Flight Sim Hardware

Best Flight Simulator Controls: HOTAS, Yokes & Throttles

As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases.

Scroll for more →

The best flight simulator controls depend on two questions: what you fly, and what you fly it on. A fighter-jet HOTAS setup and an airliner yoke-and-throttle rig solve different problems, and a control built for PC won't necessarily work on Xbox or PS5 no matter how good it is. This roundup compares specific, currently available hardware across all three categories so you can match the pick to your actual setup instead of buying based on price or brand recognition alone.

HOTAS systems: for fighters and combat flying

A HOTAS — Hands On Throttle And Stick — pairs a center stick with a separate throttle unit, built around how fighter cockpits are laid out. If you mostly fly combat aircraft, general military sims, or anything with a center stick in real life, this is the category to shop.

Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog. Per Thrustmaster's own listing, the current HOTAS Warthog MKII includes the Warthog base, a dual-throttle unit, a Viper HOTAS add-on grip, and a desktop mounting plate, connected to a PC over a single detachable USB-C cable. The grip and base use metal construction with anti-stiction ball bearings, the grip carries 19 action buttons plus an 8-way hat, and the whole system supports up to 128 buttons and 8 axes. The dual independent throttle levers with a locking system are built specifically for twin-engine aircraft. It's PC-only — Thrustmaster's spec sheet doesn't list console support at all.

Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog MKII

Logitech X56 H.O.T.A.S. RGB. The X56 runs 13 axes total, including a 16-bit Hall-effect aileron and elevator axis plus four more axes from mini analog sticks built into the thumb positions on both stick and throttle. Across 5 hat switches and 31 programmable buttons, Logitech lists over 189 programmable controls total. Its signature feature is twin throttle levers, aimed at dual-engine aircraft, with a throttle lock that converts them into a single combined lever for single-engine flying. Four interchangeable spring tensions let you tune stick resistance. It's a PC controller, not console-certified.

Check the current Logitech G X56 HOTAS listing on Amazon

Throttle quadrants: add-ons or standalone

Some simmers already own a stick and just need a dedicated throttle, especially for airliner-style flying with more levers than a HOTAS throttle provides.

Thrustmaster TWCS Throttle. A compact, single-lever throttle with a slide-rail system for smooth motion across a 3.2-inch range of travel, plus a friction-adjustment screw. It carries 14 buttons, an 8-way hat, and a built-in 2-axis mini-stick, and its rear RJ12 connector adds 3 more axes if you attach Thrustmaster's optional TFRP rudder pedals. It's the lower-cost, smaller-footprint option in this category, and PC-only.

Check the current Thrustmaster TWCS Throttle listing on Amazon

Honeycomb Bravo Throttle Quadrant. A full airliner-style panel with six general-aviation levers (power, prop, mixture, with reverse-thrust support for turboprops) and six commercial levers (including flaps, spoilers, and functional thrust reversers), one of which carries a take-off/go-around button. It adds a 14-light annunciator panel with 7 assignable switches, a two-dial autopilot command console with 7 backlit buttons, a gear lever with indicator lights, a general-aviation flap lever, and a trim wheel. It mounts with steel clamps or a clamp-free 3M pad, and connects over USB-C to PC or Mac. It's the larger, more feature-complete option, built for simmers who fly a range of aircraft from light GA to airliners.

Check the current Honeycomb Bravo Throttle Quadrant listing on Amazon

Yokes: for airliners and GA trainers

If you fly aircraft that use a wheel-style control in real life, a yoke feels closer to the real thing than any center stick, HOTAS or not.

Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls. A yoke with true 180-degree rotation on a solid steel shaft riding dual linear ball bearings, with a damped, self-centering mechanism and minimal deadzone. 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 with red LED backlighting for night flying. It connects over USB to PC or Mac.

Check the current Honeycomb Alpha Flight Controls listing on Amazon

CH Products Eclipse Yoke. A five-axis yoke (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, a free-floating non-binding shaft for smooth movement, and a large mounting base with adjustable clamps for desks from 3/4 inch to 2 1/4 inches thick. It connects with a 7-foot USB cable and works on both PC and Mac.

Check the current CH Products Eclipse Yoke listing on Amazon

Console-certified picks: Xbox and PS5

Console flight sim hardware has to carry an explicit console license — a controller that works great on PC will not necessarily connect to an Xbox or PS5 at all.

Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight (Xbox). An all-in-one yoke and throttle system with a true-to-life 180-degree yoke handle using a non-contact Hall-effect sensor, a modular throttle quadrant with swappable lever handles for light single-engine or heavier multi-engine setups, integrated rudder and brake controls, and a full-color flight management display. It runs 12 analog axes, two 8-way POV switches, two 4-way hat switches, six front-facing and two rear-facing push buttons, Xbox system buttons, and 10 quadrant buttons, connecting over a 2-meter USB-A to USB-C cable to either an Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or a Windows PC.

Check the current Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight listing on Amazon

Thrustmaster TCA Yoke Boeing Edition (Xbox). Officially licensed by both Boeing and Xbox, this is a 1:1-scale replica of a Boeing 787 yoke with an 8.3-inch range of travel, a 100% metal internal frame, and a suspended PENDUL_R mechanism that replicates the feel of a real floor-mounted pendular yoke. It carries 18 action buttons and 2 additional axes on its base, enough to take off without a separate throttle quadrant attached, and connects over USB-C to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or PC.

Check the current Thrustmaster TCA Yoke Boeing Edition listing on Amazon

Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS 5 Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition (PS5). A 5-axis HOTAS at 16-bit precision, with 14 action buttons, a rapid-fire trigger, and a hat switch on the stick. The throttle detaches for lap or desktop use, and rudder control runs through either a Z-axis twist or a tilting lever. Stick grip resistance is adjustable, and the unit is compatible with Thrustmaster's TFRP rudder pedals as an add-on. It carries the official Microsoft Flight Simulator license and is confirmed compatible with PS5, PS4, and Windows PC.

Check the current Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS 5 MSFS Edition listing on Amazon

Matching hardware to how much desk space you have

Desk space is a real constraint most buyers skip until the box arrives. A single HOTAS stick like the Logitech X56 or a compact throttle like the Thrustmaster TWCS fits on most desks without a dedicated mount. The Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog is heavier and wider because of its metal dual-throttle base, and it benefits from a fixed spot rather than being packed away between sessions. Full yoke-and-quadrant setups take the most room: the Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo combination, or an all-in-one system like the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight, generally needs permanent desk or cockpit-frame mounting because the yoke's rotation and the throttle's lever throw both need clearance on either side. If you're tight on space, a single combined HOTAS unit beats a yoke and separate throttle every time.

Budget tiers, without chasing the cheapest option

None of the hardware above is priced identically, and prices shift often enough that a specific number here would be stale within weeks. In qualitative terms: the Thrustmaster TWCS Throttle and a basic HOTAS pairing sit at the budget end of this list, giving you a working stick-and-throttle setup without the metal construction or extended button count of the higher-end options. The Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog, Logitech X56, Honeycomb Alpha, and Honeycomb Bravo sit in the mid-range to higher-end band, where metal construction, higher button/axis counts, and specialized features like dual throttle levers or a full annunciator panel come standard. The console-certified options — VelocityOne Flight, TCA Yoke Boeing Edition, and the T.Flight HOTAS 5 MSFS Edition — span a similar range, so console licensing isn't itself a price signal one way or the other. Check current listings for exact pricing before you commit, since it moves independently of the spec sheet.

Common mistakes worth avoiding

The most common mistake is buying for the platform you don't actually use. A PC-only stick like the Warthog or X56 will never work on Xbox or PS5, no matter how good the reviews are, because the console won't recognize unlicensed hardware as a valid controller. The second most common mistake is buying a full yoke-and-quadrant setup before confirming you actually fly enough airliner or GA content to justify it — a HOTAS covers a wider range of aircraft types for less money and less desk space, and plenty of simmers who eventually want a yoke are better served starting with a HOTAS and adding the yoke later. The third is ignoring rudder input entirely: most of the sticks and yokes above support twist-axis or add-on rudder pedals, and skipping that input works fine for casual flying but becomes a real limitation once you're landing crosswind or flying taildraggers.

How to actually choose

Start with what you fly, not what looks most impressive in photos. Fighters and combat aircraft want a HOTAS. Airliners and GA trainers want a yoke, ideally paired with a dedicated throttle quadrant once you're flying anything more complex than a single-engine trainer. Then filter by platform: PC opens up the full list above, Xbox narrows you to explicitly Xbox-licensed hardware like the VelocityOne Flight or TCA Yoke Boeing Edition, and PS5 narrows you further still, currently to Thrustmaster's certified T.Flight line. Buying based on specs alone and skipping the platform check is the single most common mistake — a controller with better specs on paper is worthless if your console won't recognize it.

Budget realistically for the category you land in. A single-stick HOTAS is the cheapest way into the hobby; a dual-throttle system or a yoke-and-quadrant setup costs more because you're buying two or three separate units instead of one. Console-licensed hardware in particular tends to sit at a narrower range of price points than the full PC market, simply because fewer models are built and certified for Xbox or PS5 in the first place.

Who this is for

Built for simmers comparing specific hardware across categories before buying, rather than picking the first stick that shows up in a search. If you already know you want a HOTAS or a yoke specifically, the dedicated guides linked above go deeper on that one category, including model-specific breakdowns and Xbox/PS5 compatibility notes.