Hi all.
I did not played MSFS for a very long time (last time it was FS X) but when I heard not long time ago about MSFS 2024 and the Carer Mode I immediately preordered the game because I always dreamed about a game like MSFS but with a mode that could allow me to “work” as cargo pilot to earn money and develop my own company. Something like ETS/ATS but with planes instead trucks.
I also got 1 month of game pass for free so I installed MSFS 2020 to relearn the game and get some control basics because after all those years I consider myself just a total beginner. Flying with keyboard was horrible so I bought Thrustmaster 16000M stick with throttle becasue alot of people recommended this.
But now I kinda regret it becasue I think a yoke would feel way better to play than stick.
Was considering TB VelocityOne yoke becasue I saw few reviews and everyone says its a great all-in-one yoke in that range price but I heard that yoke is great but throttle feeling is kinda bad because its too loose and theres not enough resistance.
Then I read that Honeycomb Alpha + Bravo is probbaly the best quality/price combo but the price is much higher than Velocity like 1400 PLN for Velocity and 2400PLN for alpha + bravo in my country so as you see the price difference is quite big.
I’m overthinking this or Honeycomb is a really that “sweet spot” for amateurs like me who like the game alot but are not on that “enthusiast” level who spend everything for most accurate simulation feeling?
Probably what planes I wanna use is important but as a beginner I will probably try alot of them. Gonna stick for awhile with Cesna 152/172 to learn basics but I really like Cesna Longitude look and in career mode I wanna try cargo delivery route so gonna start small and aim and learn something like Beluga or Dreamlifter.
PS: Sorry for bad grammar and long post, english is not my native language.
I have a Honeycombe yoke and was fine. But I never use it because I also play other games such as war sims and space sims. So, I use a stick.
Many aircraft also use a stick rather than a yoke so it is nothing to do with realism. If you use a stick then you probably want it centre mounted so that you can use it with either hand. This makes it easier to use the dominant hand to manipulate buttons, use mouse, write clearances, etc, while also letting you have the throttle on either side.
EG: My old real-world Jabiru 160 had the throttle on the left and stick on the right. Which was cool because in war sims the throttle is on the left so it felt normal while learning to fly. But many other real aircraft have the throttle on the right.
Upshot? What is ever comfortable and flexible for the sims you play. Yokes are a fair bit bigger too so that may be a consideration.
The stick you have is a good stick for dabbling in flight simulation but you would definitely want a separate throttle. I have Virpil, Thrustmaster Warthog, VKB and WinWing gear. While each has pros/cons, I prefer my WinWing Orion 2 F15 with Throttle setup. That may be overkill if you don’t want to do military sims later though.
Welcome to the forums! 
Really depends on how you fly and what your preferences are. Search the forums for Honeycomb and Turtle Beach and look through some of the posts and reviews here. Personally if I am flying an aircraft or helicopter with a Stick or Cyclic I use my HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick.) But if I’m flying an aircraft with a yoke I have to use my yoke, I’m just particular like that. Best of both worlds.
Both yokes are excellent kits. Both have their draw backs as well. I prefer my TB V1 over my honeycomb as it has held up for 3 years and my honeycomb has not. (The flap lever had the infamous fail, and just flops now.) As well the issues Homeycomb has had as a company of late I’m staying clear of any of their other products, I don’t care how good they are, the reliability in the return processes and repair authorization has been awful. (It’s supposed to be better / cleared up now, but left me with a bad taste.)
There are a few mods to make with the TBV1 that can help the yoke not feel as “loose” as some people say. I really love my TB rudder pedals, they are super smooth and built more rugged than the yoke. I also love the vernier (push / pull) throttles on the TBV1. As said above any yoke will need a sturdy mount and a little bit of room for the yoke and throttle, and proper clamping / mounting.
It’s a great time for flight peripherals, so much is available and so many improvements are being made. Either option would be a great price of kit to add to your simming experience.
If you really want to shock your wallet you can look into Virpil’s new yoke. (Currently in kickstarter/crowd funding phase.) Virpil makes outstanding gear and the price point resembles that.
Stepping up from there is Force feed back peripherals, there are fewer yokes available with this tech but they are becoming more prevalent, but at a very, very high price point.
I’ve been fortunate to have a Honeycomb Alpha Yoke / Bravo Throttle set that has worked flawlessly since I bought it over two years ago. As ElasticSack182 said above, Honeycomb has gone through some troubled times, but seems to have reopened their doors and are currently shipping product.
I like having four throttle controls + two other levers, and the lever type the Bravo uses lets me use SPAD.NeXT to (fairly) easily set up things like reversers and condition levers for things like turboprops.
One of the biggest improvements I made was to add an under-desk mount to each of those two big bulky units. Really frees up my limited desk space.
Depends on overall budget. Most comprehensive for the money is the V1 Flight. There is a ~$40 fix for the yoke shaft(etsy) that makes it really good. But you get levers and verniers and tons of hats and buttons.
It can be pared with the V1 flightstick and with a little bracket ju jitsu you can use the full quad with the flightstick too. Again, the V1 flightstick also does better with a mod(new spring-DIY) as it’s stiff. On PC you can use the throttle quad from the V1 with any joystick though. You do not need their ‘matching’ stick(but that works on XB together). Twist on the V1 flightstick is so stiff it’s not really useful if you don’t have pedals. I don’t use the throttle levers either.
But if you’re completely devoted to specific type/class flying you can of course go higher budget for airliner types or Honeycomb for GA or heli setups, etc. But you start needing multiple components as you go up such as throttle quads and verniers and other things that are all individual/modular(and pricey). I have 1500+ hours on the V1 with no issues(other than adding the etsy bracket for much smoother one-hand flying).
The included verniers are a high point with the V1. And with a flight stick you can use things like a lever throttle and vernier prop/mixture for matching prototypical cub-type aircraft. And move it all left/right for left stick/right throttle aircraft like a modern Cirrus.
It needs the least amount of components to do the most things.
For entry level something like the TM HOTAS is still a staple as it does okay-enough for a lot of things with an easy twist, throttle that can somewhat emulate a collective for well under $100 to get started with. The twist stick is actually far more precise than their entry TFRP pedals. I still have one around for periodic heli use.
I can move the yoke clamped off to the side and use that quad left/right with a stick too. Easy peasy. Heck you can fly from the right seat if you like.
I have separate throttle, it came with the TM16000M, missing only pedals.
Thx all for all the replies, I think the best thing I can do now is to fly for now with the stick and once MSFS 2024 will be released see what planes I mostly use and then decide if I really want a yoke.
@BegottenPoet228 and @phutyoo
Nice setups, I did not think about under desk mounts. Save alot of space for keyboard/mouse.
The problem with the yoke is that I don’t have separate place for gaming and would need to use my “default” desk. Not sure if I can get away with mounting it at the desk end and use some sort of monitor arm so I don’t have to take them off when I’m not playing simulators.
1 Like
I can actually put everything away in ~3 minutes in a couple nice trunks, probably less than 2. Get a complementary-colored Seward or two.
A very neat set up 
Looks like you are a car enthusiast too.
It’s all down to budget and mission. With enough budget, anything is feasible. I try to make my setup as modular as possible to allow flying basically anything, which leaves me with a lot of controllers I can swap in and out in less than a minute.
However, usually this question comes with a connotation of limitations and many folks just want to get into the sim a bit before taking a larger plunge. Assuming you want to dabble in everything equally, I’d recommend a stick. Even though I use a yoke 90% of the time, a stick is going to be more beginner-friendly and adaptable to more aircraft than the other way around.
And truth told, if you’re flying a yoke, real-world best practice for light aircraft is that you’re usually only using one hand (or just two fingers) anyway. Get a stick and if you like the sim, add a yoke later. Either way, your first controller should have a built-in throttle slider.
However, if you have a solid preference for just typical GA trainers and airliners (the types that use a yoke), then I’d recommend a yoke over a stick.
The next purchase also depends upon your path - if it’s large airliners I’d recommend a throttle quadrant, then after that rudder pedals. If it’s light aircraft, it’s a head tracking system, then rudder pedals, then a throttle quadrant.
This is my current setup, for reference:
2 Likes
