Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X Flight Stick

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $47.50
Today's Bonus: 5% Off

My first flight stick (or joystick) was the Microsoft Force Feedback Pro which was a very good stick it had some 'slop' in it which eventually got so bad that it was no longer tolerable. It was rugged and comfortable to use, but Microsoft quit making them & also quit supporting them in many flight Sims & newer games. I then had two Saitek Cyborg Evo Joysticks. The first one developed a problem after 11 months with little use, when it went out of calibration and the rudder output stuck in 50% left rudder position and couldn't be fixed by recalibration so it was replaced under 1-year warranty. Within 10 months switch #5 quit working on the second or replacement joystick so at this point I decided to look for a different manufacturers joystick because by now I had lost faith in Saitek being able to make a reliable joystick. I am seventy years old and I take good care of my equipment I don't abuse my joysticks so if they don't last for me I doubt that they would last for anyone. I searched Amazon reading joystick reviews and came across the T-flight Hotas Stick Pc PS3. This joystick had the features I wanted and was rated very high almost 5 stars even though at the time it had only five reviews so I ordered it.

This joystick can be used with either a PC or PlayStation 3. It has a PC-PS3 switch so you can select which one you use.

It came with the throttle and joystick separated so I decided to try it this way for a while. I've had this joystick now since the first week in August 2009 and I really like this joystick.

PRO:

1. It comes in two parts, the throttle & joystick, separated by an interconnecting cable approximately 18" between them but, they can be mounted together as one assembly if desired as the necessary wrench is included and the throttle & joystick are designed to be mounted together as one unit. I like them separated as it is more realistic with the throttle on my left and the joystick on my right.

2. Very simple to connect to your computer. You connect the joystick to the USB port on your computer via the integral USB cable & connector that's it! No separate power supply or adapter is required because this joystick gets its power from your computer through the USB cable/connection.

3. No installation CD included or required as once you connect this joystick to your computer it is automatically recognized and calibrated a plug & play joystick they don't get any simpler than this!

4. The throttle & joystick are very comfortable to hold & use. Together they have twelve programmable switches which are very easy to use on both the throttle & joystick. There are four programmable switches on the joystick module and eight on the throttle module. The joystick can be twisted left-right for the rudder control the throttle module has a slider switch which can also be used for rudder control if so desired. Also there is an eight-position hat switch located on top of the joystick this is normally used for 'looking around' in flight simulator programs. Both modules are quite robust & heavy enough so they don't move around much unless you really give them some pushing around.

5. So far this joystick is performing excellent & a great buy for the money.

CON:

1. None that I know of so far except maybe it would be nice to have the interconnecting cable between the joystick & throttle modules be longer & have connectors that can be unplugged in case of damage they could be replaced. Also I'd like to be able to move them a little further apart.

UNKNOWN:

1. How long will this last before something goes wrong? Only time will tell.

T-flight Hotas Stick Pc PS3

Click Here to Read More Reviews >>

With Tom Clancy's HAWX on the way to the PS3 later this season, and my sudden urge to revisit Freespace 2, X-Wing, the Wing Commander games on my PC, I decided to give this joystick a shot since it was cheaper than PS3 version of the Saitek Aviator, and it's also a hands-on-the-throttle model. I am sure glad I did! This stick is awsome, I am very glad that I gave it a chance even though reviews were scarce.

It has just about every button you could possibly want in a joystick, they all fell right when pressed, it's programmable, has a throttle with an alalog rocker for even more control options, and it all feels very intuitive when held. I tested it in the Windows game controller utility and everything seems to move quite precisely. Afterwards, I played Freespace 2 and the demo for the Battlestar Galactica: Beyond the Red Line mod, and it was a total blast. I was able to map the controls perfectly to all the buttons on the stick, and I was flying like an ace in no time.

They really thought of just about everything for this stick. The throttle module is actually detachable via an included Allan wrench, so if you prefer "cockpit accurate" distance between the stick and throttle, it's there for you. There's even a knob on the bottom of the stick that lets you adjust how much resistance the spring gives you! Pretty much the only thing you don't get is force feedback, but that's hardly shocking since this is an under $50 stick. It's even lap friendly, which is dandy if you don't have a coffee table or your desk is too crowded.

Overall, this is a very good stick, and is great for PS3 users or people looking for an entry level stick for their PC. For under $50, you'd be hard pressed to find a Hotas model as good as this one, and I'd much rather use this for my PS3 than a Saitek Aviator due to it's more solid build quality and hands-on throttle. Unless you'd rather drop $100 on a fancier model, Thrustmaster's console-friendly offering will serve you very well.

Buy Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X Flight Stick Now

T-flight Hotas Stick Pc PS3

This is my second one. I bought the first from Amazon last October-08. I was impressed with it's construction and overall operation ,but it had a few quirks. So I sent it back and paid the re-stock fee.

I've been a Microsoft Flight Simmer for 7-8 years and I've tried and/or owned almost all the joy-sticks and yokes(with and without foot pedals)that have been marketed in this country.

I have a soft spot for my Logitech 3-D Pro that has served me well for many years but I never really cared for their throttle design, and I guess thst's what attracted me to the Thrustmaster Hotas.

After waiting 6-months to give the manufacturer a chance to make another production run (and hopefully overcome the faults I found on my first one) I ordered another and found that it worked flawlessly. I am now a happy "camper".

If joy sticks are your thing, look no further, THIS IS THE ONE.--- Extremely well made, solid professional feel,smooth control actions that allow precise take-offs and landings, heavy weighted, priced right and delivered by Amazon.

Order one now, you won't be sorry !!!!

Read Best Reviews of Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X Flight Stick Here

I've used it for a month now with FlightGear (a serious non-combat PC flight simulator).

The good:

* It has enough buttons and axes for most needs. No matter what you buy, you'll always have to use the keyboard/mouse for some operations such as starting engines, lights, radio. The rocker built into the throttle may be mapped to the rudder if you don't like to rotate the stick.

* It's also comfortable to the hand.

THE BAD:

* Large dead zone. Explanation: The "dead zone" or "dead band" is the small range of motion around the center position where the joystick reports no change. It makes it easier to fly level without holding the stick, but for small corrections (e.g., to stay aligned with the runway when landing) you'll have to swing across that zone. Games (e.g. HAWX) help with this by averaging and filtering your input, but with flight sims you'll overcorrect all the time and you'll hate it.

* You may experience some "sticky" friction from time to time, causing jerky motion.

I guess you get what you pay for :)

Want Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X Flight Stick Discount?

The T-flight Hotas Stick is designed to connect via the USB port and work with either a PC or a PS3. So far, we've tried it on a PS3 only with the excellent IL 2 Sturmovik Birds of Prey and with Tom Clancy's HAWX.

I will discuss our experience within the context above.

PACKAGING AND SETUP

Not much to complain in this area. the 'instrument' comes nicely packed and it was easy to get it out of the box.

It's initially separated into 2 modules: the joystick/rudder and the throttle and it's possible to use the joystick only. It took us a couple of minutes to figure out how to fit the 2 pieces together but, in the end, it was no big deal. It comes down to tightening a couple of screws with the supplied tool that is stored safely for future use at the bottom of the stick.

The only other adjustments other than 'programming' would be to 'block' the rudder function on the joystick by tightening another screw so that it's only available on the throttle and to set the proper handle resistance via a dial located on the bottom of the joystick module.

Using the stick with the PS3 is as simple as setting the USB selector button to PS3 and plugging the USB connector into one of PS3's ports, then starting the game.

OPERATION

From a PS3, point of view, I am happy to see that all the Six-Axis buttons, including the PS are mapped on the joystick and the throttle and, most of the time, they are clearly labelled. The main differences are of course, this controller being wired and its lacking rumble and motion sensitivity. To avoid complications, it is possible to start your PS3 with the joystick as the only control and then start your game and operate everything this way.

The manual states that, once you begin using it within a game, the stick will calibrate itself after you make a few moves. We haven't experienced calibration issues so it must be true.

The 8 ft. USB chord may be sufficient for most but it wasn't for us. We have a rather large screen and we play from 8-9 ft. away. The AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (9.8 Feet / 3.0 Meters) took care of that problem.

My 12 yr. old kid feels that the games are more responsive when using the PS3's own motion-sensitive controller. This is probably the case but what this device provides is some level of realism. It's more realistic to pilot a plane with a stick and a throttle than by tilting and shaking a controller. After a little practice, he now prefers the Stick to the PS3 controller.

MY RATING

I found the T-flight Hotas Stick to be a great way to play flight simulation games and, for the price, it can't get much better than this. I am happy with this purchase and so are my kids. It's 5 stars which, in Amazon translation means "we love it".

__________________________________________________

PROGRAMMING

We tried it, just for fun and it turns out to be quite easy even though not exactly needed for the games we are currently playing. It's basically a 4-step process that would allow you to:

switch buttons

switch axes between themselves

switch the directions of the same axis

It's done by enabling the 'manual' mode by pressing a button, press and release the mapping button, press the button or direction you want to program, press and release the button or direction you are placing the function. For all of the above there is visual feedback of LEDs flashing.

Like I said, it can be done but it can get complicated quickly. Thankfully, it's easy to erase your manual preset and to return to the factory defaults.