In Microsoft Flight Simulator, not only do you lot have the liberty to fly wherever you desire, but you tin too fly however you like. The game supports a plethora of controllers and flight stick replicas, and for newcomers to the flight simulation genre, it tin exist difficult to find the right hardware and control scheme.

In this Microsoft Flight Simulator guide, we'll show yous our favorite control options if you plan on flying with a standard controller. For those considering buying a flight stick for Microsoft Flight Simulator, nosotros'll permit you lot know what to consider when purchasing one or more pieces of gear.

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Using a controller

If you want to apace soar into the sky, you can confidentially learn how to pilot an aircraft with the controller you probably already ain. Whether you're using an Xbox controller or a tertiary-party option, a standard game pad will allow you lot to control well-nigh of the operations of any given aircraft.

As nosotros mention in our Microsoft Flight Simulator beginner's guide, complete Flight Training first to learn virtually pulling off nuanced maneuvers on a game pad. Even after you've mastered the controls, y'all'll withal accept to rely on your computer's keyboard for some more avant-garde options.

Playing Microsoft Flight Simulator with only a controller is a completely valid option. To brand the most of the experience, we've been using a specific controller to expand the options in our hands.

Xbox Elite Series 2 controller

Image: Microsoft

The Xbox Aristocracy Series 2 controller is a great pick for game pad flying because of the two specific features of the controller: swappable thumbsticks, and customizable paddles on the back of the controller.

Tall thumbstick for yoke

Start, information technology's easier to command the yoke of the plane by swapping the left thumbstick for the taller option that comes in the box. The added elevation of the thumbstick allows for smoother and more precise aircraft control. Since you'll perform about of your maneuvers with the left thumbstick, the additional corporeality of control made flight much more than refined.

Paddle mapping for trim

The second change worth making is remapping two of the rear paddles to control trim. When climbing, descending, and cruising, yous could constantly hold the left thumbstick to maintain the right angle of flight. Just as you larn during the Flight Training, adjusting trim allows you to set a certain amount of angle to your plane'due south nose allowing you to ease off the yoke altogether while maintaining a smooth ride.

Prototype: Microsoft via Polygon

With a controller, the manner you accommodate trim is by holding the Y button and then belongings up or down on the D-pad. The problem is, to make adjustments on the D-pad, yous need your left thumb. If y'all take your finger off the left thumbstick to make adjustments on the D-pad, the olfactory organ of your aeroplane might dip while you slowly adjust the trim. This can pb to some jerky flying.

To combat this, set two of the rear paddles to upwards and down respectively. This way, you can even so leave a finger on the left thumbstick to maintain the proper bending while y'all slowly adjust trim with your correct pollex and fingers on the paddles. It takes a fleck of dexterity, but in one case you master it, you'll have steadier flights.

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Should y'all purchase a flight stick?

There are many flight sticks for aviation simulators. For newcomers, choosing among them can be daunting. Non only is it unclear how many pieces of gear you should buy, but prices for individual hardware tin can also fluctuate wildly.

If you're looking to buy a flight stick setup, here's what you need to consider first:

• How much infinite do you lot have for a flight stick and accessories?
• How much realism practise y'all want to simulate?
• What'south your budget for dedicated hardware?

To answer these questions, allow's pause down what your options are for hardware and how dissimilar pieces of gear add to the feel.

One of the sets we've been using is the Thrustmaster T16000M FCS Flight Pack, and it's helped u.s.a. to proceeds a better agreement of what's available in the flight simulator hardware ecosystem. We chose this 3-slice kit because it offers the essential range of accessories simulation enthusiasts look for in a single package.

Let'southward become over what comes in the kit and explore how each piece of gear transforms the flight experience.

Thrustmaster T16000M FCS Flying Pack

Thrustmaster's T16000M FCS Flight Pack is a comprehensive package that comes with three pieces of hardware.

Image: Thrustmaster

• The T.16000M FCS is a flying stick that commands the plane's pitch and coil with its handle. Information technology has several buttons that can command menus, cameras, and other flight controls likewise as another tiny joystick on top chosen a "chapeau switch" that lets you change your point of view. A small slider at the base can handle throttle, and you can manipulate the rudder by twisting the stick. You can likewise lock out the twist functionality entirely with a unmarried, out-of-the-way button.
• The TWCS Throttle is, unsurprisingly, a throttle controller with far more than precision than the tiny slider on the flying stick. It also has several more buttons, multiple hat switches that tin can be assigned to any yous like, and a rotary knob that lets y'all adjust the trim with greater accurateness and speed. There's too a paddle on the front that can double as your rudder.
• The TFRP Rudder is a dual pedal rudder system that plugs into the throttle with an old-school-style telephone connector or into your computer's USB port with an included dongle. It offers far greater control of a airplane's rudder with a sliding mechanism for precise steering. Information technology also includes individual toe brakes — one for each foot — to aid y'all steer the aircraft on the ground.

Each slice of hardware adds a layer of realism to the flight simulation experience. While a standard controller can perform most of the actions that these bespoke accessories can perform, the betoken of having dedicated hardware is to provide greater control and enhanced level of immersion.

After going through the Flight Training in Microsoft Flying Simulator a second time with this new gear, nosotros definitely noticed a difference. In one case nosotros became comfy with this advanced setup, we spent a few hours exploring the world with our new hardware.

So let's consider the cost, required desk space, and learning bend, to figure out if private slice of flight simulation hardware makes a meaningful difference.

Flight sticks

The biggest change in experience comes from the entry indicate to flight simulator hardware: the flight stick.

If you are on a upkeep or lacking infinite, a flight stick can exercise most of the heavy lifting. Controllers like Thrustmaster'southward T.16000M FCS (which is the exact same stick that comes bundled with the to a higher place package) or Logitech's Extreme 3D Pro can perform all the maneuvers you need to become the airplane off the ground and soaring with ease. A good flying stick volition likewise have a mechanism to control the plane's throttle with a slider at its base. Non only that, most flight sticks tin twist to manipulate the rudders, making it easy to guide your plane as y'all move about the rail.

The biggest alter in the experience you'll discover is how much a stick allows you to precisely control the plane's nose. Gently guiding your aircraft upward and down for a smooth landing or slowly globe-trotting into your turns feels more than accurate — and realistic — with a flight stick. At that place'southward a valley of difference in fine control when comparing your thumb on a controller to using your wrist, elbow, and shoulder to movement a flight stick.

The boosted buttons on a flight stick's handle and base of operations also offer far more customization than your standard game pad.

Image: Asobo Studio/Microsoft Corporation via Polygon

Microsoft Flying Simulator's settings automatically map some of these buttons for you, moving critical commands like unlocking your parking brake or controlling the in-game camera closer to your hands. The plethora of additional buttons lets you customize how yous control your shipping to the point where your flight stick lonely tin control just about every essential control.

Stick and throttle (HOTAS)

Just using a flight stick would be like playing a racing sim with but a steering bicycle. For more precise flight, you'll want fine speed control. To do that, y'all'll need a separate piece of hardware to control your throttle. Much like the pedals that control gas and brakes on a car, a throttle is the driving force behind a plane'southward engine.

Almost of the options you'll find for flight simulator controllers are of the HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) variety. These come with both a flight stick and a (discrete or connected) throttle.

A HOTAS setup lets yous control both your speed and your direction with defended command surfaces. The precise manipulation of a dedicated throttle and the additional buttons they offering dilate what you lot're capable of. Instead of relying on the tacked-on slider of a flying stick to smoothly handle speed, a throttle mimics the precision delivery of power that existent aircrafts demand.

The options for HOTAS setups varies. Thrustmaster's T16000M FCS Flight Pack comes with a split throttle controller so does the Logitech Yard X52. Regardless of which choice you choose, a HOTAS setup benefits greatly from having ii individual devices split the duties of keeping your plane in the sky.

When dialing in the correct speed for a shine landing or maintaining the proper airspeed for cruising, a throttle handle makes the process simple. A throttle's big sliding surface lets you easily control how much power your aeroplane is outputting. Y'all tin can energetically slam it frontwards like you run into in the movies when you're set to have off or you tin can gently pull it back to float into a perfect landing.

Image: Asobo Studio/Microsoft Corporation via Polygon

A split throttle volition have additional buttons, toggles, and sometimes extra thumbsticks to further customize your flight feel. Some throttle controllers also permit y'all control the in-game camera, certain flight functions, and even the rudder using paddles that you control with your fingers. Throttles with dials on them tin can melody trim, which is an essential flight control that keeps your airplane level without needing to constantly conform your flying stick.

There are also more than advanced throttles on the market, such as the Logitech Yard Flight Simulator Throttle, which gives you lot separate power controls for your left and right engines on twin-engine planes.

HOTAS and rudder pedals

The last pace (pun intended!), in filling out a total flying setup is rudder pedals.

Despite their appearance, rudder pedals don't control your plane's the throttle. These car-similar pedals dispense the rudder flap in the back of your shipping and besides command the brakes. The left and right motility of the rudder won't steer your aeroplane in the air. Instead, they apply counter-move to combat again unwanted trajectory.

Prototype: Thrustmaster

On the footing, your rudder pedals do control the side-to-side motility of your plane, such as when taxiing around the airport. This takes a bit of getting used to as it feels natural to want to pace on the right pedal of something like Thrustmaster's TFRP Rudder only to veer off the rails instead of moving forward.

One downside of the TFRP pedals is that they are a bit frail and narrow. If you're a bigger person, or you only desire a more than robust solution overall, look into picking up the Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder Pedals or the MFG Crosswind v2.

The Thrustmaster T16000M FCS Flight Pack comes with rudder pedals in the box forth with its throttle and flight stick. However, most HOTAS setups let you command your aeroplane's tail on either the stick or throttle, then unless you lean into the immersion you may non find the demand for them.

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Flying yoke

Very few of the virtual cockpits in Microsoft Flight Simulator actually include a stick. Most — similar the Cessna 152 that you learn to fly in the tutorial — have a yoke. They take up a fleck more room on your desk, but they're fifty-fifty more authentic for civilian aviation. There are a few practiced options on the market correct now, and we've tested two of them with great success.

The most highly recommended is the Honeycomb Aeronautical Alpha. Not only is it an incredibly solid slice of kit, merely it'south besides completely plug-and-play uniform with Flight Simulator. There aren't even whatsoever drivers to load. Even the ignition, power, and lighting switches piece of work correct out of the box.

While the Alpha comes with a traditional clamp, it also ships with a a nifty non-marring adhesive plate, which makes it suitable for just about any desk. Information technology'southward in brusque supply, and expensive at $249.99. You'll also need pedals and a throttle to brand full use of it.

Our second recommendation is the Logitech Thou Flying Yoke System. While much more delicate than the Blastoff, it's far more affordable at $169.99. It also comes with its own throttle quadrant — perfect for controlling twin-engine planes. You'll still need to invest in pedals, nevertheless.

Another well-regarded flight yoke comes from CH Products. It's also affordable at $149.95 and comes with its own built-in throttle. Nosotros've non all the same tested it with Flying Simulator, only they have an excellent runway record.

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TrackIr

Prototype: Asobo Studio/Xbox Game Studios via Polygon

Microsoft Flight Simulator comes with enough of options for irresolute your view both inside and outside the cockpit. You'll terminate up dedicating at least one of your diverse hat switches on a setup like the Thrustmaster T16000M FCS Flight Pack to assist you await left, correct, upwardly, and downward before long. Merely what would make things much easier is if you're in-game pilot had working cervix. Allow us to introduce y'all to the TrackIr head-tracking device.

TrackIr is expensive at $199.99, but information technology dramatically enhances the experience of flying. TrackIr uses the same kind of infrared engineering constitute in the Wii motility controllers. You attach an infrared emitter to your headset and a receiver to the peak of your monitor. Using the scale software, you can then translate tiny movements of your real head into big movements of your pilot's head in-game.

Using TrackIr, you can hands line upwardly your plane for final approach, find your friends in the heaven during multiplayer sessions, and take in the sights while hunting elephants and grizzly bears. You can even lean down and over to access all the controls — including the fuel shut-offs and parking brakes hidden under the dash of some planes. Y'all tin can even stick your head out the window and look down while you fly. It's the closes you'll get to flight in virtual reality until that feature is released later in 2020.

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How you fly is up to you

While you don't demand a fight stick or a racing wheel to enjoy fighting or racing games, veterans of both genres know that dedicated controls enhance the experience. Flight simulators are no different. The magic of Microsoft Flight Simulator is that anyone can hop in, learn the basics, and explore the entire world. How deep into the simulation you want to go is up to you.

If you're not prepare to leap into a dedicated set of controls for flight, but would consider an upgrade to your controller, then the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is a groovy choice. Not merely practise the adaptable thumbsticks and four rear paddles requite you flexibility in controlling your aircraft, but you can also use the controller to play hundreds of other games.

When yous're ready to take the leap into dedicated hardware, you can apply what we learned on, the Thrustmaster T16000M FCS Flight Pack. This iii-piece kit has everything y'all need to transform a desk into a cockpit. The controls on the flying stick, throttle, and rudders are far more than responsive than what you'd feel on a controller. The amount of additional buttons leaves your feel wide open for customization. If you want to actually dig into flight simulators and the immersion that dedicated hardware offers, this flight pack is a great starting indicate.

If the world of flying simulators is still new to you, check out our Microsoft Flight Simulator beginner'south guide. One time you've constitute your preferred method of flying, consider looking for your house or finding some of the world's all-time landmarks.

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Honeycomb Aeronautical, Logitech, and Thrustmaster hardware was reviewed using retail kits provided by the manufacturers. Vocalization Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can discover additional data virtually Polygon's ethics policy hither .