Having dedicated two decades to the CH Products Yoke, it was due time for a switch. The CH Products Yoke served me well, but I recently identified it as the reason for mouse lags in MSFS 2020 and other controller issues. Whether this was due to compatibility or a genuine hardware defect, I’m uncertain.
So, why the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Yoke?
Aircraft Selection: Primarily, my passion lies in flying the Cessna 152, Boeing 737-600, and similar aircraft in 4k and VR.
Installation & Storage: A crucial criterion was a yoke that would seamlessly fit my desk and be convenient to store when not in use. The VelocityOne nails this aspect.
Features & Design: The yoke and its throttle quadrant are laden with controls, eliminating the need to constantly switch to a keyboard or mouse in VR. Additionally, the haptics and overall feel of the controller are immersive and responsive. For VR, the alternative grips provided are a boon, allowing differentiation between various axes with ease. Although the upper throttle axis felt too lightweight initially, I’ve grown accustomed to it, now appreciating the precision that its light friction offers.
Why not others? I skipped the Honeycomb yoke and throttle for example. The latter’s size wasn’t a good fit for my setup. Furthermore, having heard of mouse lag issues with the Bravo throttle, I didn’t want to revisit the lag problems reminiscent of the CH yoke system.
Sip Display: It’s fully compatible with MSFS 2020, and it’s a pleasant enhancement for non-VR flights.
In conclusion, I foresee the Turtle Beach Yoke being my trusted companion for the next couple of decades. When I opt for aircraft with a yoke rather than my VKB flight stick, it’s the ideal choice.
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Nice summary. I just started using MSFS and dug out my old Saitek Pro Yoke and throttle. They still work pretty well but am considering an upgrade, primarily for the yoke feel and more axes on the throttle. I would also really like a small free look stick on the throttle for looking around (the saitek only has an 8 way hat switch). The velocity one really seems to offer a lot for the price but I’m concerned about the yoke feel and worried that I would want to upgrade in the future once again. Some reviews have mentioned the honeycomb yoke is very stiff and has short travel in pitch. The Bravo throttle quadrant looks excellent (except for trim wheel being just two switches). The thrustmaster TCA looks excellent but I don’t know how flying the GA aircraft would feel with it.
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Nice review.
I had a good chuckle at that. 
I mean, how far apart can two planes be? If the TB Yoke works well for both types, then it’s a winner for you, for sure.
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I appreciate your’s and everyone’s comments about the velocity one yoke and throttles. So, I’m leaning that way. I’m a little concerned about some reviews which have noted the loose play between the plastic steering mechanism and the metal shaft. Can anyone comment on that? Has anyone tried to improve the mating of plastic and metal shaft?
What made you go for this rather than the Honeycomb products? Just curious!
I went with the VelocityOne because of the size (I got the stand for it too, and the rudder pedals) and the TPM levers. I don’t really have space for the Honeycomb and would have needed to find some sort of stand.
Mine had that stupid stickiness problem from the beginning. I didn’t use the yoke much but got back into Flight Simulator a lot more recently, it felt like the stickiness was getting worse in fact. I tried the paper towel thing this week, and was trying to move the yoke through its full range, and finally something inside it snapped, so now it’s actually broken.
I bought it last February, so it’s out of its one-year warranty. Their support said tough luck, need to buy a new one, they don’t even offer paid repair.
I can say that Flight Simulator was actually running for maybe 90 hours since I bought the yoke, probably I used it for maybe 50% of that (I have a joystick which I use for those aircraft), so maybe 50 hours of use? Very disappointing. The gods just do not want me to fly, I swear.
I opened it up and it failed in the same way as this: https://www.reddit.com/r/TurtleBeachSimulation/comments/1d4dir9/yoke_broken_inside
No wonder, there’s a huge amount of strain on that plastic part, especially if you push the yoke all the way in and turn it to the left. No amount of lubrication / cleaning the yoke with paper towels would do anything, the problem is with the rod parallel to it: pushing and pulling the yoke creates a torque on the whole plastic piece. That means it isn’t traveling exactly straight, and being pushed at an angle adds even more friction, which increases the torque…
I was able to fix it (for now). One thing I would suggest for anyone who owns it is to attach a 1 1/4" hose clamp to the plastic at the end. That goes a long way to holding the strain. $2 worth of reinforcement probably would have made the yoke last a lot longer.
I think I could have “fixed it” with that alone as a minimum, but I also added metal bracing to each side (obviously I will clip the excess on the zip ties).
That’s not a bad idea. I’d bet someone cranked down on the screw. I never tinkered in that area(was going to try to pull the yoke out at one point), the wires are just too ■■■■ delicate to mess with.
Yeah, I didn’t love having to put pressure on the wires for the metal sandwich, but since it was completely broken I didn’t have much choice. I wouldn’t recommend that if you don’t have to.
But I do think a hose clamp is good preventative maintenance. I’m surprised how poorly that center cassette is set up to withstand the strain: splitting the plastic cylinder at the end, boring a screw right down the middle…little wonder it snapped in half. The hose clamp is a cheap and easy improvement, the only difficulty is undoing the ten(!) screws to remove the top cover (two of them under the long rubber pads close to the yoke).
