What is the most effective joystick?
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Very good joystick and throttle would be the x56 logitech hotas… trim is literally where your thumb sits on the throttle and little finger controls flaps on another wheel… plus tons of switches to assign whatever too… very good joystick but also a great tool also with minimal space used.
Each controller has its pros and cons, but Saitek and Thrustmaster HOTAS and Throttle combinations are two of the more well respected and reviewed lines. The controller you purchase may depend in part on what other sims you are using and what your budget is. For instance, if you are using DCS military aircraft like the A10-C Warthog, then the TM HOTAS Warthog Flight stick and Throttle, while very expensive, are a good choice - budget permitting. If you are mostly doing airliners (American built) and American General Aviation you might also consider a yoke instead of a flight stick. Hope that helps
You also have Winwing, VKB, Virpil and many others. If you can afford it, spend a bit more for higher quality
I got the Virpil WarBRD base with a Warthog grip, I was so impressed with the quality that I ordered their rudder pedals. It’ll cost 2-4 times as much money as all the other plastic ■■■■ and will take up to a month to show up, but will last 10-20 times longer while providing you the best experience all along. Seriously, you’ll be able to pass this along to your smartest grandchild (assuming there is still some USB adapter available in 35-40 years).
I really wish it was my first stick, it would have saved me the ~$1,000+ I wasted on all that thrustmaster, logitech, and saitek garbage I wore through over the last 30 years.
My story…
I had some 20yr-old flight controls and I decided to upgrade. Originally I ordered some of the Logitech stuff but while I was waiting I found Virpil and thought it looked a lot better. I ordered Alpha Stick, WarBRD Base, Throttle, Control Panel, and Rudders.
It took just under 2 months including shipping. I’d still be waiting on the Logitech stuff from what I can tell.
The quality of the Virpil stuff is incredible, easily twice as good as I expected. It is a huge upgrade and I’m really loving it in MSFS 2020. It really makes the sim more fun to play. Their software is also quite nice.