Hi there, I was curious what you guys are using for your controls, Joystick or Yokes? Any help is greatly appreciated. TIA
Joystick. If it’s good enough for Airbus, it’s good enough for me! Thrustmaster Hotas One…
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I have both a Hotas One and TCA Boeing yoke and 2 Boeing quadrants.
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Both. Depending which aircraft I fly, I use either a Honeycomb yoke with two Saitek throttles or a X56 HOTAS.
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MS Sidewinder 2 FFB Joystick.
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Yoke for all ‘yoke-based’ aircraft and joystick for the Spitfire!!
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- Joystick: Airbus, helicopters, warbirds, fighter jets
- Yoke: Boeing, general aviation
- Xbox controller: MSFS landing challenges, scenery exploring, testing new airport add-ons
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Recently switched over from joystick to yoke. The difference is massive. Definitely feels more realistic.
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Joystick (HOTAS) and pedals. Plan to get a yoke at some point too so I can switch depending on the aircraft I’m flying.
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I have both a Fulcrum yoke and a TM warthog stick. I had the stick first and after getting the Fulcrum yoke I don’t like using it anymore. The difference is massive. I plan on replacing the TM with a Virpil on an extension for those aircraft with sticks but I love the Fulcrum so much it’s hard to imagine anything getting close to how if feels.
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Thrustmaster TCA Airbus Captain Pack which includes a sidestick and throttle quadrant with spoilers and flaps addons. Since I only fly exclusively on Airbus, it’s good enough for me. But I also use it for other aircraft.
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I switch always. Stick for stick planes and yoke for yoke planes. I love. I got the alpha and the tca airbus stick. And i switch whenever i want to.
I use both… and a gamepad.
A decent joystick is plausibly cheaper, and a yoke really feels like a serious investment in the hobby. That said, the yoke will collect a lot of dust and take up space if you don’t use it. The gamepad uniquely makes for a decent mouse… and is great for flying from the couch. I almost always have a gamepad nearby for mouse over commands and for quick access to AP or pause, even when flying with stick or yoke.
A stick was first used like a yoke, it connected to cables and whatnot and pulled the proper ailerons, rudder and whatnot. But lately it is used for helicopters, small bush planes, stunt planes, war birds… and a LOT of fly by wire planes… a stick doesn’t really feel like you are a part of the plane, but it works for almost everything and there are some decent, affordable options.
A yoke really allows for smoother inputs, so they are often used for GA and passenger planes. It takes a lot more time and effort to turn a yoke 180 degrees than to move a stick fully left or right… so you won’t be throwing a cabin full of people around with quick movements.
It seems on paper like a stick controls the fun planes, and a yoke handles the boring ones… but in practice, a yoke is just more immersive. It imparts the feeling of being in a cockpit from your home more than flying with a stick does (although, a HOTAS is significantly better than just a simple joystick for that immersive feel).
If I were trapped on a desert island with a computer and internet so I could play MSFS, I would want my yoke over anything else.
It depends.
My solution depends on what do you want, and how many money you want to spend. For gaming it doesn’t matter witch stof you use. If you want to praktice like in real airplane, you need similar equipment. I not playing but try to act and practice like in real aircraft. I have Honeycomb Alfa, Bravo and Trustmaster TPR pedal.
For heIicopter I use a special made combined cyklic, collective with throttle control and footpedal all on one stand and connected with one USB connection.
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick and Logitech rudder pedals.
A32NX FBW Thrustmaster Airbus Joystick
Boeing like the Heavy Mod Thrustmaster Boeing Yoke
Rest Honeycomb Yoke
Honeycomb Alpha. I have a joystick, but I don’t use it.
Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo.
Logitech GPro rudder pedals.
Thrustmaster X-55 Hotas.
I pretty much just use the X-55 Joystick with the Honeycomb Bravo Throttle Quadrant and rudder pedals of course. I fly upwards of 25 different aircraft including choppers at any given time. I have darn near every pay ware aircraft available. So I find just using the Joystick to be more convenient, it can control anything in the game.
HOTAS for everything. I would never buy a yoke. And that’s no joke 
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A late post - but perhaps still useful.
I use Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo Yoke and TQ for GAs, Boeing airliners and anything else that
uses a yoke in real life.
TM Warthog HOTAS for military AC like DCS fighter jets that use a HOTAS. I use the TM HOTAS base with an Airbus stick for - Airbus.
I use a cheap stick for nosewheel steering and external view control.
Choices about this for most people will be greatly influenced by budget. The setup I’ve described is very expensive, but I’ve built it up over a period of years starting with a Saitek 52 stick for everything. If I was starting out in MSFS or X-Plane and didn’t have a big budget, I would buy a yoke with plans for adding options over time. If DCS is a major part of your simming then a stick would be in order.
In addition to picking the right category of controller for your situation I would highly recommend acquiring the highest quality controller you can almost afford. This will provide several benefits including a superior simming experience; eliminating or reducing the frustration of poor controller sensitivity and response while you are also trying to learn how to fly. It also may be more sturdy and last longer, and remain a useful part of your kit even as you become more experienced and your requirements change.
If you’re more of a gamer than a simmer, then this advice may not be as relevant.