/SIMG/ Flight Gear Buyers Guide
By -WAT- V.1 03/05/2021
HELP MAKE THIS GUIDE BETTER BY SUMBITTING REVIEWS ON YOUR GEAR HERE.
Quick Rundown
How did I become so wise on joysticks?
I made this for my group and the thread. This was made using markdown, I chose to use this because it is far better than paste bin. Most guides by big names have the same sticks over and over again. Saitek/Logitech trash, Warthog, and the 3D pro all get reviewed time and time again. I wanted to make a guide that can actually get you something you'll wind up being happy with. There seems to be a lot of 5 star reviews going around to 3 start sticks. Most of them are lame copy paste articles made to get clicks with every intention of shilling product they were given for free to "review". I wanted to make a broad based guide for both newbies and dedicated simmers so they could make a decision on what kind of stick to buy. As well as get honest reviews and feedback to improve the guide overtime. I was not payed by anyone to make these reviews. I put up a google forms in my groups discord and in the thread. I then literally copy pasted peoples honest anon reviews about joysticks and various other flight sim related gear. I hopes this helps you get a joystick that suits you. If you think something I posted is incorrect you can post in the /simg/ thread with the proof to debonk me. You can also message me in this discord for this guide. The other thing you can do is post your review of your equipment here, this is the survey I mentioned above. You do need to sign in to google to use it, however the responses are anonymous. I will never be able to see your google account. All I see is responses. This guide can be updated and the link will remain the same. If you complete the survey I can update the guide based on the responses you give. I hope to improve this guide overtime. If you see something you don't like, speak up. I will change anything that isn't correct provided you show proofs.
Warning
This guide contains non secure http links, I would avoid putting any information into these websites. Majority of them are to manufacture websites
Table of Contents
Joysticks and Throttles
Saitek/Logitech/Mad Catz
- Quick rundown on why I have slashed through three different names for this section.
- Saitek brand got bought by Mad Shatz
- Mad Shatz shat the bed
- Big daddy Logitech came in and bought a shat in bed. Then never made anything better of the old designs. Besides a bad attempt at a redo of the X55.
- (These are jokes these company's still made viable products despite having some bad apples)
Saitek X45
- Price range : low
- Stick layout :
- Four buttons.
- Two eight-way hats.
- Rubberized pinkie switch.
- Missile launch button with a flip-down safety cover.
- Trigger
- Throttle layout :
- Two buttons.
- Four-way hat.
- Analogue axis.
- Nose wheel steering rocker.
- There are also a pair of mode switches.
- My Thoughts :
- You will only find these used or NOS if you're lucky. I would stay away from these unless you find them at like a goodwill or something and you can confirm they aren't sloppy. Even then you might run into electrical problems, as these sticks build quality is very low. These sticks are getting very dated and even back in the day they weren't very good.
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Cheap. | Joystick spring is very stiff. |
Enough switches, buttons and hats for most aircraft. | Issues with axes on the throttle lose range if plugged in for a while |
Grips get sticky sometimes and are a pain to clean. | |
Low build quality. |
Saitek/Logitech/Mad Catz X52 + Throttle
- Price range : mid
- Stick layout :
- Two 8-way hat-switches.
- Five buttons.
- 3-way mode selector switch.
- Three up/down toggles.
- Dual stage index trigger.
- Pinky switch.
- Throttle layout :
- Two jog-wheels.
- A scroll wheel.
- Three buttons.
- Single up/down slider.
- Thumbstick that lets you control the mouse.
- My thoughts :
- I think this is a good stick to buy used for cheap, and make sure it works and isn't sloppy. If not I would find something a little more modern. They no longer make these so whatever you find is going to be used or NOS if you're lucky.
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Cheap. | Feels cheap. |
Lots of buttons for a good price. | Bad quality, in ways you get what you pay for. |
You can adjust the resistance on the throttle via a knob on the side. | Inferior to the X52 pro. |
You can only get these NOS or used. |
Saitek/Logitech/Mad Catz X52 Pro + Throttle
- Price range : mid
- Stick layout :
- Two-stage primary trigger.
- Four buttons.
- Two eight-way hat switches are at the head of the joystick.
- Three toggle switches at the base.
- Throttle layout :
- Mouse controller.
- Hat-switch.
- Slider control.
- Two rotary controls.
- Scroll wheel.
- Three buttons.
- My thoughts :
- I think this is a good stick to buy used for cheap, and make sure it works and isn't sloppy. If not I would find something a little more modern. They still make these sticks under the Logitech name and they still suck.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Compared to the X52 it has more metal components and slightly more accurate sensors. | Cheap. |
Doesn't feel quite as flaccid. | All used ones online are overpriced. |
Better than the X55, better ergonomics, is cheaper and has far less dead on arrivals. |
Saitek/Mad Catz X55 + Throttle
- Price range : mid
- Stick layout :
- 5 buttons.
- Four hat switches.
- Trigger
- Throttle layout :
- Throttle rotaries with inset button.
- Two position sliders.
- Thumb control with two hats.
- Thumb button.
- Mouse nipple.
- Throttle lock.
- 3-way mode switch.
- Base has seven toggles and two rotaries.
- Throttle tension.
- My thoughts :
- I think you should avoid this stick and throttle. They have a bad reputation and are really not worth the money. Not to mention the only ones you can find now are used or NOS.
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Lots of buttons, mouse nipple works if you use the profiler. | Nobody is sure if this is an up or downgrade compared to the X52. |
Can almost replicate the A-10C stick setup. | Shit quality. Plagued with DOA and stuff not working correctly. |
Cool industrial yellow caution decals, letting you know to proceed with caution on those awesome stick movements you're about to do on hoggit tti. | Hat placement on the stick is horrible. |
Comes with interchangeable springs, giving you a choice on how stiff or loose they want the joystick to feel. Saitek calls this the F.E.E.L. system. | Springs are stiff as fuck, even the lightest one. |
Split throttle with a lock. | Creaks like your moms bed. |
Lots of Buttons, hats, and switches. | Wobbly center, needs a wee bit of dead zone or you drift off. |
Poor ergonomics, hand rest is too far down. |
Saitek/Logitech Mad Catz X56
- NO INFO ON THIS STICK HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS STICK THEN USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR STICK!
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro
- Price range : low
- Stick layout :
- 4 buttons.
- One hat switch.
- Trigger
- Base layout :
- Eight buttons and a throttle lever.
- My thoughts :
- Best way to put it is, This is the AK-47 of joysticks. This is a great stick if you are new to flight sims. You can use this to get your feet wet in flight sims. Hands down the cheapest stick you can find. Avoid buying used because these get clapped out like the cheap whores they are.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Dirt cheap. | Dirt cheap. 100% plastic. |
Has a throttle rotatory. | Can get sloppy after some time of heavy use. |
Does not have hall sensors but still fairly accurate. | One hat and a single stage trigger. |
It has 5 buttons on the grip and they're set up well for flaps/trim/pickle or autopilot. | HOTAS requires modifiers. |
You will have full function for any flying controls outside of a dedicated HOTAS. | Needs a dead-zone sometimes to avoid unwanted drifting or jitters. |
Very small good for people who don't have a lot of space. | |
Twist stick rudder. |
CH Products
CH Products Fighter Stick
- Price range : low
- Stick layout :
- Three traditional pushbuttons.
- Trigger
- Three 4-way hat switches.
- One 8-way POV hat switch.
- Mode switch button.
- Base layout :
- Side throttle wheel
- My thoughts :
- These seem like nice sticks and they don't cost a lot. If you really like the look of the stick and want something cheap it's not a bad choice. Also nothing to write home about.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Opposite of Warthog, outside is plastic, insides are metal, will last for decades. | Beware that a few products could have been assembled in Mexico with poor quality and slipped through quality control resulting in shit quality. |
Stick has wide throw and low spring resistance. | No twist rudder. |
Gimbal is built so that going diagonally has higher resistance than just moving X or Y independently. | Old school pots are low res and prone to failing. |
Cheap. | CH's custom control software is powerful, but requires scripting, and has a 50/50 chance of running on windows 10. |
F-16 stick replica. | The grip isn't ergonomic if you're trying to aim and use the face buttons at the same time. |
Stick has wide throw and low spring resistance. | |
Gimbal is built so that going diagonally has higher resistance than just moving X or Y independently. | |
Side throttle wheel is not very good. You'll most likely need a throttle. |
CH Products Combat Stick
- NO INFO ON THIS STICK HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS STICK THEN USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR STICK!
CH Products Flightstick Pro
- NO INFO ON THIS STICK HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS STICK THEN USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR STICK!
Thrustmaster
Thrustmaster T16000M + Throttle
- Price range : low/mid
- Stick layout :
- Three buttons.
- One hat.
- Trigger.
- Base layout :
- Twelve buttons on the base.
- Throttle layout :
- Two 4-way hats.
- One 8-way POV hat.
- Analogue Thumb stick, clickable.
- 2-way rocker switch.
- Three buttons.
- Analogue slider/rocker. (the paddle at the bottom)
- My Thoughts :
- Good stick to start on if you buy the joystick by itself. When you factor in the throttle it starts to fall into the mid range price category. This stick has a lot to offer at a reasonable price.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Hall effect sensor at entry level price. No need to calibrate. Grip is super comfortable. | Not very comfortable, very accurate, loads of buttons, but they aren't labelled, really annoying light at the base.There are guides on how to disable said light. |
Great price/performance, better sensors on this stick than most similar priced sticks. | Not enough buttons and especially not enough hats on the stick, some of the full HOTAS aircraft (A-10, F-16, F-18) may require compromises or modifier buttons. |
A great stick to buy for beginners in flight sims, if you don't want to get something cheap like a 3D pro. | T16000's Yaw axis is prone to having input spikes after a few months of use due to poor assembly of wires inside of it. |
You can buy the stick by itself. Then get the throttle later if you like flight sims. | Single stage trigger. |
Can be swapped from a right-handed to a left-handed configuration and comes with the mirrored bits of trim packaged in to allow for this. | Mini-stick slew can break due to poor quality potentiometer pots. |
The stick has slider for a throttle which makes it usable as a standalone unit without the throttle. | Linear throttle. |
T.Flight Stick X
- Price range : low
- Stick layout :
- Three buttons.
- One hat.
- Trigger.
- Base layout :
- Eight buttons.
- Throttle slider
- My thoughts :
- This is the HOTAS X without a throttle. It is slightly cheaper but is still more expensive than the 3D pro. Really has no reason to exist unless you really want a HOTAS X without a throttle. If you can find one cheaper than a 3D pro I would buy this instead. If it is built anything like its brother the HOTAS X then it will last longer than the 3D pro.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro Con Cheap. Lacking the throttle of its brother the HOTAS X. Ergonomic.
Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X
- Price range : low
- Stick layout :
- Three buttons.
- One hat.
- Trigger.
- Throttle layout :
- Six buttons.
- Nose wheel steering rocker.
- Base layout :
- Two buttons on the base.
- My thoughts :
- I personally own this stick. I think it is a really good stick to buy on a budget. I would recommend this over the 3D pro strictly on the basis that I've owned two 3D pro and they got sloppy after a couple years. I've had my HOTAS X seeing heavy use for 6 years and it still feels super tight. The only thing wrong with mine is some of the buttons don't work very well anymore. The throttle detent is super useful and the whole unit itself is very ergonomic. Many retards say the detent is a con. It is a afterburner detent, you setup the plane with custom curves so that your burners activate when you push past the detent. This makes it easy to know when you're in burner and you also have more control over the nozzle. I could air to air refuel with this throttle in the F-15 in one or two contacts when I set it up properly. You can also setup the throttle to only give input until you reach the detent, then you don't ever need to worry about getting hung up on the detent in props or helis. I can show you how to do this if you msg me in the discord linked above. You can find these for deals at electronic stores. I got mine at Fry's (rip) for $25 plus tax. I personally shill this stick because they just don't really go bad like other cheap sticks.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Cheap Stick that comes with a throttle. | All plastic. |
Throttle has a detent for afterburners. | Single stage trigger. |
Very good Ergonomics with the throttle and stick. | Button labels can wear off after some time. |
Despite being plastic feels very sturdy, I've owned mine for 6 years and it still has zero slop and is extremely accurate. | The buttons can stop working well after a long time. Mine still work but need to be pressed hard or a couple times to register. |
Throttle can be split in two, also has a joystick resistance knob for adjusting the resistance. | Poor sensor accuracy and the twist rudder is very touchy. |
Nose wheel steering bumper on the throttle. |
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog + Throttle
- Price range : High
- Stick layout :
- Three push buttons.
- Two-stage trigger.
- Single stage pinkie trigger.
- One 8-way hat switch.
- 3 4-way hat switches one of which has another integrated push button.
- Throttle layout :
- Analog slider with a center detent.
- Friction adjustment for the throttles.
- Two push button.
- Two 3-way and six 2-way toggle switches.
- One 8-way and one 4-way hat switch.
- Mouse nipple with integrated push button.
- Separate push button.
- Three 3 way rocker switches.
- My thoughts :
- Recommend to buy used because it's considered overpriced for the quality that you get.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Replicates the A-10C Stick and throttle. | No twist rudder. |
Dual throttle has afterburner and idle detents. | Durability is questionable and insides are cheap plastic. Considered overpriced. |
Lots of multi position toggle switches, buttons, and hats. | Requires nyogel re-lube for stiction issues. The stick develops stiction like hell which sucks. |
Lots of spring resistance to mimic real aircraft controls. | Switch quality could be better on the throttle and the TDC nipple is dreadful. |
Can be found used for cheap. | A little imprecise in the center. |
Throttle can be spit separately from each other. | Plastic gimbal is absolute garbage for anything precise. |
Two stage trigger. | Slew controller sucks. |
VKB
VKB NXT Standard and Premium
- Price range : mid
- Layouts :
- Standard
- 3 Hat switches with center push. (4-way)
- 4 Buttons on stick.
- 2 Rotary encoders.
- 1 Throttle wheel.
- 3 buttons on base.
- Premium
- Rapid Fire Trigger.
- 3 Hat switches with center push. (4-way)
- 3 buttons on stick.
- 1 analog ministick with center push. (8-way)
- 2 Rotary encoders.
- 1 Throttle wheel.
- 3 buttons on base.
- My thoughts :
- This is the cheapest VKB stick you can get on the VKB website and it's really good for the price in my opinion. I honestly may pick one of these up for myself at some point. If you really want to get a quality stick but you don't want to go all in on something that is $400+ then this is a good stick to think about buying. One of the reviews I received mentioned. "$180 USD shipped ($120 standard, $150 prem + $30 S+H) even during 'rona" You can pair this up with a throttle and have a banging budget setup. VKB has really been changing what is acceptable in terms of stick quality and function. Go check the link below and check out the specs yourself. They have two versions of this stick with one having the 8 way ministick and the other without.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Lots of hats, buttons and 2 rotary encoders plus a throttle. Lockable Twist axis with contactless MaRS sensor. Dual Action Trigger for the standard and Rapid Fire Trigger for premium. | All plastic except for base. |
Very nice stick feel due to grease bearings with good return to center, overall good haptics. | Software is not intuitive, installation and flashing stick can suck. (icue/ghub/aorus engine can interfere) |
Designed to be modular with side areas for add-on components. | Modular components teased by VKB do not exist yet beyond swapping grips. |
High build quality. | Not optimal for stick extension. |
Can be bought in right or left hand variation. | Awkward thumb button placement on standard version gets uncomfortable in long periods of use. |
VKB Gunfighter Mk.III ‘Modern Combat Edition
- Price range : high
- Layouts :
- MCG PRO grip
- Right-hand grip design
- 24 programmable buttons
- 6 analog axes
- Dual-stage trigger
- Metal folding lower trigger with two-position sensor
- MCG PRO grip w/ Built-In Twist Adapter
- Built-in, lockable twist adapter
- Right-hand grip design
- 24 programmable buttons
- 6 analog axes
- Dual-stage trigger
- Metal folding lower trigger with two-position sensor
- Optional Kit:
- Gunfighter Pro-L(ong) comes with a 200 mm Stick Extension
- Gunfighter Pro-S(hort) comes with a 100 mm Stick Extension
- My thoughts :
- This is a high end stick and it cost a pretty penny. Completely adjustable, add or remove strength in both the pitch and roll axis, or use different cam profiles depending on your taste. You can also adjust the dampening effect in the center to prevent the stick from springing back and forth. For reference, "I use the '50' springs and the soft center detent cam profile .t tyrannik". No doubt good quality and you get a two year warranty. Boomers love warranty's because it means you can complain and get a replacement if you don't like something.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro Con Great sensors, great stick centering. Includes the Gunfighter Mk.III Base. Plastic housings. Very well built, and well thought out design. Software is not intuitive, installation and flashing stick can suck. (icue/ghub/aorus engine can interfere) Customizable and modular. You can get different types of extensions with different lengths, and the ability to add a twist adapter. Designed with extensions in mind, desktop version can be awkward to use. A very large amount of buttons and 6 analogue axes, makes HOTAS mapping easy. Metal analog brake lever and secondary trigger. Only available in right hand version unlike the NXT. Dual-stage trigger and metal folding trigger at the bottom with two-position sensor. Can be a pain to setup if you have the larger version, pretty much requires you to have a dedicated sim area at your desk or next to it. Adjustable dampers allow you to adjust the friction of the stick. Despite being high quality plastic, the grip does kind of look and feel a bit cheap at times. Available in two versions one with and one without a lockable twist rudder. Small baby hands may find it difficult to use all the buttons on the stick effectively. The MCG Pro grip is extremely comfortable.
Gunfighter Mk.III ‘WWII Combat Edition
- NO INFO ON THIS STICK HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS STICK AND USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR STICK!
Gunfighter Mk.III ‘F-14 Combat Edition
- NO INFO ON THIS STICK HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS STICK AND USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR STICK!
VKB Accessories/Mount/Grips
This section is for the various VKB stuff that you can use with your stick.
- MCG Modern Combat Grip (Stand-Alone)
- https://vkbcontrollers.com/?product=mcg-series
Pro | Con |
---|---|
The MCG Pro grip is extremely comfortable. | Despite being high quality plastic, the grip does kind of look and feel a bit cheap at times. |
Made of a strong but light plastic. | Some issues with the grip disconnecting from the extension |
Lots of buttons and hat switches, more than enough to bind any aircraft. | |
Secondary trigger can trigger a button press when you flip it both up and down |
- Stick Extension Kit – 200 mm / Curved
- https://vkbcontrollers.com/?product=stick-extension-for-gunfighter
Pro | Con |
---|---|
S curve extension is small diameter, but strong. Curve itself feels just about perfect ergonomics wise. |
- VKB UCM Stronghold
- https://vkbcontrollers.com/?product=ucm-stronghold-stand-alone
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Desk mount is very well made, easy to put together, and easy to move in or out of position (~10-15 seconds). | Because the desk mount puts the stick so low, you'll likely have to modify your gamer throne in order to not have an awkward hunched over position. |
In the same vein, you'll need a mount for your throttle as well, since your desk is no longer a viable spot for it. |
Rudder Pedals
CH Pro Flight Pedals
- Price range : mid
- My thoughts :
- I think these are really shitty based on all the reviews I got. I would say 65% of people who sent in reviews had these rudders and every single one mentioned the center detent being terrible and them being too narrow. I would grab these used or on sale. You're better off using a twist stick and saving your money for something better In my opinion.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Feels sturdy. | They're cheaply made with a shitty sensor that jitters more than a crackhead with Parkinson's when centered. It sounds and feels like grinding on gravel when you're moving it as well. |
Locking rudder axis for gas/brake emulation for racing games. | Center detent makes fine adjustment impossible. |
Seven foot USB cable. | There isn't much spacing between pedals, which may be uncomfortable for some people. |
Toebrakes. | The base will slide around. |
Potentiometer based. | There is too much spring tension on the cam, half the reason it slides around. |
CH control wizard is a pain. |
VKB T-Rudders Mk.IV
- Price range : mid
- My thoughts :
- These seem like a decent choice if you're okay with no toe brakes.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Hall sensors with great accuracy. | Relatively small. |
All metal and super sturdy. | No toebrakes. |
No center detent. | All metal can lead to some annoyance if not using socks or shoes. |
Reversible cam. | Some sections are open and can get dusty. |
MFG CROSSWIND
- LIMITED INFO ON THIS RUDDER PEDAL HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS RUDDER PEDAL THEN USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR RUDDER PEDAL
- Price range : high
- My thoughts :
- I'm lacking on information on this stick. Seems like it's not worth the money. However you can adjust these quite lot. If you're looking for that, then these may be the right rudders for you.
- Link to manufactures website :
- https://mfg-sim.com/en/rudders/1-mfg-crosswind-v2-graphite.html
- https://mfg-sim.com/en/rudders/2-mfg-crosswind-v2-grey.html
Pro Con Hall sensors. Not made out of metal. Can be tuned to a degree even greater than VKB's. Toebrakes. Not made out of metal. Differential toebrakes. Expensive. Swappable cam profiles.
Slaw Device Rudders
- Price range : high
- My thoughts :
- The holy grail of rudders. Belarusian engineer Wiaczesław Oziabło, designs and hand-builds these in his workshop in Śmiłowo, Poland. You want hand made fully metal, fully autistic rudder pedals? Then have a lot of money and patience.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Best pedals on the market. | Hideously expensive, waiting list, poor packaging and expensive shipping. |
Entirely metal construction, hand built. | I'm sure customer support is non existent. You will be sending stuff back and fourth if it goes bad. |
Top of the line sensors. | |
Toe brakes. | |
Cam centering. |
T.Flight Rudder Pedals
- LIMITED INFO ON THIS RUDDER PEDAL HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS RUDDER PEDAL THEN USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR RUDDER PEDAL
- Price range : low
- My thoughts :
- Budget rudders simple as, innit.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro Con Cheaper then most rudder pedals on the market. Plastic rudder rings slide really poorly over the metal slides. Detent is really awful.
Saitek Pro Flight/ Logitech Flight Rudder Pedals
- Price range : low
- My thoughts :
- Budget rudders that are about the cheapest rudders you can get. A common choice for people who need rudders, but don't like spending lots of money.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Cheap. | Big deadzone central and weird spring tension in the centre makes it hard for fine adjustments. |
Decent build quality. | All plastic. |
Adjustable tension. | Slop in pedals when stationary. |
Further apart and better ergonomics than the T.flight. | Slides on the floor easily. |
Virpil
VPC WarBRD Rudder Pedals
- LIMITED INFO ON THIS RUDDER PEDAL HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS RUDDER PEDAL THEN USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR RUDDER PEDAL
- Price range : mid
- My thoughts :
- brain.exe has crashed
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro Con All metal. Virpil website lacks info. Toe brakes. Requires self assembly. Hall sensors. Shipping from Russia. Adjustable Cam-Centering Mechanism.
VPC ACE Interceptor Pedals
- NO INFO ON THIS RUDDER PEDAL HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS RUDDER PEDAL THEN USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR RUDDER PEDAL
VPC ACE Collection Pedals
- NO INFO ON THIS RUDDER PEDAL HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS RUDDER PEDAL THEN USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR RUDDER PEDAL
VPC ACE Flight Pedals
- NO INFO ON THIS RUDDER PEDAL HELP OUT IF YOU HAVE THIS RUDDER PEDAL THEN USE THE SURVEY ABOVE TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON YOUR RUDDER PEDAL
Standalone Throttles
CH throttle quadrant
- Price range : mid
- My thoughts :
- Boomer af. I personally don't think it's worth it. If you fly stuff that needs one tho have at it.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Six axis. | The levers have a detent in the cam to simulate a passenger plane, but for il2 this means you have to cheese the calibration to only use the top 3/4 of the travel. |
This was purpose built for sim dad'ing in a passenger jet in MS 95, but 6 analog levers are perfect for IL2 engine management. | Pots suck. They need calibration constantly. If you cant get ch wizard to work, you will need to manually calibrate with Joystick Gremlin or something. The input will "stutter" when they start to wear. |
Table clamp mount is reliable. | The levers are held in place with friction of plastic against the pot. When the plastic wears down, the lever just falls over one way or the other. |
The row of two way buttons along the base are a great. |
Thrustmaster TWCS Throttle
- Price range : mid
- My thoughts :
- none
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Slide rail style is great. | The throttle axis is not lubed out of the box, and it will slide like a school chair on the floor without some lube. |
Low profile, stays in position. | You NEED to buy Nyogel 767A and crack the case open and remove whatever travesty they put on the rails and paint that good 767A on there. |
There is a game controller style analog stick on the index finger position, and it's decent. | Mini-stick slew can break due to poor quality potentiometers. |
Buttons and hats for days. | Linear throttle. |
Comfortable. | |
Cheap. |
Headtracking
Track IR 5
- Price range : high
- My thoughts :
- Here is my honest Karan yelp review. I bought one about 5 or 6 years ago and it came DOA. I contacted customer service and told them I had a dead unit, I tested it with my elite hacker knowledge. They made me install TeamViewer and I spent 30 mins talking with the retard who does RMA services about DCS and having him teamviewer the track ir software only for him to determine the camera was in-fact DOA. He almost saw all my porn going to my track IR install wtffff. They sent me a new one and didn't charge me for shipping, so they did one thing right. I refuse to pay these guys anymore money because I'm a coonsoomerr and I deserver the respect my boomer parents are entitled to when they call the manger. They haven't improved the design in years and the product is sub par quality. The only real benefit of buying these is that they're convenient in the sense that you don't need to build it. Try not being a coonsoomerr retard like me and learn how to solder loser.
- Link to manufactures website :
https://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Reliable, supported and properly integrated in many games. | Has what is pretty much a monopoly on the head tracking market. |
It just works. .t Todd Howard | Overpriced. |
Software is easy to use, if you aren't a smooth brain it really makes profile making quick and easy. | The hat clip needs massive adjustments to work well. .t hatclip user |
you can look around n shieeet | Retarded customer service. |
Lights on the camera show current tracking status. | The track clip is made of glass and can easily be broken if you a mongoloid like me. Then you get stuck in hat track clip purgatory with me and the other smooth brain monkeys who broke their clips because they leave the headphones lying on the floor. |
The latch on the track clip only supports headsets with a small housings. Large thicc headphones wont work. | |
If you have glasses and you use the hat clip you can have issues with them reflecting the cameras IR. | |
Camera will last you a long time. I used to spread disinfo that you should leave them on for fear of burning them out. Found out one of our members leaves his on all the time every day. He has been doing this for 6 years. So they're pretty solid. Solid evidence and totally not a anecdote I know. |
DIY tracking
- The big brain section for big brain people
- You have many options when it comes to what software, Cameras, and IR clips.
- I need more info on for this section.
Opentrack/Freetrack
Thank you PΛN GΛLΛCTIC GΛRGLΞ BLΛSTΞR for the picture
- Price range : low
- My thoughts :
- Technologically impaired people should keep away from trying to build this themselves. However I'm a firm believer that you can train monkeys to do anything. I will link some guides on how to do this below.
- https://youtu.be/dxHuaCysQmY
- https://delanengineering.com/manual/
- Link to manufactures website :
https://www.free-track.net/english/Pro Con Cheaper than track IR. Pre-made head tracking setups can be acquired from eBay from overpriced suppliers like Delan. PS3 eye toys are cheap and still available to purchase. Fiddling with light threshold is not fun. As good as track IR when set up properly. Sunlight can really mess with the cameras tracking. You need to be good with DIY. Lot of effort for initial software setup. Can be buggy until tuned properly.
FaceTrackNOIR
- Price range : free
- My thoughts :
- Shouldn't even be taken in consideration unless you're really desperate because the shit sold by Delan on eBay, while being overpriced for what it is, is still cheap (it costs double the price it'd cost if you bought a PS3 eye off of Amazon and built the tracker yourself, if not more, but on the other hand you won't have to be hassled with looking for the right components and soldering shite).
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Can be used with an IR point tracker algorithm, which is exactly the same one as Opentrack, instead of the face tracking one to provide Freetrack like tracking. | Kind of works if your face is well lit, doesn't even come close to IR head tracking. |
Smart Phone Head Tracking
- Price range : low
- My thoughts :
- A good quick fix for needing head tracking, not optimal.
- Link to manufactures website :
https://smoothtrack.app/
https://github.com/opentrack/opentrack/wiki/Smartphone-Headtracking
VR headsets
Oculus Rift CV1
- Price range : mid
- My thoughts : Old tech, not suitable for flight sims. Spotting may be difficult and good luck reading gauges.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Can be bought used for cheap. | The resolution is terrible and the FOV is very low. |
Old technology. |
HP Reverb G2
- Price range : high
- My thoughts :
- Frog brain cannot load information on this headset.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
Great image quality, no screen door effect. | Low FOV. (you can improve this with mods) |
1:1 tracking which it worked well. | Cables are finnicky/low build quality means my device was unusable after a month (USB 4-1 error). Supposedly this is prevented by being OCD with how you plug in/unplug cables but I didn't realize that. |
VERY immersive, feeling of sitting in the cockpit & depth perception for formation flying/refueling/landing isn't attainable with 2d/monitor, even with head tracking. | Getting usable DCS FPS required a lot of heavy tweaking/optimization/non-IC compatible mods (maybe this will change with DCS 2.7/Vulkan), had to lower graphics quality a lot for barely playable frame rate. |
IL-2 BoX was very optimized, didn't need to tweak/mod. | Possible motion sickness. |
Reprojection (45 fps) worked pretty well generally. |
Valve Index
- Price range : high
- My thoughts :
- Frog brain cannot load information on this headset.
- Link to manufactures website :
Pro | Con |
---|---|
The variable refresh rate can really help VR feel far smoother. | It's resolution does fall slightly behind options like the Reverb G2. |
The tracking to be essentially perfect, with no latency or weird movements. | Performance can be an issue for old cards. |
**If you don't see your VR headset on this list, it is because I don't have information on them. Post your VR headsets review in the google form linked above and I'll add it in.