Microsoft Flight Simulator sets a new bar for virtual aviation, leveraging the company’s cloud empire to fuse satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to create a spitting image of the globe. Picking up one of our best flight sticks amplifies the realism, enabling accurate control over dozens of included aircraft. While there an abundance of joysticks, yokes, and flight accessories are there to choose from, especially on PC, we’ve condensed the best of them all, in one place.
Best joysticks and flight sticks
When looking to elevate your Microsoft Flight Simulator experience beyond the entry experience, securing the best hands-on throttle-and-stick solution is an investment you won’t regret. While there are dozens of sim-ready peripherals out there, the trusty joystick is a must-buy to improve the adventures ahead. The best flight sticks come with myriad benefits, including granular input over fundamental control surfaces and components, with assignable keys for everyday functions.
The Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS HOTAS is a staple from a revered manufacturer in sim gear, checking numerous boxes for those with a taste for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The joystick axes provide high-precision control over pitch and roll, with a twist of the stick also handling yaw for horizontal adjustments. It primarily comes down to the in-house HEART technology, providing accurate 16-bit resolution for stick inputs and tension that feels right. The internals almost mirrors its enthusiast-geared Warthog joystick, nailing that same robust functionality at a more palatable price.
The flight stick delivers a comfortable, ergonomic design when in-hand, with a variety of inputs to bolster functionality. That includes an eight-way hat switch placed up-top, which is essential when looking outside the cockpit with Microsoft Flight Simulator’s stunning backdrops. Other inputs include a rear-mounted trigger and another 16 assignable buttons, ideal for mapping essential functions inches from your fingertips. Thrustmaster’s aesthetics aren’t for everyone, with its all-black plastic and orange accents and backlighting, but help create a centerpiece for your flight setup.
While Thrustmaster sells its T.16000M as a standalone flight stick, we recommend the accompanying throttle quadrant. The matching TWCS throttle builds on shared design philosophies, with another 14 buttons and a POV hat switch to maximize your inputs. The throttle makes it easier to tame even the most advanced airliners while serving a cohesive experience with minimal investment. And if you’re looking to get deep into the range, matching pedals and panels are also on the market.
Thrustmaster is the leader in simulation accessories, with this HOTAS solution providing insane value for its price. While better build quality comes with premium alternatives, including its high-end Warthog HOTAS, it’s a balance of function and savings that makes this the best joystick in 2022.
The latest Microsoft Flight Simulator marks the first to hit Xbox consoles, bringing the full scale of its virtual globe to the luxury of the living room. While the title makes a smooth transition, retaining the full depth of this ultra-realistic sim, it’s let down by a poor ecosystem of accessories for diehards. Consoles never needed an exhaustive range of flight gear, with its Xbox version set back literal decades versus the full-fledged PC experience. That’s not to say you can’t find great joysticks and flight gear for Xbox, but it pays to picky about which joystick you buy.
Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One is undoubtedly the best Xbox-compatible joystick, offering a relatively affordable one-stop solution for all flying games. While it pairs best with Microsoft Flight Simulator, it’s also compatible with popular titles like Elite Dangerous and Star Wars: Squadrons, making this a wise investment for budding pilots. This entry-level setup includes a full-sized joystick and throttle, with smooth yet precise inputs, offering complete oversight over control surfaces. It also works on PC, too.
The joystick offers the standard inputs for controlling pitch and roll, with twist for yaw, and adjustable resistance to fine-tune handling. There’s an eight-way hat switch, ideal for looking out over stunning, sky-high views, while 14 other buttons, a rear trigger, and reverse thrust provide ample inputs as you see fit.
We named Flight Simulator a must-play for Xbox players in our initial review, but the poor choice of accessories overshadowed its rollout. While some manufacturers have looked to appease the Xbox audience, your options are still relatively limited right now. While the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight offers a compelling yoke for console and PC, we’re yet to see a better contender among joysticks.
With an affordable retail price and a robust suite of features, the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One is an easy pick for Xbox users. While the PC market features a vibrant space of contenders spanning different price points, we recommend the Hotas One to any Xbox user, whether new to the scene or a seasoned pilot.
Those considering alternative HOTAS setups should look to the Logitech G X56, a moderately pricier alternative to the T.16000M, ideal for casual Flight Simulator pilots. The X56 fits the bill if you’re jumping between a few games that demand a joystick with various customizable inputs and features spanning the two-part system. While it’s not a massive leap over cheaper Thrustmaster gear, it’s a robust HOTAS that’s earned its spot on this list.
The joystick has you covered for all critical flight control surfaces, altering pitch, roll, and yaw. It has the same 16-bit resolution as similarly priced competition, including the T.16000M from Thrustmaster, plus hall effect sensors for long-term durability. You can also swap out the integrated springs, in turn adjusting tension around your preferences.
The accompanying throttle quadrant has twin throttles for finer control over multiple engines, while five hat switches and 31 buttons add a slew of bonus inputs. Logitech also included light-up RGB buttons, with accompanying software to change colors and assign those button inputs.
The X56 comes from a respected PC accessory brand, and after bringing onboard flight sim hardware experts Saitek, it’s seen minor improvements over the years. The grey-on-black setup looks the part on most desks, with a sturdy plastic shell and metal detailing. The X56 is another strong HOTAS for newcomers looking to invest in gear or passionate pilots looking for relatively affordable solutions.
Venturing into the premium-tier flight sticks further opens your options, but the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Flight Stick has remained on top for several years. The peripheral is a favorite among enthusiasts, granting both responsive and precise control over your aircraft, with a build quality that surpasses closest rivals. The result is a consistent and robust stick for all forms of flight, including Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The Warthog Flight Stick design comes from the similarly nicknamed A-10 Thunderbolt II, which helps nail down an ergonomic in-hand feel while also grounded to realism. The construction is on the high end, lining the plastic stick with metal accents you wouldn’t find on cheaper alternatives. It also includes a detachable metal base, which helps on the desk while still adaptive to integrate into a cockpit setup. And weighing in over 6.5 pounds, this joystick won’t be moving anywhere even if you’re not using the included mounting solution.
Thrustmaster’s HEART technology seen in the best flight sticks backs the Warthog, using magnet sensors for 16-bit resolution high precision, while also durable for multi-year usage. The company also boasts its five-coil spring system, which it claims provides tension and consistency without dead zones. The stick also packs plentiful inputs, with 19 action buttons, two eight-way hat switches, and various other assignable buttons to get you into the air.
The Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Flight Stick retails at $280 in the U.S., which falls just above full mid-range HOTAS solutions. The stick can be used standalone or as part of a larger modular set, and like many on this list, it shines when paired with other accessories. The Warthog Flight Stick is just one piece of the puzzle, with the Warthog and Cougar throttle quadrant suitable solutions to assemble a complete Thrustmaster ensemble.
Thrustmaster unveiled its collaboration with Airbus in 2020, introducing a new flight accessories line under the aerospace icon’s name. The partnership birthed an officially licensed range combining a legacy in accessories with iconic A320 signatures under the “Thrustmaster Civil Aviation” series.
The Thrustmaster TCA Sidestick Airbus Edition headlines the range, replicating the real-world sidestick used in the Airbus A320 and A320neo. The TCA design takes influence from its existing T.16000, bolstered with features and design improvements, alongside its blue-tinted makeover. That came at a relatively affordable $70 starting price, flying off shelves ahead of the Microsoft Flight Simulator launch.
The fundamental features of the T.16000 translate to this sidestick, including the same HEART technology, promising the precision of 16-bit resolution, also seen in its more expensive products. It also features 17 assignable buttons distributed across the stick and the base, and an eight-way hat switch to look around the cockpit. Thrustmaster has also designed this to work seamlessly with the new Microsoft Flight Simulator, with simple plug-and-play.
One of the most notable changes comes with considerations for Airbus craft, including left-handed and right-handed capabilities, as seen in an A320 cockpit. It delivers this through a modular head, with four included modules to customize the buttons, with aid from a crosshead screwdriver. This makes it an ambidextrous stick in the process, as reflected by a physical switch underneath to change between left-hand and right-hand modes.
Thrustmaster plans to launch a replica throttle quadrant, providing more control over engines. But it doesn’t drop until September, making it best to use the stick’s integrated throttle control instead. The stick’s throttle, while simple, includes features designed with the A320 in mind, including reserve thrust when pulled back.
The TCA Sidestick Airbus Edition is a personal favorite, and I recommend this stick, especially for Microsoft Flight Simulator users mastering airliners. But it was hard to find one before the title launched, and following its August debut, it’s near impossible. With availability mixed, your best bet is securing the Officer Pack, which bundles the stick and throttle into one $190 purchase.
While it’s tempting to drop hundreds on building a setup around the best Microsoft Flight Simulator joystick, the same fundamentals can come in significantly less. The Thrustmaster T-Flight Stick X is the proof, packing all the core functionality you need when sky-bound but available at a price that won’t dig into your savings. You can find this all-in-one joystick as low as $30, including a stick, throttle, and the buttons you need to take your experience beyond a keyboard and mouse.
The T-Flight Stick X has been on the market for a decade, but its dated hardware doesn’t fall short on the latest simulators. The stick will handle all essential control surfaces for flight, with relatively accurate input and adjustable resistance control. It also has 12 remappable buttons for primary controls, while its integrated throttle slider allows you to control speed. You even have a top-mounted hat switch for looking around Microsoft Flight Simulator’s stunning vistas.
The classic phrase “cheap and cheerful” best fits the T-Flight Stick X. While relatively durable, its all-plastic design isn’t winning awards. The stick dead zone also means this isn’t as precise as alternatives on this list, with smaller movements often not registered. It’s not going to blow you away, but it’s still hugely preferable over using a mouse and keyboard. But most of all, it costs less than the new Microsoft Flight Simulator at launch, while many budget alternatives remain out of stock.
If you’re eyeing up a simple joystick to get started, the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro covers your needs when demanding precision control over your virtual craft. It’s functional but hardly complex, ideal as a low-risk investment for Microsoft Flight Simulator and other flight titles. Better yet, it’s relatively attainable, with stocking floating around, although a little above the usual $30 RRP due to the high demand facing all simulation gear.
The Extreme 3D Pro joystick rocks one eight-way hat switch and rear-mounted trigger. It also has 12 action buttons, assignable to various controls in-game, and a small throttle lever on the base. It’s all presented with an aging but sleek silver-on-black design, ergonomic with a wide weighted stand that stops the stick from toppling mid-flight. Build quality also reflects the price, reliable and well constructed, although without the premium precision from top-end picks. Logitech delivers all the essentials here, skipping out on the extras to maintain affordability.
This isn’t for experienced flyers or those looking for the most authentic flight experience, but it excels as an upgrade from a mouse and keyboard or controller. Using a stick feels incredibly natural in comparison, and while the market has made it hard to get started, it’s one of your best options today.
Best joysticks and flight sticks
Microsoft Flight Simulator enables virtual globetrotting on an unprecedented scale. The series’ revival brings a newfound demand for dedicated flight hardware on PC, with a handful of impressive peripherals on the scene. Thrustmaster remains a market leader with the best joystick technology for the price, with the Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS HOTAS our recommended pick for 2022.
However, those playing Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X and Series S require specific console-compatible hardware, like the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One, among the best Xbox flight sticks, rounded up in our separate guide.
With Flight Simulator-ready hardware in high demand and short supply, the T.16000M is one of the few high-value all-in-one solutions available at a reasonable price. That includes a reliable hands-on throttle-and-stick combo covering everything you need to get started, with a robust build and features for even the most sophisticated aircraft. It also pairs great with many of the best pedals for Microsoft Flight Simulator, adding an additional dimension of control to your travels.
