag. But if you are like me and really want it, then go ahead, it’s one hell of a joystick that won’t dissapoint.
Btw: sorry for my bad English and grammar 🙁
You can spend an absolute fortune on flight sim stuff to get realism. There are guys forking out tens of thousands to get the ultimate realism. You can also get set up for about 100 with a joystick and have a bit of fun. And then there are products which cost quite a bit more but add immense realism to the experience without costing a fortune. The Thrustmaster Warthog falls into this category. Your ability to connect with the aircraft you’re flying comes down to your joystick and throttle. This gives you a load of controls you can configure and the quality and feel is like the real thing (I am a real pilot). Compared with a 50 joystick this may seem expensive. But what you’re getting is a replica of the real A-10 joystick and throttle and it seems to be built to the same spec. Almost everything is metal and switches and controls have a firm definite feel to them. The backlighting is really novel too.
Although this is modeled on the A-10 (military aircraft) you can use this on any aircraft type including Cessnas or airliners. Thrustmaster include some configuration tool to program the buttons but you can do this from within FSX as it’s recognised as a standard joystick. I would, however, recommend a tool called FSUIPC (written by Pete Dawson). This works with FSX and allows you to create different configurations of input controls such as this, for each aircraft you fly. So for example you can use FSUIPC to configure a 4 engine aircraft so that your left throttle is engines 1 and 2 and the right is 3 and 4. You can also adjust the sensitivity to give much more control over the lower end of the throttle range. Additionally it allows you to configure your control for helicopters, e.g. left throttle is collective and the right is throttle. Combined with this joystick this tool is awesome. FSUIPC just picks up on your aircraft and switches automatically. So if you buy this joystick and throttle I would recommend checking FSUIPC out. (Disclaimer: not affiliated with FSUIPC nor Peter Dawson, just an honest recommendation).
If you spend 10+ hours a week on flying games, then you will really appreciate this equipment. It’s solidly built and looks amazing. If you’re more than a hobby/occasional flight sim enthusiast, and don’t want to be spending several thousands, then this has to be top of your list, with a set of rudder pedals and if you’re into airliner flying then an autopilot, and perhaps some radio/nav modules. I have tried other offerings in this price range and can tell you these are the absolute king, and you’ll feel like one using them.
I had the Saitek X52 since i came out (back in 2005 I believe) and gave me countless hours of fun, mostly with Lomac, flaming cliffs,black shark, Flight simulator 9/X and IL2 and lately with DCS A10C. But the TM Warthog just plays in a different league.
The thing is huge, and when i say huge i mean it, the base metal plate of the stick is massive. Both Throttle and Stick are very sturdy, heavy and feel great.
It is very precise, you need to apply much more force to move the stick that in the x52 (which seems like a kids’ toy in comparison)
The TM Warthog is an exact replica of the A10C, so flying DCS A10C is now much, much better, some tweaking in the default mapping and you are ready to go, but i also used it with BlackShark 2 and FSX and it is great.
The split throttle has the idle retention, and a piece of plastic to install if you want the afterburner retention in case you flight jets.
The TARGET software may look complex to program, but it is very powerful once you learn how to use it. Still have some stupid bugs, like mapping the period key and stuff like that. Nothing that a patch cannot fix.
If you are serious about flying, this is the way to go.
These are my forth flight sticks from Thrustmaster and by far are the best. While i was disappointed with the cougar due to wear on the flight stick and no proper fix, I decided to purchase the Warthog Hotas. While i havent had them long they work great and feel like the real deal. I use them with a bunch of different flight sims but they truley stand out with DCS A-10C Warthog software. I recommend these flight sticks to anyone who is seriously into flying as you will never have to touch the keyboard once you learn how to program the sticks to your liking. You will not find better flight sticks than Thrustmasters. Good luck and check six!!
More than enough has been said and written already about this wonderful controller, so I am not going to throw in yet another bunch of relatively meaningless “WOW”s, “IT’S JUST FANTASTIC!”s etc. Let’s talk about some picky details, and some practical considerations, that are less often reported in user reviews, but are equally as important BEFORE you buy the product, as reading the WOWs of happy owners LOL!
1) It IS BIG and HEAVY! Especially the throttle part. So make sure you know how you plant the two devices. No flimsy shelves here! The stick is tall, meaning that if you place it on your desk, it will be in an even more acqward position relative to your body. This stick almost REQUIRES lower-level installation somewhere between your legs. Remember, unlike the COUGAR, which was modelled after F-16 Block 50 – a side-stick type of cockpit, the Warthog replicats the stick of A10, which has a centrally located stick.
2) Stick stiffness is very comfortable: it’s softer than the original HOTAS Cougar, the older TM F22Pro/TQS combo, and muuuuch smoother than the ancient TM X-Fighter. Much less of a workout gear than previous TM’s top controllers 🙂 And, because of this, it’s a lot more stable free-standing on the desk, especially given a much larger (and heavier) base plate.
3) Throttles are trickier. While the movement itself is smoother than HOTAS Throttle (even with tightenend tension adjustment mechanism), however, detents are where all the fun starts. As you can read from reviews, Warthog throttle allows you to have one or two detents: Cut-Off and WEP, or just the Cut-Off. You can remove the WEP detent, but there’s nothing you could to with Idle Detent. Both detents require handles to be pulled up a little to come over the detent. They’re spring-returned down once past the detend point. There’s no user-friendly way to adjust the spring force for the “pull-up” function, and unfortunately, the spring is IMO way too stiff. The result is immediate: this heavy beast jumps up every time you pull the handles to go over detents. The only way to avoid it is to somehow fix the throtte base on a surface.
4) The new programming interface (T.A.R.G.E.T.) in my view is worse than the original FOXY application, it’s a lot less obvious. However, it’s powerful, flexible and does the job. Just takes time for us old-school Cougar users to get used to it 🙂
5) Connection and DX functionality. There’s one thing I would like to note here. Unlike Cougar, the stick and the throttle each have a separate USB cable that plugs into the PC. For the users, it means two things: first, you will need more ports than with almost any other HOTAS on the market (Cougar, Saitek X52/X52Pro/X65F etc). Second, by default DX will see two separate controllers. It’s not a problem for most modern titles, because they can interface with multiple DirectInput controllers. However, if you want to run a REALLY ANCIENT title, which only knows how to work with one DX controller, you’ll not be able to use it in default mode.
To fix this, T.A.R.G.E.T. can COMBINE the two into a single virtual HOTAS WARTHOG controller, which is a fantastic feature. The only downside is that you’ll lose some of the DX buttons as the total number of physical buttons/switches on the two is beyond 32, which is the current DirectInput limit per single controller ID.
That’s about it, folks, hope some of you will find this review useful.
Clear skies!
SV_huMMer out.
I had two bricked units in under a month both due to the same catastrophic failure inherent in all Warthogs in relation to X58 chipsets.
Seems someone at Thrustmaster didn’t do their Quality Assurance homework on one of the most popular boards on the market the result being many bricked devices.
While some Asus or X58 chipset motherboard owners have unbricked devices it is usually because they have run them via a external powered usb hub and NOT connected to the main board.
Please consider carefully before buying.
The HOTAS itself is wonderful, a complete joy to use; the level of mechanical excellence, detail, realism and quality is up to Thrustmasters usual standards.
If you ever owned a TM Cougar expect a product at least 100% improved in almost every way, that TM could improve so much on a HOTAS system (Cougar) already considered the best is astonishing.
For prospective Asus/X58 chipset buyers please google ‘thrustmaster warthog unrecognised usb device’ or ‘warthog throttle not recognised’ and finally ‘bricked warthog’ in order to make an educated decision.
Hopefully Thrustmaster will roll out updated firmware sooner rather than later……
edit. Since I wrote the original review I discovered that an easy way to bypass this issue is to use a powered USB hub as well as dis-connecting the HOTAS before shutting down the pc. If you follow these simple instructions you won’t have any problems with the X58 chipset motherboards.
edit 2. TM have resolved the issue with a firmware upgrade meaning that all new Warthogs are safe with all X58 motherboards.