Long time no see! i've been back and forth on orders. I'm actually about to go off again, but this time I can have my laptop with me. I need to buy a hotas for Star Citizen and flight sim and was just wondering what you all were using? I was looking to get a decent one actually. I have this 30 dollar one that gets the job done but it's, eh. Anyways I miss you all and hope that I can get more active again!
Hey all!
- Thread starter Hero9012
- Start date
Welcome back! I'm definitely not in position to advise you, your options depend largely on your budget... What I will say is, you might want to be wary of the low end of hardware costs, they might last two years just fine which actually does make them useful. but they might last an hour longer than the warranty too. So basically you might want to avoid the Thrustmaster T16000M or the Airbus sticks (or anything lower), but the same manufacturer does have sticks that are relatively popular and worthy of their price. There are other manufactures worthy of consideration - I'll let their users tell you what they like.
Definitely trying to avoid budget friendly. I was eying the Logitech X56. Something I can pack and carry around as I can’t really focus on a at home build yet.
Vavrik's advice is good. The Airbus sticks are almost identical to T.16000Ms, just blue instead of orange and one button on top of each stick is repositioned. The internals and construction are the same. They're decent toys. The Warthog stick (right only) weighs a lot with its necessary baseplate, and there is no left stick option outside of DIY efforts, so you'd have to pair it with a throttle, and the Thrustmaster TARGET software is awful. Pass.
The most decent I have tried are Virpil Constellation Alphas: expensive and heavy, but man they feel amazing and are an absolute joy to use.
VKB Gladiator NXTs are considerably lighter, cheaper and more plasticky, but are still good.
Haven't tried X56.
The most decent I have tried are Virpil Constellation Alphas: expensive and heavy, but man they feel amazing and are an absolute joy to use.
VKB Gladiator NXTs are considerably lighter, cheaper and more plasticky, but are still good.
Haven't tried X56.
Err... wasn't the X56 kinda budget friendly though? If memory serves me right, it should be less than 200 Dollars on Amazon. Stick AND Throttle as a set.
Personally, I started out with the T1600M Hotas. Then the Stick did what those sticksalways do according to the forums. Ghosting like hell and all that. Now I am the proud owner of a VKB Gladiator NXT. Single Stick should be around 170 - 200 Dollars in your corner of the cosmos. Worth every damn penny though. These days I crash into planetary surfaces solely because of my own lack of coordination. Not because my joystick got the shivers..
Dirtbag_Leader
Admiral
The problem is any decent set of sticks or stick/throttle is going to require a good bit of space, so you'll just need to decide how much you want to compromise where on the quality-vs-size scale.
Virpil controls are my absolute FAVORITE pieces of hardware. Rather have them than a shiny new 4090 any day of the week. I even swap from HOSAS to HOTAS regularly, mainly because I just love the Virpil throttle so darn much. Anyway, they all really need to be properly/permanently mounted to a desk to work properly. If you don't want to go that far, I think either a set of VKBs or the X52/X56 would fit the bill for you, and being lighter their easier to just stick anywhere. I played for years on the X52 before I invested in the Virpils, and the only single complaint I ever had with it was that the little mouse nub was crap. Just disable it and everything works perfectly and I found it to be very ergonomic as well. Especially at the price point, I think it's a great entry point for flying two-handed.
I was looking at the VIRPIL brand. I don't mind spending that kind of money, but I'm not sure I would be willing to try to take that overseas with me!
Dirtbag_Leader
Admiral
Yeah that's reasonable. Like I said, they really more meant for 'permanent attachment' anyway. I use thumb screws with captured washers through my desk so that I can quickly/easily swap between the Virpil throttle and VKP gladiator on the left, and have the Virpil Constellation/Warbird permanently attached with Virpils desk mount on the right. Honestly I've never used the pedals much for spacesims, and really only bother with them for MSFS:
Oh, and one small advantage the VKB Gladiator DOES have over the Virpil Constellation is that little thumb tab throttle axis on the middle of the base; about the only thing that's prevented me from going dual Constellations is the fact that it has zero axes that hold position, and oftentimes I want to be able to maintain a given throttle/speed without needing to hold the stick forward; the little thumb throttle plus cruise control work great for this!
Oh, and one small advantage the VKB Gladiator DOES have over the Virpil Constellation is that little thumb tab throttle axis on the middle of the base; about the only thing that's prevented me from going dual Constellations is the fact that it has zero axes that hold position, and oftentimes I want to be able to maintain a given throttle/speed without needing to hold the stick forward; the little thumb throttle plus cruise control work great for this!
Oh wow! I am very intrigued with that set up and never considered it! How difficult was that to get programmed in game? I assume it makes space flight easier? I am curious how controlling the throttle is during dog fights with two joystics.
Dirtbag_Leader
Admiral
You mean the HOSAS? I like it a little better for small ships/fighters, but ONLY with the 'slanted' grip, so that the twist axis makes intuitive sense for up/down translation. Bigger ships though, I still prefer the Virpil throttle. It has a finger analog stick that still works great for up/down/right/left translation, but a whole lot more buttons for other functions. I particularly love the two-position toggle switches (red) for things like engines, weapons, lights, etc. on/off. Feels so cool to hope in your ship and flip on the power on switch! 5-position mode switch is also super useful, as well as that BIG 'Flaps' axis for things like mining power. But yeah dogfighting where you don't need all that and spend more time decoupled, LH stick is a bit nicer for the greater 'range' in translational axes, and faster transition between forward and reverse thrust, if that makes sense. You DO need to hold the LH stick in position to maintain you thrust vector, but then if you just want to cruise somewhere I set the speed limiter with the little thumb throttle and flip on the cruise control. Mapping. . . always takes a while, but is very rewarding once you have it done just how you like it!
Welcome back.
Be careful - wherevere you are going...
Be careful - wherevere you are going...
Dirtbag_Leader
Admiral
@Hero9012 In case you didn't see it in the other thread, I'd say this looks like it might be a GREAT option for a more travel-sized stick!
www.turtlebeach.com
VelocityOne™ Flightstick
The VelocityOne™ Flightstick has an Ultra-smooth main stick that provides precise control, and two multi-function levers control main engine power and a...
www.turtlebeach.com
I did not see this at all! I'll look into that thank you!@Hero9012 In case you didn't see it in the other thread, I'd say this looks like it might be a GREAT option for a more travel-sized stick!
VelocityOne™ Flightstick
The VelocityOne™ Flightstick has an Ultra-smooth main stick that provides precise control, and two multi-function levers control main engine power and a...
The man, the myth, the legend! The man who got me here! I've missed you buddy!