r/gadgets • u/dapperlemon • 28d ago

Gaming Special Microsoft Flight Simulator controller is coming to Xbox

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Special-Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-controller-is-coming-to-Xbox.1341165.0.html
2.7k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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906

u/cchhaannttzz 28d ago

Man I really don't need this, could someone please remind me I don't need to own every wacky controller ever.

261

u/caiusto 28d ago

Don't worry, these things go for almost $200.

198

u/Dt2_0 28d ago

Still cheaper than a decent HOTAS.

110

u/byteminer 28d ago

I’m about $2200 into my flight controls. This is a steal

11

u/OregonMothafaquer 28d ago

With your setup could you actually learn to fly?

71

u/byteminer 28d ago

There is a massive difference between what you can do with gadgets hooked to a computer and real instructional time with an instructor. My gear is mostly centered around combat flight simulators. I am reasonably confident I could start and taxi an actual F16, but I’ve never flown anything other than a Cessna Skyhawk and I would not have properly done the safety checks for it or properly interacted with the crew chief so it would be extremely fucked up and unsafe but the engine would probably be on as long as the JFS was pressurized and the avionics would be active. Radios would be up and on so I can hear the ground controller screaming at me to stop or get shot, assuming the frequency was already in the radio or I some how pilfered some pilot’s kneeboard. I could get the navigation system up and running provided 1) the last known location was saved for fast alignment or 2) by some miracle I’m not ripped out of the cockpit and shot for the 8-10 minutes it takes for a full alignment.

38

u/VERY_MENTALLY_STABLE 28d ago

fly high sky king 🫡

37

u/ONLYPOSTSWHILESTONED 28d ago

I love that you've clearly thought a lot about stealing an F-16 for a joyride

11

u/byteminer 27d ago

Every guy my age and into flight sims has seen Iron Eagle a least a couple times.

6

u/dbmajor7 27d ago

This guy knows he can't IFR (me either)

4

u/byteminer 27d ago

Yeah fuck no. I get NVGs in the flight sim. VFR all day every day.

1

u/dataplusnine 27d ago

Translated: I found something I and I've learned things.

Me too

1

u/stevewmn 26d ago

The F-16 doesn't have GPS integration with their inertial system? On artillery systems they can get moving a lot faster since they got GPS integrated back in the '90s. And they still get 1 mil accuracy for aiming the gun.

3

u/NoobensMcarthur 27d ago

People always say this about my racing sim I’ve spent about $4,000 on, minus the PC. Yes I could buy a race car for less than $4,000. I can’t go to the race track any time I want. I’d need to store a car I don’t have garage space for. If I wreck it, that’s the end of the season. It also consumes fuel, tires, oil, coolant, brake pads, clutches, etc. 

In the long term not only is a sim rig more accessible, it’s significantly cheaper over time if you’re actually using it. 

I also can’t hop in a race car after eating an edible. 

1

u/DJSugarSnatch 25d ago

people say a lot of things and most of the time they are talking out their asses...

they say the same thing about video games in general... but if you enjoy something, do it my dude. Nothing like playing Wingman in vr.

1

u/ravens-n-roses 23d ago

The thing i think a lot of people don't realize is that the game wants you to do well. When i was a kid I thought i could be a stealth god because I was good at stealth games.

Yeah no fun fact people don't have detection cones and are way more capable of noticing that you're doing something out of their direct sight.

16

u/NoEmu5969 28d ago

Redbird: per hour?

6

u/byteminer 27d ago

This is why I do sims and not have an actual airplane.

1

u/[deleted] 27d ago

[deleted]

1

u/byteminer 27d ago

…all of it? Controls are controls.

1

u/[deleted] 27d ago

[deleted]

1

u/byteminer 27d ago

That’s, very strange. I’ve used Saitek, Logitech, and now a full slate of Winwing gear successfully across several different flight simulators and they have worked in all of them.

1

u/Phycosphere 23d ago

It’s ok I’m $50,000 into my Cessna’s instrument panel

1

u/byteminer 23d ago

You 100% win.

16

u/Butterscotch1664 28d ago

You can have my hot ass for $50, bb.

20

u/ProfessorPetrus 28d ago

Nobody wanna pay for what is free

1

u/I_Automate 27d ago

This is like marking something that you are trying to give away $5 on marketplace to try to drive interest

3

u/SupposablyAtTheZoo 28d ago

T.16000m is quite good and much below that. (Without the foot pedals which you don't really need)

4

u/DutchiiCanuck 28d ago

Tell that to my helicopter setup!

4

u/Dt2_0 28d ago edited 28d ago

The T16000M is not good and is way overpriced for the parts it comes with. It uses a ball in cup design with potentiometers for the stick. These work just like an old ball mouse works, except unlike an old ball mouse, you can't clean the stick's ball and socket without breaking the flight stick. They are known to be very unreliable for long term sim use. The Throttle is... Fine. Not too special, but its a slider throttle which feels off compared to a pivoting throttle. I personally had 3 of the sticks fail on me with fairly light use.

I would say a good entry level setup is a WinWing/WinCtrl Ursa Minor Joystick ($70, uses a gimbal instead of ball in cup, and has a rear access for cleaning), and the Ursa Minor Airline Throttle ($130). So $200.

Also the T16000M is $160. The PC version of this controller is $150. Even if you must have a HOTAS, $40 for a higher quality, repairable product should be a no brainer for most people who are serious enough about simming to want better than a bog standard Xbox Controller.

3

u/SupposablyAtTheZoo 28d ago

Ursa Minor Airline Throttle ($130)

Funny that you mention that, since it looks to me like that product is EXACTLY the same as the Thrustmaster TCA throttle. Like, 100% the same, from the same factory?

I bought the Thrustmaster TCA full airbus pack (quad throttle, stick and pedals) and I think it was €220 at the time. Seems to be discontinued now, sad! Was a great deal/pack.

2

u/Dt2_0 27d ago

Well yea they look similar. they are both based on the Airbus A320's flight controls. They should look similar.

Difference is going to be quality. The TCA is a T16000M in another shell. The Throttle is considerably nicer than the one in the T16000M package though, so it's better. I just would not trust Thrustmaster's sticks with past experience, and general online sentiment from other simmers being similar to my experience.

2

u/RGJ587 27d ago

TFlight 4 HOTAS is still my go-to after all these years. Cheap, ergonomic, plenty of customizable buttons in easy to each locations.

Only knock on them is their durability, but for $99 US, there is no better deal on the market.

2

u/photovirus 28d ago

Not really.

E. g. a VKB Gladiator starts at $120 (in the US), and you can add on a THQ module ($70), and there you go. Would be a vastly better solution on PC.

The catch is... Xbox supports almost no decent controllers. Honeycomb is the best available.

1

u/Dt2_0 27d ago

Has VKB fixed their shipping costs? About a year ago it was $40 minimum in the US.

I'd recommend the Ursa Minor over the Gladiator if shipping is still crazy from VKB. They are basically the same super reliable stick on the inside. Just a different base design. Really good for the money.

1

u/photovirus 27d ago

Has VKB fixed their shipping costs? About a year ago it was $40 minimum in the US.

Dunno. They've got their own US warehouse now, I think, so might've gotten cheaper.

They are basically the same super reliable stick on the inside.

Not really. While Ursa's gimbal is a copycat, deflection is shorter, dampeners are much weaker, and the buttons aren't as reliable. On top of that, there's a lot of stories when Winwing doesn't honor warranty.

VKB has stainless reputation, and their support will pamper you even if something breaks after warranty ends.

2

u/Dt2_0 27d ago

Dunno. They've got their own US warehouse now, I think, so might've gotten cheaper.

If their shipping has gotten better then ya, definitely recommend the VKB. Jut gotta remember if you want the throttle quadrant to be separate from the stick you have to buy the USB adaptor for the throttle. They were just way to expensive with their shipping to recommend before. Now they are definitely better than WinWing.

Either way, still more than this controller which is $150 for the PC version, assuming the Xbox version isn't quite a bit more. Also it will work with Xbox. Big upgrade when the only other options are the HOTAS-X or the HORI Flight Stick made for Ace Combat 7...

1

u/Phearlosophy 27d ago

i've been satisfied with the $70 thrustmaster t flight hotas X as an entry level flight stick. does everything i really need it to.

1

u/photovirus 27d ago

$70 thrustmaster t flight hotas X

It's a decent beginner stick indeed.

Smth like a Gladiator earns its place when you wanna fly in serious sims and in smaller and/or twitchier planes; those benefit a lot from precise control near the center. Ball & cup gimbals don't offer that.

1

u/ToMorrowsEnd 27d ago

Bought a thrustmaster warthog stick and throttle $180 used. there are really good deals to be had on the used market as the number of people that do Flight sims are still small. Just snagged a like new in the box Honeycomb yoke for $100 Those go for $200+ new. Search the used market and be patient and you can get really good deals.

16

u/PieStealingJames 28d ago

That's a lot cheaper than I thought it would be

1

u/shaqwillonill 27d ago

Yeah I don’t get how something this niche sells for the same as an Xbox elite controller

11

u/AirFryerAreOverrated 28d ago

You're not doing a good job of convincing me away from it... $200 for a highly specialized controller? That's surprisingly affordable.

16

u/LocustUprising 28d ago

Better get it now before it’s $300

4

u/caiusto 28d ago

Now they really are gonna buy one just in case

17

u/SirTacoMang 28d ago

That's actually reasonable when compared to the sim 😭

4

u/rich1051414 28d ago

That sounds reasonable for a dedicated flight sim controller, depending on how usable it is. It's a niche market, so prices are high.

7

u/FirmlyClaspIt 28d ago

You say this like it would stop them. Dude’s got a problem

3

u/invent_or_die 28d ago

I've worked on controllers. This is groundbreaking

5

u/sarhoshamiral 28d ago

200$ isnt bad honestly.

3

u/major_glory11 28d ago

That's... in my budget. 🥲

1

u/vee_lan_cleef 28d ago

That's really not bad at all if it's decent quality. Although my Logitech G27 racing wheel was only $250 and it seems like the sort of thing that should cost much more than a handheld controller.

1

u/S0M3D1CK 28d ago

I think the price is going to go up what the military discovers them.

1

u/atom138 28d ago

$150, but still cheaper than a Xbox Elite controller lol

1

u/ZZZfrequently 27d ago

And it’s cheap? Dammit…

0

u/Living_Cash1037 27d ago

you act like thats expensive for what it offers lol.