Thrustmaster - T-Flight Hotas One Joystick for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC - Black

REVIEW: THRUSTMASTER - TMSTR T-FLIGHT HOTAS ONE JOYSTICK OFFICIALLY LICENSED FOR XBOX SERIES X|S, XBOX ONE AND PC Model:4460168 GREAT “STARTER” HOTAS FLIGHT STICK AND THROTTLE Without totally breaking the bank, the TMSTR T-FLIGHT HOTAS ONE (Hands On Throttle And Stick) creates a very immersive experience. I primarily purchased it for “Star Wars Squadron” on the PC and have thoroughly enjoyed using it. I’ve never really got the hang of console controllers on the PC, and mouse and keyboards for games like this take too much muscle memory for every obscure function. The TMSTR T-FLIGHT HOTAS ONE just feels right for these kinds of games. I was glad to see it also works on the XBOX which I’ve not tried yet, but plan to soon. Updating the Firmware is difficult, but a must, and you must install the software BEFORE YOU PLUG IN THE CONTROLLER. The previous THRUSTMASTER sticks I have purchased in the 1990’s were junk and broke quickly (which kept me from buying this brand for the past 25 years), but I felt more comfortable after reading the reviews that this investment would last for a while. BEST FEATURES - Stick and Throttle can be combined or detached - Good Seeming Build Quality - All Buttons are clearly labeled making setup easier on games - Long enough (for me) connector to the PC USB port - Manually Adjustable Resistance (on the stick) - Included Allen Wrench for combining Stick and Throttle (under stick) SETUP PAY ATTENTION TO THE DIRECTIONS, which tell you to load the software drivers first, and then when instructed connect the stick to the computer. Of course, I did not and it took me about 2 hours to dig the drivers out and start over again. I had a real hard time getting the firmware to install (maybe because of not installing the drivers correctly). I found the firmware update tool would not see the TMSTR T-FLIGHT HOTAS ONE unless I unplugged and re-plugged it in while it was searching. It took a few times repeating (plug / unplug) before the firmware installed fully. I was not expecting to have to “map” most of the buttons manually on Squadrons, but there are plenty of hints you can search out online. I could not understand why my ship would not accelerate, then I realized I had to do the mappings. Once I got the buttons mapped and printed out a map, I was blasting rebels with ease. OVERALL IMPRESSION I call the TMSTR T-FLIGHT HOTAS ONE a starter stick, but that is not a knock. You won’t find flashing lights, or vibration feedback or automatic resistance as on some higher end sticks. But it also not $300 either. It has a good weight but is plastic not metal. There are no clamps, so it could more on a slippery desk. None of these things detract from what it is. The TMSTR T-FLIGHT HOTAS ONE is a good basic, but advanced enough stick for casual use. It does not pretend to be any more than what it is. SUMMARY / CONCLUSION / RECOMMENDATION I would recommend the TMSTR T-FLIGHT HOTAS ONE for anyone just getting started with this type of controller, or for anyone who does not want to spend an arm and a leg on something more advanced (and more complicated to operate). I think youth and adults will be equally happy with the overall experience this stick provides.

Well constructed. Nicely weighted, but some may find the need to use Velcro to secure the bases to some surfaces. Very nice and user friendly features; stick tension adjustments, dual rudder use with a stick rudder lock, etc. Fits a nice size keyboard between the throttle and stick when extended, but the separation is juuuuust a tad too short to fit a Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum keyboard. That’s fine, though, it’s a massive one. I have spares that I can use. The buttons on this thing are nice and tactile, and most of them have a hard, audible click. A few of them have soft presses, like the Y button (which is meant to be pressed with the heel of your thumb, so makes sense to be soft for comfort), and the ‘previous/next’ buttons on the throttle base. I use this thing with Elite Dangerous on Xbox One mainly, and I’m having a hard time finding anything negative about it. There were some issues with the first gen/batch of these, but they seem to have been fixed from all accounts I’ve heard. You can tell if you get a first gen by the plastic it’s made from; its slick and shiny, and the throttle falls forward on its own quite easily. These first gen sets usually end up having a slight leftward yaw drift or some other small issues, from the experiences of others I know that use these. Second gens are made from a slightly textured, more rigid plastic, and the throttle stays where it’s put when you let it go. I have pretty big hands, guitar/piano hands, and this setup is very very comfortable under the palms. All in all, I love it. It’s an absolute game changer for anything it’s compatible with.

Works great and is very fun. It was easy to set up and use.