You’ll still need the best gaming mouse and keyboard to navigate the menus, but the flight experience and immersion are actually enhanced when paired with a smart joystick or a HOTAS (handy throttle and stick) setup. it’s just one of many uses: you can use a joystick to take down enemies from your starfighter in Star Wars Squadrons, so opting for a compromised joystick instead of employing the more productive PC controller is a wonderful way to improve your accuracy and immersion.
A simple all-in-one HOTAS controller combines both the throttle and the flight stick, while a dedicated flight wheel with multiple instrument panels and a triplet of the best gaming monitors can create the ultimate flight simulator setup. The amount of cash you’re spending on a flight sim setup can vary massively, so to ensure you’ve got all of the options we’ve rounded up the best pick for every price point and use.
Best PC joysticks in 2024:
This Thrustmaster joystick is the ultimate.
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Specifications:
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The Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog is the most productive premium PC joystick for good reason. The Warthog is modeled after the joystick found on the genuine U. S. Air Force A-10C aircraft. U. S. The joystick has gone through many stages of progression and the end result is a product. with steel structure and laser precision. It is the most productive flight simulator joystick if you can afford the highest price.
The HOTAS Warthog has 55 customizable buttons and hat switches to ensure that you can fly any digital aircraft – be it military, civilian or spacecraft. This quality does come at a premium as the full set has an MSRP of $549.99 (£449.99), but it regularly goes on sale for less.
The HOTAS Warthog has been a favorite flight simulator for years. With a sense of heaviness and originality, a challenge on our part, virtual pilots of helicopters and spaceships, is the lack of z-axis rotation built into the joystick. Admittedly, pedals would be ideal for this and there are plenty of inputs available on the device. However, we can’t blame Thrustmaster for sticking to the A-10, because that’s not really the case either. Get the HOTAS Warthog if you need the ultimate original, high-productivity PC Joystick that can be purchased with cash.
The best PC joystick for beginners.
Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition specs:
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Thrustmaster has just been relegated to the realm of ultra-high-end: it is also aimed at those who need to enjoy a wonderful flight simulation and do not need to spend a month’s rent on it. That’s why the Thrustmaster TCA Sidestick Airbus Edition is our The Most Productive PC Joystick for Beginners.
The included throttle ensures you won’t miss out on any important features, and despite the low cost, you’ll feel like a true pro as you jump through the sky (or space).
Unlike the Warthog HOTAS setup, the TCA has a built-in rotating rudder, which means you can maneuver freely on the z-axis without having to use any other controls. It can also be blocked if you prefer to assign it to some other button or don’t need it. Use rudders on long-haul flight.
The negligible number of hats makes the TCA less suitable for fight simulations, but you can still make do with what’s on offer: given its Airbus credentials, you won’t be surprised that it’s more at home in Microsoft Flight Simulator than it is at Microsoft. Flight Simulator. in DCS. It also feels a little plastic in the hand and doesn’t offer the tactical realism of the Warthog joystick, but at this price point it was to be expected.
The Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition isn’t the cheapest on this list but if you’re somewhat serious about getting into flight sims then you’ll be well served if you can stretch your budget to this choice. What’s more – it is regularly discounted so you may nab yourself a sweet deal.
Great for cash for performance.
Logitech G Saitek X56 Throttle & Lever Specifications:
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The Logitech G Saitek Xfive6 Throttle and Stick offers the best value for money, which is why we crowned it as our best-priced PC joystick. The Xfive6 has 31 programmable buttons and five buttons, which means virtually every single ship will be covered. .
You may also not want to shell out pedals, as the joystick can rotate to interact with the z-axis movement from the rudder setup. An adjustable spring-loaded tension formula means you can set your desired resistance point, allowing for even more granular control.
The joystick also benefits from Hall effect sensors that allow you to further fine-tune its feel if you need an original experience when flying a device with slow controls. The sensors also mean that the X56 wants to remain as accurate as it was the day you bought it. as it would possibly not be vulnerable to drift.
Having the throttle with independent levers means having much more control over spacecraft and twin-engine aircraft. All those possible options make the X56 a wonderful setup to evolve, as the controls can be as undeniable or complex as you want.
Hopefully, the joystick and throttle will last long enough, as the structure of the unit feels a bit lacking, as it’s usually made of plastic. This means that it’s pretty lightweight, so you definitely want to use the cupping or place it more permanently. , the device will slide over your desktop differently.
The best budget joystick for PC with accelerator.
Thrustmaster T. Flight HOTAS X Specifications:
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Even further down the Thrustmaster stack, we find the T. Flight HOTAS X, but make no mistake: even if it costs a fraction of the Warthog’s offering, there’s genuine quality here.
For a start, the throttle can be connected to the joystick meaning you can have a very tidy setup on your desk or when stowed away. If you require the use of your keyboard or want a more realistic set-up with your arms spaced out, you can take them apart and place them as far apart from one another as you need them to be.
You may have no luck with the rudder controls, but unlike its more beloved sibling, the joystick can rotate, meaning you can film alien beings in 360° without a telescopic sight, even in the cold, desolate expanses of space (or fly a plane properly). .
Concessions at this price have to be made ad as such, there are far fewer buttons and controls on offer. There’s also only one throttle control but it’s a great entry point for those on a budget at an MSRP of $99.99 (£87.99) especially when it’s on sale.
All-in-one PC joystick at price-price.
Features of Turtle Beach’s VelocityOne Flight Stick:
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Turtle Beach is rarely known primarily for its flight simulation peripherals. Still, its first appearance in the industry is remarkable good luck and the VelocityOne Flightstick ticks a lot of boxes in a very stylish package, making it our most productive. PC joystick in one.
The throttle controls are built right into the base of the unit, meaning you don’t have to worry about cables running across your desk. There are more USB-C ports that can be used to connect to other controls, such as pedals, etc.
There are many customizable controls too and to help make sense of what you’re doing – a monochromatic OLED screen adorns the top of the joystick which shows your axis, trim and a chronograph.
The joystick is also superbly built and every time we look at it, we’re amazed that Turtle Beach beat it on its first try. It even has controls on the z-axis!
It’s not without its quirks, as the throttle controls, strangely, aren’t on one side but flank the joystick. While this would possibly help make it more ambidextrous, it means that every time you want to adjust the throttle at the same time (which is most of the time), you’ll have to take your hand completely off the joystick, which is no, not ideal.
The VelocityOne Flightstick is also very lightweight, so unless you plug it into a setup, you might knock it over. Despite those issues, for around $129. 99 (£119. 99), you get a lot of value for your investment.
Best budget standalone PC Joystick.
Logitech G Extreme 3-d PRO Joystick Specifications:
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Sometimes we simply wish we could get on a Boeing 747, decrease the realism of the flight model, and just enjoy the view. If you fall into this category, the Logitech G Extreme 3-d PRO joystick gives you everything you want for a wonderful casual experience. That’s why it deserves our pick as a budget-friendly, standalone PC joystick.
With 12 customizable buttons and an 8-position hat switch, find plenty of features for your controls, as long as you don’t plan to dive into DCS and start an Apache battleship.
The built-in throttle is all you need to fly in games like Microsoft Flight Simulator in its simplest settings or Battlefield and the goal will be much bigger than that of a mouse and keyboard or gamepad. Z-axis enthusiasts are also well catered for here. as you can turn the joystick with reckless surrender for the rudders and exact flight.
At the recommended retail price of $39. 99 (£44. 98), it’s hard to fault it, but it would be great to have a few extra buttons or for it to be more ambidextrous or to have select models so left-handers aren’t left out. The joystick is also reduced, making this option more attractive despite its few drawbacks.
Choosing the most productive PC joystick depends entirely on the games you love. Just like on real planes, the controls are very different and the costs can be just as extravagant. A committed throttle comes in handy if you’re serious about the flight simulation scene, which is why some of our premium options come with them. Some units, such as the Thrustmaster T. Flight HOTAS X, come with a butterfly at a very moderate price.
If you play fighting simulations, opt for something a little more complex, like the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog, which features lots of buttons, hats (a multi-directional switch), a committed throttle, and bombproof construction, while if you’re more of a user casual, You can be well taken care of through the affordable Turtle Beach VelocityOne.
Thrustmaster’s T-Flight HOTAS One is ideal if you’re cruising among the stars, while its TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition caters more to simulators. Logitech’s G X56 strikes a great middle-ground, however, and should suit most gamers wanting to take flight.
If you’re a sim veteran but haven’t tried your hand at dogfighting yet, or vice versa, then it might be worth subscribing to Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass for PC, where you’ll be able to access multiple flight sims in one package.
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