HOTAS & Joysticks

T.Flight HOTAS X: Thrustmaster's Entry-Level Stick and Throttle

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The Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X pairs a joystick and a detachable throttle for PC and PlayStation 3, with 12 programmable buttons and 5 programmable axes, according to Thrustmaster's own product listing. It's built as an entry point into two-handed HOTAS flying rather than a premium combat rig, and knowing that up front saves you from expecting Warthog-level hardware at a fraction of the size and weight.

What you actually get in the box

Thrustmaster's listing describes the HOTAS X as one joystick and one throttle unit that can be run together or apart. The throttle detaches fully, so you can set it on a desk next to your keyboard, rest it in your lap, or mount it separately if you're building a cockpit frame later. Between the two units you get 12 action buttons and 5 programmable axes, plus a second rudder control system built into the stick — twist-grip yaw on the joystick base, which most entry-level HOTAS units use in place of physical pedals.

The whole system is plastic-bodied rather than metal, and Thrustmaster lists it at roughly 4.77 lbs with a footprint around 9.6 inches tall and 10.4 inches wide. That's a meaningfully lighter and smaller package than a metal-based system like the HOTAS Warthog, which matters if desk space or portability is a real constraint for you.

Where it sits against Thrustmaster's other sticks

Thrustmaster's own T.16000M FCS series shares the same H.E.A.R.T Hall-effect sensor technology used in the high-end Warthog line, but the HOTAS X predates that generation and uses Thrustmaster's standard button and axis hardware instead. Practically, that means precision and long-term durability sit a notch below the T.16000M and well below the Warthog, while cost and desk footprint sit well below both. If your budget is the main constraint and you want a genuine two-piece stick-and-throttle rather than a single all-in-one joystick, the HOTAS X fills that gap.

The throttle is a single lever, not the dual independent levers on Thrustmaster's Warthog throttle. Twin-engine aircraft benefit from dual levers because each engine gets its own control; a single-engine aircraft, which covers most of what new simmers fly first, doesn't need that at all. If you already know you'll be flying twin-engine warbirds or airliners with differential throttle control, that's a real reason to look at a dual-lever system instead.

The platform limitation to check first

Thrustmaster's specification sheet lists the T.Flight HOTAS X as compatible with PC and PlayStation 3. That's it — no PS4, no PS5, and no Xbox license of any kind. This trips people up because Thrustmaster makes several HOTAS models and it's easy to assume they're interchangeable across platforms. They're not. If you're setting up a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 rig, Thrustmaster's T.Flight HOTAS 4 is the model actually built and licensed for that hardware. If you're on Xbox Series X|S, you need a controller explicitly labeled "Designed for Xbox" — the T.Flight HOTAS One Xbox edition is Thrustmaster's own answer there. Buying the HOTAS X for either of those platforms by mistake means a stick that simply won't pair with your console.

Who actually needs the second rudder system

Most single-stick HOTAS units give you yaw control through a twist action on the joystick's base — you rotate the whole grip left or right to steer the rudder. The HOTAS X's "second rudder control system" description on Thrustmaster's spec sheet is describing that same twist-axis approach layered with rudder input on the throttle. It's not a substitute for a dedicated pair of rudder pedals if you're flying taildraggers, warbirds, or anything where crosswind rudder work actually matters on landing. For casual flying and most general-aviation trainers, twist-rudder is a reasonable starting point; you can add pedals later without replacing the stick.

How it holds up for different sim genres

Twelve buttons plus a hat switch cover the basics most simmers need for single-engine GA flying and light commercial aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane — throttle, flaps, gear, a handful of view and radio controls. Combat sims with deep weapons and systems management, like DCS World modules, tend to outgrow a 12-button budget stick quickly, since a single fighter jet module can use 40 or more distinct functions. If your interest leans toward combat flying specifically, it's worth reading up on a higher button-count option, such as the Warthog or a VKB Gunfighter/Gladiator combo, before you commit to the HOTAS X as a long-term setup rather than a starter unit.

How it stacks up against the T.16000M FCS HOTAS

Thrustmaster also sells the T.16000M FCS HOTAS at a step up from the T.Flight HOTAS X. The T.16000M FCS stick uses the same H.E.A.R.T. Hall-effect sensor technology found in the flagship HOTAS Warthog base, running at 16,000-by-16,000 resolution, according to Thrustmaster. That's a real precision jump over the HOTAS X's standard axis hardware, while the T.16000M FCS still stays in a plastic body rather than metal. If sensor precision and long-term consistency matter more to you than price, the T.16000M FCS is worth comparing directly against the HOTAS X before you buy — the two occupy different tiers even though both are PC-focused, budget-conscious options next to the Warthog.

Mounting and desk space

At roughly 4.77 lbs and a footprint of about 9.6 inches tall by 10.4 inches wide, the HOTAS X is built to sit on a standard desk without needing a dedicated mount or cockpit frame, though the weighted base is there specifically to keep the stick from sliding during firm inputs. Because the throttle detaches completely, you can also position it to one side, in your lap, or clamped separately if you later build toward a fixed cockpit setup — the same detachable-throttle approach Thrustmaster carries through its whole T.Flight line, including the console-licensed HOTAS 4 and HOTAS One.

Setting up and mapping buttons

Like the rest of Thrustmaster's lineup, the HOTAS X maps through Thrustmaster's standard driver and profile system, with onboard preset memory so your last configuration persists across sessions. Most PC flight sims, including Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, and DCS World, detect a connected HOTAS X as a standard USB joystick and throttle pair automatically, and let you remap individual buttons and axes inside the game's own control settings on top of whatever Thrustmaster profile you've saved. That means you're not locked into factory button assignments — the 12 buttons and 5 axes can be reassigned per title, which matters if you fly more than one sim and want different layouts for a GA trainer versus a lighter combat title.

A reasonable upgrade path

Because the HOTAS X sits at the entry tier of Thrustmaster's lineup, a lot of simmers buy it first and decide later whether they need more. If you outgrow the 12-button, single-throttle layout — commonly because a combat-sim module needs more switches than the stick has room for — the T.16000M FCS is the next step up in sensor quality, and the HOTAS Warthog is the step up in both sensors and metal build with a dual-lever throttle. None of that upgrade path requires starting over on console licensing, since all three remain PC-focused options; the platform decision (PC versus PS3 versus Xbox) is the one choice the HOTAS X doesn't leave room to change later, since its PS3 and PC licensing is fixed to this specific unit.

Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X

Who this is for

Built for PC simmers who want a genuine two-piece stick-and-throttle setup without stepping up to metal-bodied, higher-priced hardware, and who mostly fly single-engine aircraft rather than combat modules with dense button layouts. If you need Xbox or PS4/PS5 compatibility, or you already know you want dual independent throttle levers for twin-engine flying, this isn't the right Thrustmaster model — check the HOTAS overview above for the ones built for those needs.

Should you buy the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X?

Verdict: Best for someone who wants a real two-piece HOTAS on PC without paying premium prices. Skip it if you need Xbox compatibility or PlayStation 5 support — Thrustmaster lists the HOTAS X for PC and PS3 only.

Who it suits: simmers who matched their platform and use-case against the specs above and want this exact model, not a lighter or heavier alternative.

Trade-off: this is one specific model in a wider lineup — check the "Related" links on this page if your platform or budget doesn't line up with what's described above.

Check the current price on Amazon: Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X