DCS is less of a computer game and more of a lifestyle.
Ask any seasoned player and they will tell you how true that is and how powerfully the simulation figures in their day-to-day life. For these reasons and others players in the DCS community prefer the label “Pilot”, or “Virtual Pilot”, to the more ordinary “gamer”.
When you put aside G-forces and being shaken around in your seat, operating an aircraft in DCS is more or less the same as operating one in real life. That means that there are a lot of buttons. Hundreds of them in fact.
Of course, the usual solution for this would be an ever increasing list of keyboard bindings, but that has its limits. Keyboards after all have a limited number of buttons and binding too many keys with too many functions can really put a strain on your muscle memory.
The endless list of cockpit buttons, radar modes, startup settings, engine modes and other customizable settings available for pilots in DCS needs a different type of interface altogether—and this is where HOTAS setups come into the picture.
A HOTAS (Hands-On-Throttle-and-Stick) is exactly what it sounds like. It is a flight stick, paired with a throttle. Long ago, fighter pilots learned that in order to function well under pressure they needed easy access to avionics functions while keeping their hands on the two most important control pieces—namely the flightstick and the throttle.
The DCS community has carried over this convention, and HOTAS setups have become the standard in DCS.
Although you can, technically speaking, play DCS without a HOTAS or even a simple joystick setup, that just doesn’t work. All DCS players will tell you that at the bare minimum you need some sort of HOTAS setup in order to at least have a fighting chance in DCS.
Like all computer peripherals, the HOTAS market has a wide range of variety. There are some excellent setups out there, as well as some which you should stay away from.
Of course which HOTAS is best for you will depend on a variety of factors, including your skill level, budget, and preferences as far as control layouts go. Choosing from among the many setups out there can seem like a daunting task.
To make this easier on you, we have ranked our top choices for HOTAS setups available in the market today. All the setups featured in this ranking are good in that they all offer excellent value for money—nevertheless, some are still better than others.
So let’s get right into it.
5. Thrustmaster T1600M FCS HOTAS (USD 169.99)
Despite its cheap look and build, the T1600M gets the job done.
Thrustmaster TM16000M HOTAS Review for DCS World and Star Citizen
This system is not much to look at—for sure. However, as a budget HOTAS, this line from Thrustmaster is hard to beat in terms of value for money. Moreover, in addition to the usual throttle and stick found in all HOTAS setups, this setup comes with additional rudder pedals thrown in to boot.
Admittedly, the design of the stick looks like it came from some bygone era and the plastic controls kinda look cheap and gimmicky—especially when compared to the metal finishings found in more premium sets. However, once you get looks out of the way, this HOTAS setup does everything that it is supposed to do for its price, and maybe a little bit more.
Both the throttle and the stick give the user a generous range of control options, more in fact than some more expensive systems. The throttle in particular is noted for its high sensitivity to small increments and thereby gives the pilot a high level of granular control—crucial when the pilot needs to make the delicate adjustments needed for air-to-air refueling, formation flying, final approach, and other situations requiring precision.
The stick has a palm rest which is not adjustable height-wise, making it a better fit for users with smaller hands. However, the palm rest can be removed entirely thereby making the stick fully ambidextrous.
Although the trigger button is single-stage, it has a satisfying click when engaged. Altogether, the stick has 12 buttons and other controls. Although once again bare-bones in their design, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Their layout is very intuitive and they have scaling sizes and different shapes. This is important as it makes blind-recognition easier and is especially crucial for players using VR. Moreover, the stick is also twistable, adding an extra axis for rudder control.
Although the stick is smooth in its movement and centers itself naturally, it is not particularly good for the kind of finite controls required when trying to achieve precise maneuvers.
The throttle too looks unimpressive and almost tacky. Again however, it gets the job done and is effective and intuitive in its design.
The throttle is ergonomic and comfortable. The inside face of the throttle has three four-way hats and a button. Each of these has a very distinctive feel to help in recognition without needing to look down. Their placement is ergonomic and intuitive.
Although the hats are not much to look at, their movements are crisp and clear in the directions allowed.
The front of the throttle is just as good with an analog stick and a generous variety of buttons and switches that are comfortably positioned. The variety of control options and their ergonomic spacing is better than you would find in some more expensive systems.
Crucially, there is also a scroll wheel on the throttle which most users adapt for zooming in and out with the camera view. The throttle also has rudder flaps and these are good enough for most users not to want to use the foot pedal controls included with the set.
One major drawback with the throttle is that it is not splittable into a dual throttle. It also lacks detents for engine idle and afterburner positions—but that is expected for this price range.
The pedals are not as good as the rest of the system as they are uncomfortably close together. Rudder control can instead be achieved by either the rudder flaps on the throttle, or by twisting the flightstick. However, thrustmaster deserves praise for offering such a complete setup including stick, throttle, and pedals for such a bargain cost.
Lastly, the system does not use a lot of power so it can be used with all USB ports, not just the ones you find at the back of the PC that are connected directly to the motherboard.
What’s great about the Thrustmaster T1600M FCS HOTAS:
- Stick, throttle, and pedals thrown in for a great price
- Efficient controls offering a wide range of customizable settings
- Intuitive design
- Ergonomic and comfortable
Checkout the official product page here.
4. FR-Tec Raptor Mach 1 HOTAS Combo (USD 115)
Despite being a budget HOTAS, this setup has impressive build quality.
The Raptor Mach 1 Hotas: First Impressions & Review - A lot of Bang For the Buck!
Although this is certainly a budget product, it has excellent build quality for its price. This is immediately apparent once you take this setup out of its box. The flightstick’s base in particular is hefty and has metal parts in its construction.
The Mach 1 stick has side-to-side action and a variety of buttons, hats, and other controls. Its layout is ergonomic although it is certainly more suited for right-handed users. A palm rest exists, allowing users to rest their hands during those long missions that sometimes end up running for hours at a time.
The stick has three modes which players can shift through. When combined with the buttons and other controls on the stick, this arrangement yields 32 customizable actions. The buttons themselves work well, but they do have a sort of gimmicky feel to them.
Although the stick has a side-to-side yaw axis, reviewers have commented that it is not very accurate making rudder adjustments through this mechanism a bit hit-and-miss.
The centralizing spring for the flightstick is rather weak and this has both benefits and drawbacks. On the one hand, a weak centralizing spring means that you can hold the stick straight and level comfortably for long periods at a time. On the flipside however, the lack of resistance makes it harder to input the delicate control movements needed for precision flying.
All that notwithstanding, you can expect that with continued use of this stick your muscle memory will adapt to the correct strength your hands need to apply to make the required adjustments.
Unlike the stick, the throttle has a lighter base with no metal parts and is therefore liable to slip if not securely placed. The tension on the throttle is adjustable through a dial on the left of the base and the throttle itself has a very wide arc. The throttle’s action is smooth.
There are a bunch of buttons, hats, and other controls on the throttle itself allowing users to customize their controls to a high degree. The scroll dials are sensitive to minute changes and are a natural choice for camera zoom settings.
Overall the throttle and its dials and other controls are efficient and get the job done, but they do have a cheap feel to them.
The cable connecting the throttle and stick is very long, thereby allowing players to place the two components of this HOTAS as widely apart as they wish.
Calibration for the throttle and the stick is easy and won’t take you more than a few minutes. While playing DCS, all the controls do exactly what you expect them to do.
Overall, this is an excellent budget option for DCS flyers.
What’s great about the FR-Tech Mach 1 HOTAS Combo:
- Excellent build quality for its price
- Accurate and intuitive controls
- A high degree of customization utilizing 3 modes on the flight stick
- Easy calibration and straightforward integration with DCS
The official product page is undergoing a revamp, but you can order the product here.
3. Logitech X-56 HOTAS (USD 300)
The X-56 has been a reliable midrange HOTAS option for DCS players for many years.
Logitech X56 HOTAS - worth it in 2020?
Despite the fact that it is mostly plastic and has very few metal components, this is an excellent midrange HOTAS for a number of reasons.
The stick itself is a clone of the layout used by the US Air Force and copies the same arrangement of hats, pickles, and buttons while also adding in some futuristic elements. The USAF put a lot of thought and research into finding which flightstick layout was the best and most intuitive, and this was the result. The X56 simply carries this over to DCS.
Naturally, this makes this design very useful for DCS players flying the F-16 and similar mods as they will find that the controls on the stick are perfect for managing the avionics suite.
The hats, triggers, and buttons on the flightstick are crisp and have a good feel to them. The pinky switch in particular is well-built and easy to access without being so light as to make it susceptible to being engaged by accident. A palm rest exists, but it is not adjustable in height. Moreover, the orientation on the stick is right-handed.
The springs on the flightstick can be adjusted to the user’s preferred level of stiffness, however, some reviewers have felt that even with the highest level of stiffness the stick was still too light for the type of minute adjustments needed for air-to-air refueling and formation flying. Precision flight is also made harder by the fact that the stick does not center well.
The massive size of the flightstick’s base is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it prevents slipping and places it on the same level as the throttle, but it also limits where you can place it.
The throttle has a large number of hats, switches and other controls, but these are perhaps spaced a little too closely together. The rotary dials on the sides of the throttle are excellent for camera zoom functions.
The throttle has a generous arc and a stiff feel. Unlike the stick, this helps with the minute adjustments needed for precision flying. Another strong point of the throttle is that it is splittable to allow separate levels of thrust for right and left engines on two-engined aircraft like the Tomcat or the Hornet.
The throttle base also has an array of elegant iron switches with metal guards. These both improve the aesthetic and provide added functionality. There are also two rotatable dials on the base which most DCS players choose to assign for radio functions.
Both the throttle and the flightstick have separate USB connections, thereby allowing the independent use of either control. It is notable that the stick uses a lot of power from the USB port and there could be power deficits. Although this won’t stop the stick outright, it could result in some command glitches. To overcome this, it is best to connect it to a PCIE USB hub.
The X56 is a solid midrange HOTAS with excellent abilities for its price. This set is quite old however and its age is starting to show when compared with newer top-of-the-line HOTAS setups.
Nevertheless, the excellent build quality of the X56 translates into durability and longevity and many DCS players have used this setup for years at a time with very few complaints.
What’s great about the Logitech X56 HOTAS:
- Clones a design tried and tested by the USAF
- High quality build
- Splittable throttle
- Wide throttle arc allowing minute adjustments
Checkout the official product page here.
2. Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS (USD 549.99)
This HOTAS setup is a perfect replica of what is found inside the cockpit of a real-life A-10 Warthog.
Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS - worth it in 2022?
This HOTAS is the first in our lineup to bring us into the premium tier. It is perhaps the only HOTAS setup on the market that can make the claim that its build is 100 percent metal. Naturally, this gives it an unrivaled sense of sturdiness, heft, and sheer bulk. If you are used to handling cheaper setups made of less durable materials, you will notice the difference immediately.
As its name suggests, this HOTAS is a realistic replica of what you would find in the cockpit of an A-10 Warthog aircraft. Not only the look has been copied, but some of the same mechanisms have been reproduced as well.
The buttons, switches, and other controls distributed throughout the flightstick, throttles, and bases have a high-quality build that feels very robust. When engaged, the buttons and triggers have a satisfying click that will make users feel they are using the real thing, not an imitation for gamers.
The controls on the throttle levers and the iron switches on the base all have a polished-metal appearance that is nice to look at. They are also distributed ergonomically and sensitive to inputs.
Nevertheless, the slew control on the throttle handle might be a bit too small for the tastes of some. Presumably this design feature—like everything else—was copied from the real Warthog cockpit.
The throttle has a detent for engine idle. It is also fitted for an afterburner detent which players can put in place very easily. Finally, the throttle is splittable.
The flightstick is the star in this setup. It has an all-metal build and accordingly feels satisfyingly cool to the touch. The buttons, hats, switches, and other controls on the flightstick are excellent and on the same par as those on the throttle levers.
Despite not requiring calibration, the flightstick has a high level of resistance and a strong tendency to center itself. This makes it just a little bit harder to make tiny control inputs that are near to the center position.
Although a minor irritation, this can be considered the most significant weakness of the flightstick and it has been brought up by players on forums.
There is also no twisting axis on the flightstick. Although this might be inconvenient for players that are used to this method of rudder control and have associated muscle memory, it is nonetheless in line with the setup’s attempt to model the Warthog cockpit as accurately as possible.
Due to their all-metal construction, the bases of both the throttle and the stick are hefty and unlikely to lift off the table or slip when making sudden or violent adjustment—a problem sometimes encountered with lower quality rigs.
The sticking point for many potential buyers of this setup would be the price—it is even more expensive than some laptops. However, this is a premium product that has been a landmark HOTAS since it was first introduced more than 10 years ago. The Warthog has a long line of satisfied users who would tell you that this gadget is worth the cost and will make up for it in terms of quality and longevity.
Another point made by critics is that the designers have placed too much emphasis on producing an exact replica of the A-10 Warthog’s controls at the cost of some functionality. This is a matter of taste however and many DCS pilots—Warthog ‘“drivers”’ first among them—will tell you that an exact replica is specifically what they are after.
What’s great about the Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS:
- All-metal build promising durability for years to come
- Exact replica of the Warthog’s controls
- Buttons and controls that are premium quality
- Hefty, splittable throttle with idle and afterburner indents
Checkout the official product page here.
1. Virpil HOTAS, VPC Mongoose T-50CM3 Throttle, VPC WarBrd Base, VPC Constellation Alpha (Right-Handed) Stick (USD 760)
This Virpil HOTAS setup is pretty much as good as it gets.
Virpil HOTAS system - my first impressions.
Now, comes this. This is the best you can get in terms of HOTAS setups. Yes, it will cost you a pretty penny but it will pay you back in superior performance for years down the road.
The throttle is excellent and has a very wide arc. The all-metal base gives it a hefty footing and secures it in place. Aside from being splittable, the throttle has an excellent detent system with elaborate detents for both the idle and afterburner engine settings.
There is a wide variety of buttons, switches, hats, and other controls throughout the throttle and its base. They are all of high quality build and their various combinations offer a high level of customizable controls. There is a lever to the right of the throttle—ideal for gear or flap control.
The center of the throttle’s base has six large backlit buttons. The function and lighting of these buttons varies depending on the mode selected. Thus the buttons could have different settings for startup mode, emergency mode, etc.
When all of the customizable buttons are considered with the various modes, the control options on the throttle alone amount to more than 78 customizable settings.
The Constellation Alpha flightstick has less controls than the throttle, but it still boasts quite a few options. The highly refined trigger is essentially a four-stage trigger, allowing for various modes of weapon engagement.
To maximize ergonomics, the height of the palm rest on the flightstick is adjustable. This allows the fit of the flightstick to be customized according to the size of the user’s hand.
The movement on the stick is smooth across the entire range of its axes with no wobble or creaking. It feels the same way you would expect a real-life flight stick would feel. The controls themselves are very precise and the wide ranges of the axes mean that users can input the delicate controls required when making precision maneuvers.
Lastly comes the base. The WarBrd base is 100 percent metal and expertly engineered. It has interchangeable springs allowing the user to adjust the resistance on the flightstick.
Although it is certainly true that this system is pricey—more expensive in fact than some good laptops—it is a massive upgrade over what you will find in midrange models. Players who have acquired this HOTAS just can’t get enough of it.
What’s great about the Virpil HOTAS:
- Among the crispest and most sensitive controls available in the market
- All-metal build for many components
- Large number of customizable controls
- Smooth movement and comfortable fit for all hand sizes
- Elaborate, splittable throttle with numerous controls and detents
Checkout the official product page here.
