14 years on from the last entry, Microsoft Flight Simulator is lastly back – and its return sees a whole wave of lapsed or new players requiring to the skies.
This page uses an overview of the lots of Flight Simulator hardware setups you can think about, according to your budget – from utilizing an Xbox controller through to instrument panels and pedals.
And if its your very first time up there in a while, it can all be a bit overwelming – even before youve sat at the controls of a Cessna or a more complicated monster like a Boeing 747, theres all sorts of alternatives and bonus to consider. Like, for example, what controls you may consider using.
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Thrustmaster likewise provides a high-end HOTAS with the Thrustmaster Warthog, which may be planned for more militaristic functions than Microsoft Flight Simulator offers however which nonetheless delivers a premium feel.
For a bit more – expect to pay just over ₤ 100 – Thrustmaster bundles together the T.Flight HOTAS with its entry level T.Flight Rudder Pedals, using maybe the best budget way into the complete flying experience.
You can get a Flight Instrument and Radio Panel if you wish to take things to the next level.
How a Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls and a Thrustmaster TFP pedal set up appearances. (And a Thrustmaster stick tossed in, even if.)For a premium yoke, Honeycombs Alpha Flight Controls are possibly your best alternative – theyre perfectly developed, complete with a variety of switches for numerous cockpit controls and feel simply fantastic in the hand.
And if youre truly, truly major theres no stopping there – you may want to look into investing into the SAITEK Pro Flight Instrument Panel, or the SAITEK Pro Flight Radio Panel, or even looking at some of the more high-end options in the bustling third-party marketplace.
When it concerns rudder pedals, the Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder is a pretty hardcore piece of package – but be cautioned that it takes up a fair bit of area so youll need to clear under your desk.
The mid-tier Microsoft Flight Simulator hardware and joystick setup
Youve been bitten by the flying bug and you want to invest in a somewhat more expert rig? Your very first port of call will be updating to a yoke controller, which affords you more precision and, most significantly, feels much more like the genuine thing.
For an entry level option, you cant fail with the Logitech Pro Flight Yoke system, which will set you back around ₤ 140, and as a reward comes bundled with a throttle quadrant. Control set-ups are completely modular, so its completely possible to use a Logitech Pro Flight Yoke with Thrustmasters T.Flight Rudder Pedals for a near-complete cockpit.
The Logitech G 945-000004 Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System.If youre trying to find a somewhat classier stick alternative, then the Thrustmaster TCA Sidestick Airbus Edition is just the technique, consistently modelled on the A320s own stick.
You can utilize it by itself quickly enough, and its the perfect thing to have sitting inconspicuously on your desk if you wish to hop in and out of flights. An accompanying throttle quadrant is due for release later on this year, which will also be bundled up with the TCA Sidestick as part of the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition.
The Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One.Its easy and feels relatively inexpensive, but its more than as much as the task and is a big step up from the gamepad experience, with a suite of buttons available to map the numerous controls of a plane and with a z-axis on the stick for rudder control.
Theyve not too costly either, can be found in at around ₤ 230 – though be prepared to spend that again if you wish to buy Honeycombs forthcoming throttle quadrant, which looks every bit as glamorous.
The high-end Microsoft Flight Simulator hardware and joystick setup
And if youre truly major about this flight sim lark, be prepared to invest some severe money.
For those examining their Flight Simulator options, we have an airplanes list and airport list for each launch edition, a list of Flight Simulator Achievements and what to anticipate from Flight Simulators Xbox variation.
The budget Microsoft Flight Simulator hardware and joystick setup
If you wish to look beyond a gamepad, a low-cost HOTAS – which is an acronym for hands on throttle-and-stick, however well stick to HOTAS because its much easier to type and sounds funnier – can be yours for fairly little.
When you begin playing, we have explainers on weather condition and liveries, multiplayer, using autopilot and sim rate, and how to use the games equivalent of picture mode with Active Pause.
The basic Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS must cost you well under 50 quid (although limited stock and some opportunistic sellers indicate its choosing a bit moreover at present).
Tinkering with hardware set-ups and controller configurations is among the enjoyments – and the pains – of having fun with sims, and with Microsoft Flight Simulator the sky actually is the limit.
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Can you use an Xbox controller in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a flexible thing, accommodating casual gamers who just wish to tour the world from the comfort of their own sofa to wannabe pilots who want to role-play all 6 hours of a transatlantic flight.
An Xbox One controller is an excellent alternative to start with – and a testimony to how sensitive controller sets off and sticks can be.As such, it accommodates all sorts of control choices – from mouse and keyboard through to a fully modular cockpit with several screens and button boxes.
You can play Microsoft Flight Simulator with an Xbox controller and have a perfectly gratifying experience – though you may need a keyboard nearby for some specific commands, such as changing sim rate and autopilot faster ways.
If youre looking to purchase among these, keep in mind theres a refresh later on this year with the arrival of the Xbox Series X controller, if you can wait a number of months.
Nevertheless, if youre trying to find a bit more immersion theres more than one choice when it concerns flight-specific hardware.
