I don’t think it would work with my config. My break pedal is configured to about 2mm of travel with 80kg of force on a loadcell and gas pedal has minimal resistance with a lot of travel… and changing it is not really going to work as it is neither easy to change it nor would it be beneficial to my simracing.
Thanks, I have seen that thread but it is the only info I was able to find online (maybe there was one more small thread on Reddit as well) discussing differences by people who had experience with both. I was hoping for some more reassurance by more users. Not needed anymore as I found XPC @promo price of 250 euro and at that price it is a no-brainier really so I went with it.
I know what kind of benefits higher resolution can bring as I have changed controller on my Mige direct drive motor for my OSW steering wheel. The new controller improved already extremely high resolution to some insanely high resolution (it upped it to few million counts and the difference could still be felt even if the sim engines cannot directly utilize it).
So I can imagine that moving from pots and 256 points to even 1024 with hall sensor must be good direction and for few euro more than Alpha I am happy to go with it. Also for increased reliability of hal vs pots alone I think it is worth it at 250 euro.
I am guessing we will soon see a lot of discounted Alphas and XPCs as they will want to move stock before the new Alpha Lite and Alpha Pro launch in close future.
If I really start to enjoy flight simming I am sure I will sooner or later end up with one of FFB yokes :). Hopefully by then there would be some sensible selection and more mature solutions on the market.
BTW I wonder why FFB starts to pop up only now in consumer segment when in driving sims gear it is present for decades now. I understand that there are two axis to get FFB working for flight sim yokes and sticks instead of just one for steering wheel but still, it should not be rocket science to get it going 
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I went with Honecomb XPC yoke, Bravo quadrant and Thrustmaster TPR. A bit pricier on the rudder pedals than I anticipated but I like their features the most, namely the lack of twisting motion present in most similarly priced alternatives.
I hope that in the long term I will not regret going with Thrustmaster (slightly worried about their reliability vs proven designs like MSG crosswinds) but only time will tell.
Looking forward to setting it up and testing with VR and motion.
Many thanks for all the input. We can keep the discussion going even tough I have already made up my mind and placed the orders
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I think you’ll be fine. The TPR look good, a completely different league to the cheap TFRP that I wouldn’t recommend.
I’ve been eyeing up the MFG with hydraulic damper for a while, maybe one day.
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I had the exact set in the basket and almost went with it but as the price came to same as TPR and TPR has no twisting motion, which as I understand is not present in real planes I decided in favour of TPR. Also my hip will probably be happier without added twisting motion.
You might want to look at these there the best I have ever used and have tried them all. These guys make the best stuff.
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I have the Fulcrum yoke which is an incredible product.
Considering the cost of the XPC over the standard Aplha it’s probably fairer to compare it to the Fulcrum. I’ve not had the opportunity yet to do a direct comparison of the XPC as it’s new out but it’s a big jump up in price for the non contact sensors and Xbox compatibility, especially if you don’t need it for xbox where you would be paying for something you don’t need. It’s not just the higher resolution 12 bit sensing but also the fact they are contactless sensors and not a mechanical potentiometer like used in the base Alpha. If you saw the Honeycomb FSExpo presentation then don’t believe the spill about pots as although some of what was said is correct the underlying fact is that pots no matter how good they are will eventually start to wear due to the nature of their construction. You don’t get wear issues with contactless sensors. Yes the XPC is better in its specs but only you can decide if it’s worth the extra. Like I said if you are thinking of spending on the XPC you should also consider the Fulcrum and perhaps the TM Boeing yoke. In fact the TM yoke is $100 cheaper than the XPC where I am.
If you are new to flightsim and not sure if it’s really for you yet you would perhaps be better with the base model and you can upgrade later if you really get into it.
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Yes but at the worst prices. It’s good gear but it could be better priced. They are twice the price of TPR’s and some folk’s still wish the TPR’s were cheaper. I guess you get what you pay for but with Virtual Fly I don’t think their pricing reflects the product difference. As good as they may be they couldn’t possibly be twice as good as the TPR’s. Their Yoko yoke for instance I don’t think is as good as the Fulcrum yoke yet it’s over twice the price. As I said good gear but over priced IMHO.
When I was younger I tended to do extensive research taking weeks and sometimes months before I bought anything. Partially because I considered it as part of the hobby, I was getting into, so kind of prelude fun part, but mainly because I wanted to spend my limited resources, which back then were mostly money, wisely.
Those days I breeze through research part, like in this case, all was done and dusted in 48h from inception of the idea to placing all orders. Actually mostly for the same reasons, of managing my limited resources, however those days it is time that I lack the most and money is non issue (I have to keep it somehow sane tough because of the financial controller aka wife, a force to be reckoned with 
).
In this hasty research I did not even notice Fulcrum option, so thank you for pointing it out but as it is considerably more expensive than XPC I am fine with it. XPC set me back €250 while Fulcrum, which is on pre-order, so not readily available as such, would cost me €580 plus import charges of god only knows how much. But I must admit, I would love more realistic pitch axis travel it offers and I am sure other aspects which must be great as well.
In the end XPC costed me only €70 more than Alpha would. I think that is great value for added Hall sensors, increased resolution and the lack of detent on pitch axis which, from what I am reading, makes controlling plane less precises due to small jerk present that needs overcoming.
If I really get into it, I am sure I will look more closely into Fulcrum in the future.
I like load cell idea a lot on the breaks but probably TPR are an overkill for a novice like me. At this stage I am going in blind. I am hopping I will like flying as much as I enjoy sim racing but it is not given so TPR it is for now
But those are bookmarked and I might be revisiting them in the future.
When you say that you tried them all. Have you had a chance to test MSG Crosswinds and if so what did you think about them vs TPRs?
Thanks
Yes it’s not always the same pricing comparison depending on where you live. Where I am the XPC is $699. The base Alpha $399 and the Fulcrum is $719. The TM yoke $599. The Fulcrum for me was no import duty. With this in mind you see why I went that way.
BTW you will not be disappointed with the TPR’s they are the best bit of kit you purchased. Solid, reliable and a great feel.
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With prices like in your part of the world, Fulcrum would be my choice, no questions asked. Even if I
would have to wait for it few weeks. I mean I would have to do a bit more reading about it but I assume it is a clear cut step up from Honeycomb current (and by the looks of it also upcoming) line-up.
Do you maybe have experience with MSG Crosswinds and TPR? Which would you choose and why? Even if based only off stats and marketing info?
I’m totally for load cells on sim racing but I’m far from convinced it’s needed for flight sim. The brakes only get used for a few seconds in touchdown and a bit while taxiing and standard brake sensors seem up to the job. In an airliner you don’t use the brakes much on landing because the autobrake does it anyway.
For me with the pedals the crucial feature is smooth rudder or anti torque pedal action with a good feel, and load cells don’t help there at all.
As for higher resolution controls, I find flight sim is a lot less demanding on absolute precision compared to open seat car racing so I think it just doesn’t matter so much. Your controls are acting on air and they take a while to respond anyway, not like turning an F1 car to a corner.
Force feedback though, every time I fly I wish we had this, mainly to get realistic trimming but also in light aircraft for feel.
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I’ve never used the crosswinds but those that have them seem to like them.They are certainly better constructed than say something like the Saitek or Turtle beach pedals. For me I wanted something with a realistic pedal position, angle and operation which is I think something you already mentioned. Having your heel on the floor while operating just feels right. The sliding twisting motion pedals I’ve tried and didn’t like. When I first saw the TPR’s I knew they would be much better in that regard and I was not disappointed.
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OP-Lots of opinions here. Everyone is different. My Suggestion is:
Make sure you like flight simulation before you spend a ton of money on stuff. Then if you really like it, and can afford it do this.
Buy Virpil Ace Rudder pedals, 97% metal construction will last very long time, 20+ years, excellent quality.
I also own and love their TM-3 Throttle unit, binding one lever to two engines is a snap, again, 95% metal construction, excellent quality.
Your call on either a yoke or joystick, but, airbus is all joystick, most if not all current military fighters and cargo planes are JS, and Boeing may be moving to JS for their big birds, so JS might be better option. I can speak highly to Virpil FSX JS as it’s the exact one used in F-14A-B model plane, and has again buttons, switches, etc. which can be bound to different functions. The Virpil TM3 unit is very close to a real center quadrant/console in a real airliner, so you got most of those buttons already covered.
Honeycomb is cheaply made, both units are very large and take up a fair amount of space, plus the customer service from them has not been good for some folks. And all plastic construction, so long term will not last long over time. I owned the Throttle unit, and only had it for 4 months before I sold it because it was just too big and hard to setup on my desk when I wanted to use it. IF, you down the road by a flight chair, and want to mount any of those devices to it, you are out of luck using the HC units. The HC units lend themselves to a fixed cockpit arrangement, which never changes. Happy hunting.
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Great info. Thank you for that.
I have TM Warthog HOTAS (mounted to my sim rig), which I bought probably 5 years years ago 2nd hand for close to nothing for experimenting with Elite Dangerous. So I am covered for JS needs but wanted Yoke for more immersive GA flying.
Good Luck, cannot go wrong with Virpil stuff. Others make good stuff too. If really want something good, look into “Yoko the Yoke” have not checked in long time, but it is/was the best yoke you could get. Excellent quality and just like the real thing as far as movement goes. Do YouTube video on comparisons to see. Happy Flying.
That’s what I have. I only ever fly GA in the sim (and in real life), and it’s a great setup for that. I had Logitech pedals at first and upgraded. The only word of caution I’d offer to anyone making the same pedal upgrade is not to expect the better pedals to make that big a difference to the feel of the sim. Better pedals, unfortunately, just highlight how bad the yaw axis modeling is in the sim. When you’ve got cheap pedals, you blame the pedals; you can’t do that anymore when you get TPRs.
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QFT
It’s easy to get lost in the numbers game. I will say, however, that having Hall sensors is always a benefit, so the XPC is attractive. But I’ve never had any pitch/roll problems with my ‘old’ Alpha. If I could buy an ‘old’ Alpha for the price OP quoted, I’d jump on it.
Exactly. That sounds like quite a discount