Yokes & Pedals

Flight Sim Yoke: How to Pick One for MSFS or X-Plane

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A flight sim yoke replicates the wheel-style control used in real airliners and most general-aviation trainers — pull back to climb, push forward to descend, turn the wheel to bank, the same motion as the real aircraft. It's the right pick if you fly that category of aircraft; a HOTAS, built around a fighter-style center stick, suits combat aircraft better.

Why a yoke feels different from a HOTAS

The core difference isn't just the shape of the control — it's the motion. A yoke's wheel rotates and pushes/pulls, closely matching how a real Cessna or a Boeing airliner actually flies. A HOTAS uses a center stick instead, closer to a fighter jet's control layout. If you mostly fly GA trainers or airliners in MSFS or X-Plane, a yoke will feel more natural under your hands than any HOTAS, no matter how well-built the stick is.

Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls: rotation and build quality

The Honeycomb Alpha runs a true 180-degree yoke rotation on a solid steel shaft with dual linear ball bearings, paired with a damped, self-centering mechanism that keeps deadzone to a minimum. Each handle carries its own controls — the left handle has two vertical 2-way switches, an 8-way POV switch, and two programmable buttons; the right handle has two horizontal 2-way switches plus a small and large programmable button. A built-in switch panel adds main, alternator, avionics, and light switches along with a 5-position ignition switch, all lit with red LED backlighting for night flying. It connects to PC or Mac over USB.

Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls

CH Products Eclipse Yoke: programmable depth

The CH Products Eclipse Yoke runs 5 axes — X and Y on the grips for aileron and elevator, plus Z, R, and U in the levers for throttle, prop, and mixture — with 20 buttons: four pushbuttons, two bi-directional flip switches, two bi-directional rocker switches, and an 8-way POV hat. CH Products lists 144 total programmable functions through its included Control Manager software, running on a free-floating, non-binding shaft for smooth movement, with a large mounting base and adjustable clamps for desks from 3/4 inch to 2 1/4 inches thick. It connects with a 7-foot USB cable to PC or Mac.

CH Products Eclipse Yoke

Pairing a yoke with a throttle

Both yokes above include basic throttle-style levers built into the unit, but neither replicates a full airliner throttle quadrant with separate flaps, gear, and reverse-thrust levers. If you fly aircraft complex enough to need those as distinct physical controls, pair your yoke with a dedicated throttle quadrant rather than relying on the yoke's built-in levers alone.

Console compatibility is a separate question

Neither the Honeycomb Alpha nor the CH Products Eclipse is licensed for Xbox or PS5 — both are PC/Mac hardware. If you're setting up a yoke for console play, you need a yoke explicitly built and licensed for that platform, such as Thrustmaster's TCA Yoke Boeing Edition for Xbox, rather than assuming a well-built PC yoke will connect.

Who this is for

Built for simmers who've already decided they fly airliners or GA trainers more than fighters, and want to compare specific current yoke hardware rather than guess based on price. The CH Products page linked below goes deeper on that specific model's full spec sheet and programming details.

Compare options

Ready to compare actual hardware against what's above? See our flight-controller roundup for our current picks and pricing.