Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Flight Stick and Throttle – Metal Dual Throttle System, Official Replica of the U.S Air Force A-10C Aircraft Controls, Precision Flight Simulator Controller for PC

This isn't your average flight stick. Oh no. This is a flight simmer's dream. After doing my due diligence on it, I already expected it to be high quality before I purchased it, but after receiving it, it was evident that that bar was raised even higher. First off, these things are heavy. If you're like me and like your tech to have a bit of heft, then these are for you. Even the UPS guy was like, "What did you order, gym weights?" When I saw they had bolt holes drilled into them I sort of figured they need a permanent mount. Nope! Rest assured, once you put these puppies in place, they're not moving anywhere. You're not just gonna toss these aside when you're done with your aeronautic adventures. And although the wide plate underneath the flight stick takes up a decent amount of space, it prevents any tipping, even in the most chaotic of dogfights. Software Controller It comes with control software that allows you to set up different configurations for use in different applications. So you no longer need to reprogram buttons from one sim to another. You'll have your DCS, MSFS2020, or Star Citizen controls already programmed so you can just load them up and go. The software also gives you the ability to brighten or dim the LEDs on the throttle control. Flight Stick Modeled after the U.S. Air Force's A-10, this stick gives you the sensation of being in control of the actual aircraft. In DCS World, you have 1-to-1 control, so you no longer have to send commands to keys on your keyboard for those extra buttons. You can also purchase a separate stick modeled on the F/A-18. Throttle Control Lights, switches, and LED goodness reside within the box that houses the dual throttle controllers. The controllers have the option of working separately or as a single unit. It also comes with a removeable throttle stopper installed so you don't accidentally shut off your engines mid-flight or bump them into afterburner. It also has a friction controller that allows you to control how much resistance you feel on the throttle. Make it stiff when flying those huge air busses in MSFS2020 or loosen them up for fast response in fighter jets in DCS. Price - $$$ The price stood me off for a long time on these controllers, but once they were within my budget I jumped at the chance. While they won't appreciate in value, I do consider them an investment in my flight sim endeavors because I know I won't need another controller for a long, long time. PROS Well built, precision manufacturing Programmable configurations Heavy and durable CONS Price Takes up a decent amount of space

So when I finally bit the bullet and decided to buy this thing I thought for sure I'd regret it later. I'll admit I still kinda do but the more I used it the more I fell in love with it. My biggest surprise when it finally got to my door was just the pure weight of the thing, I mean both units together weigh nearly 14 pounds. But, if you think of it other then maybe several buttons and the handle part of the throttle it is a complete metal construction so I guess that's to be expected. Personally I really wanted this for all the buttons and mini joysticks which may sound like a waste but how many setups do you know of that have a total of 51 mappable buttons/actions. Now some of you might think that's a bit Overkill but in Elite: Dangerous I'm using all but 9 of those options. Given most of them don't get used a lot but I've found I hardly need to use my keyboard at all anymore. As for using it, it definitely requires some getting used to. I've probably had this for about a month now and still haven't fully mastered it yet. But it does allow for some very precise adjustments in times when that's very important. And really its just a lot of fun to use. Everything moves so smoothly with almost no bumps due to the joystick having a very slight one when in it's upright position. But other then that it definitely makes me feel like I'm flying a real spacecraft/plane. Plus all the toggle switches give a very satisfying click that I just can't seem to get enough of. Now some disadvantages/cons that I've so far encountered with this setup is a lack of yaw (z axis left and right) on the joystick, the amount of USB slots it takes up, and really the weight of it. The lack of yaw isn't really that big of an issue since the throttle does have a mouse hat that I can rebind it to without it acting like a full left to right button press. Of course this could also be fixed by buying some flight pedals but this type of immersion isn't for everyone plus I don't really have the space/setup for it. The USB usage probably isn't that big of a deal for some people but I game on a laptop so losing two slots is a big deal for me. Mostly because two of the four slots mine has are already occupied by my mouse and RGB mousepad. I mean I could go out and buy a USB hub or something to make up for it but then that's more money down the drain. And my last con I've encountered so far is pretty much the weight of it. Yes it's nice cause its very stable and definitely wont move around unless you want it to, but again I game on a laptop while might I add mostly laying on my bed. So whenever I need/have to get up it requires me to move it around a lot. But this is really just a personal issue since I don't have an actual desk/desktop setup yet. Would I recommend this to anyone? Well yes and no. Honestly if you want one of, if not thee best joystick-throttle setup's out there then look no further. But if you still can't get past that heffty price tag then I'm sure you can find something for a much cheaper price, I'll be it a much cheaper feeling one but still. And really this setup is targeted at people that want the best immersion in their games. I mean the joystick can literally be taken off it's mount and used in a real cockpit for crying out loud. Nevertheless this is still a great setup and if you do decide to buy it I can almost guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

I've had the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog stick and throttle for over a year now, and I purposely deferred my review for two reasons: First, I wanted to make sure I didn't have a 'bum steer' as is sometimes the case with products of this nature. Second, I didn't want to do a 'honeymoon phase' review where I'm singing its praises without really knowing its strengths and weaknesses. So, with a year's worth of experience under the belt, here we go: TLDR: A must buy. Just buy it. It's worth every penny. For more detail, read on. This was by no means an impulse buy on my part: I deliberated long and hard between this and the Saitek X55, which had only been out a few months. The X55 was less than half the price, but it was getting lukewarm reviews and appeared to suffer from serious QA problems. (Unfortunately its successor, the X56, seems to be suffering the same fate). It came down to this: Do I want to spend $200 on a $50 piece o' junk that might last a couple of years *if I'm lucky* or do I want to plunk down twice that much on a product that--provided I don't get a 'bum steer'--will probably last a lifetime? I took the plunge on the Warthog and I am pleased to report I am not disappointed. Unless your pockets are deep enough to get into GoFlight or Yoko The Yoke territory, and until Saitek gets their act together and stops building mediocre junk, the Thrustmaster HOTAS is, in my opinion, the only viable choice for a premium joystick and throttle. I have never had controllers that are so smooth and precise. I concur with other reviewers that the stick has a more 'heavy duty' feel than the throttles, but by no means did Thrustmaster cut corners on the throttles. They have no 'play' and do not feel 'mushy,' plus they have a longer throw than any other throttles I've ever owned, which makes precise adjustments (absolutely critical when flying the Majestic Q400 on final) easier than ever. In fact, it was only after I purchased the Warthog that I was able to fully tame the Q400. The switches on the throttle handles are not quite as stiff as those on the base of the throttle, but I'd be willing to bet this was done to minimize torsion on the throttles and make them easy for single digit control. They do have a much better feel than the 'plasticky' switches on my old controller (Saitek X52). I also concur with other reviewers that the firm spring on the stick takes some getting used to, but after a few months of break-in it's not quite so stiff, and your arm will have built up sufficient strength to operate it without fatigue. Now that I am used to it I doubt I could ever go back to a flimsy stick that fails to provide the same level of precision and control. I do wish the stick was rubberized--instead it is hard and rather slick, which does make it somewhat difficult for me to grip firmly. Note also that the stick is X/Y only, there is no 'twist' to control the Z axis. This is one of the reasons Saitek held my interest, but now I'm convinced that a 'twist' stick is not a good thing. Now I use the rightmost slider on the throttle for rudder control, which took a little getting used to but is now second nature (due to mobility issues I am not able to use foot controllers). Two last remarks: First, if you are using this with FSX, get FSUIPC and LINDA as they take 90% of the headache out of configuring this beast. Second, I also purchased a Logitech G13 gaming controller and moved all of my EZCA views off the stick and onto the G13. This makes it possible to program the hats and switches to do true hands-on-the-stick (and almost completely off the mouse) flying. To sum up, the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog has exceeded my expectations in every way. Even a year later I'm have absolutely no regret for making this purchase. Rarely do I consider expenditures on entertainment products an 'investment' but in this case I'll gladly make an exception. Its quality is worth the price, it has taken my enjoyment flight simulation to new heights, and shows no sign of 'going bad' or wearing out. In fact, it will most likely outlive its owner.

This Stick is basically the best Flight sim stick money can buy. The feel of this stick screams quality and it really does add to the realism. For those of you who don't know, this stick is a exact Replica of the F-16 Stick, and by extension, the A-10C Warthog Stick. A little history: The A-10A Warthog used a different stick back in the 70's thru 90's. In the late 90's and early 2000's, The USAF upgraded a bunch of their A-10 Planes with a new cockpit, computer system, guidance system, and stick system. They added the F-16's stick, because pilots preferred it due to it's easy to reach controls. After everything was upgraded, the A-10A, was changed to the A-10C. This allowed them to drop GPS guidance bombs, and calculate projectile logistics while the aircraft was accelerating or moving. I learned a lot of this stuff from DCS World's, A-10C Simulator. This is a officially license designed from the USAF, which means for every stick sold, Thrustmaster has to pay the USAF a royalty fee. Feel good about supporting our military when you buy this stick. This Thrustmaster Replica stick, is so good, it has been used in tons of movies as a official prop. The newest movie to use this stick, is "The Martian" About the Stick: Quality: a lot of reviewers are mentioning the stick grip itself, is made of plastic. But you can't tell. When you grip this stick, you will think it's metal. It is cold to the touch. It does not move, or creak when you grip it. The "feel" of the movement of the stick is amazing. It provides consistent resistance on the full range of axis. Some reviewers are mentioning sticktion in some of the early units. I have revision 3, and have not noticed any sticktion at all. I believe thrustmaster has changed the grease, and upgraded the ball joint. The buttons are slightly stiff, but real looking. They are not overly stiff, but they are just right. The Throttle is a amazing piece of engineering and is a testimate to thrustmaster's design team. All of the flip switches are superb in quality, even beating audio equipment switches. The LED lights on the throttle are a nice touch, but i wish they were interactive. There are more buttons than you could ever use, however it does lack a rotary dial. Some space sim fans will want a rotary dial, or a full analog joystick. This throttle does not have that. It has a little mouse nub (similar to IBM thinkpad laptops), that you use with your ring finger, but its no where near the function of a analog stick or rotary dial. The throttle is amazing, but i'm more into space simulators like Star Citizen, Elite Dangerous, No-Man's Sky etc.. My Dream Setup would be the Warthog stick, with a Saitek Throttle which has a trackball. The new star citizen saitek sticks coming out later this year, will have a track ball on them. But there is no way Saitek's actual stick, will be even close in feel and quality to this warthog stick. You can play Space Simulator games fine with the full Warthog setup, but the way Star Citizen works, is you have free floating gimbled weapons, which do not "auto-lock" like they do in Elite Dangerous. So aiming is a bit of a challenge because your effectively trying to hit a 2mm square pip (target), on a 24" monitor. Sticks are not the best a precision aiming, thats why mouse and keyboard users will have more precision. But with a stick, you will be able to out-maneuver them every time. You can pull off the most complex maneuvers, that a keyboard and mouse simply cannot. The Thrustmaster Warthog is built in a way, that it is easily disassembled if you should ever want to. Some users replace the grease with a thicker variety. Being able to repair, and mod this stick, justifies the asking price. There are a ton of mods, exensions and how-to video's on modifying this stick. It is a very popular stick, my particular unit is number 32,678, so that means they have sold over 32,000 of these sticks. And that's saying a lot because it's so expensive. Bottom Line: This stick will last you your whole life, because your able to repair and get parts for it. I am not going to go over the software much, because other reviewers have touched on it quite a bit. Some people don't use the software at all, but i think that's a mistake. Thrustmaster's software is the most powerful control software to ever be written. You can do anything with this stick, it has it's own full programming language similar to C#. This puts competitors software to shame. I'll end this long review with a glowing recommendation and i will also mention that Thrustmaster support is A+ should you ever need it. I really wish Cloud Imperium Games (Makers of Star Citizen) would have worked with Thrustmaster instead of Saitek, because there sticks are so much better. Really, almost everything thrustmaster makes, is the best money can buy, in that price bracket. Stop reading and throw your money at the screen. Thanks for reading.

I purchased this in 2014, and have been using it full time since. Mostly IL2 & DCS, which Steam tells me I have over 600 hours on. No failures or issues what so ever. I've been a TM customer since the 90s, having owned several of their sticks over the years including the Cougar. The Warthog is my favorite by far. In the past I've been happy with TM design, but their longevity has left something to be desired. They seem to have solved that problem with the Warthog. I had a little of the sticktion issue for a few years, but nothing bad enough to warrant a mod. It has loosened up since, and feels smooth and silky now - even after six years of heavy use. The feel of the stick is solid - cold metal. Its very robust, with no flex whatsoever. Switches feel solid, and military. The trigger and the pinky finger trigger are metal, too. The throttle feels solid as well, with a surprising amount of weight. When the left and right quadrant are tied together, it feels stiff. Not as stiff as a real aircraft, but adequate. When the throttles are detached from each other (allowing independent operation), the arms feels much more flexible and weak. I'm afraid that in the heat of the moment, in a knife fight, I might damage it. Hasn't happened yet though. The stick feels rock solid, though. Love this HOTAS. Only regret was not buying two while the price was cheap. I'll be watching for sales to buy a back up.

This should be a 5 Star Review. However I had to go through some hoops to get an actual working one. My original review discussing the DOA stick I received and the followup follows this review. This set is truly the best of the best. For the TLDR crowd, here's the skinny: If you are into serious flight combat sims or need ridiculously accurate manual controls, this is what you need. So far I have used this in DCS, and Mechwarrior online. Both applications with a little setup work in the TARGET software are flawless. DCS already has built in support by the way. I'm super psyched to use this for Star Citizen and have no doubt it will perform. May give Elite Dangerous a shot too. Now for a little more detail. The Stick: With this stick you get what you pay for in spades. It is sturdy, full of functionality, surprisingly comfortable for long (3+ hour) sessions, responsive and exceptionally accurate. The buttons are crisp but not overly tight. The hat is smooth and extremely responsive. The pinky switch is a welcome feature that I had never run across, all making for a great solid 6+ pound package that sits solidly on any desk or floor or wherever. When I say "responsive and exceptionally" accurate, I'm not kidding. For Mechwarrior online I had to drastically reduce the sensitivity (Through TARGET) as the stick will register pretty much any hand movement regardless of how slight while your hand is on the stick. It is very smooth. On a reticle circle test (that's picking an object and circling the reticule around it without making a "box" or slicing) it performed just as well as my mouse and Xbox controller. The hat did as well. For DCS It was more than enough to scream through the skies in the mustang and a hell of a ride to boot. While my Logitech felt.. simply like a novel controller, the Warhog stick feels like having the exact right tool for the job. Another and perhaps the best way to describe it is that it's like making the jump from a late '80s economy hatchback to a modern luxury sports car. Both get you from point A to Point B, both accelerate and have input response. One is worlds from the other though. The Throttle: First I have to disclaim I had never owned an external/stand alone throttle before. I had only ever had it attached to the stick, or coded on my old Nostromo's wheel (I know right?) and that didn't last long. My first impression as I took it out of the box was "oh good Lord what have I gotten myself into.. this thing has more switches and buttons than Mr. Spock's station on the Starship Enterprise!" No seriously. There are 4 3 way toggles, 2 buttons and 2 hats on the throttle alone! And they are all made of awesome. Suddenly I had every last bit of functionality I could possibly imagine at my fingertips! They don't call it HOTAS (Hands on throttle and stick) for no reason. Just like the stick, every control, switch, button, etc. is accurate, crisp and smooth. The throttles of course can split if that's what you sim calls for, or they can be joined by a little spring latch. There are also detents for idle and afterburner which can be modified to suit with the included allen key. Snazzy! In all, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a solid platform for any of their sims! Original Review from (11 Jan 2016) "I got this from the Amazon Warehouse.. Opened the brown box, saw the inspection stamp, so far so good right? It appeared to have been a return, but hey these things happen so I dove in. The throttle was pristine and worked beautifully. The software from the antiquated website recognized it and all was right with the world. The stick however was Dead on Arrival. Out of the box there was what appeared to be grease on the plate. It's metal, I've bought metal things with grease on them before.. No big deal right? Looking over the mount, it looked like there was some abuse to the connector between the stick and plate proper, again these things happen, maybe someone put it in too hard when they were testing to make sure it was OK right? As long as it works who cares what it looks like right? This thing is supposed to be the best of the best! No luck there. The device was recognized by the USB, but that was it. When I tried to upgrade the firmware? no luck. Upon re-install it was again recognized, but there was ZERO input from the stick. Packed it up and am headed to UPS tomorrow. Currently waiting for Amazon to send me another one. Wish me luck. When it comes, if it's what it's supposed to be, I'm hoping to turn this into a stellar review!" >Followup. I sent the box back to Amazon 12 Jan 2016 and purchased a replacement which is what is being reviewed above. As I documented the heck out of my experience here and with Amazon support I have no doubt that my refund will be made.

From the moment I grasped the Joystick of the Thurstmaster Warthog, I knew I could never go back to a cheap one. It feels extremely solid, and when you pull it up it even has that feel of pulling up the aircraft. The throttle is extremely functional, if not immediately as impressive. It has a very high count of switches, and every one of them(except the one on the side of the throttle) feels extremely solid and has a very satisfying click. Every switch being turned on corresponds to a joystick button being continuously pressed. It takes a while to get used to and to properly map all keys T.A.R.G.E.T: To get the 100% maximum potential from Warthog, you need to play around and get used to this software. It's not TOO bad, and I've gotten some grasp of it, but I haven't used it a lot due to not needing it too much. If you want to transition to full Hands-off-keyboard and mouse, tinkering with this software can probably make that a reality. So, I've talked about the quality of the product, how does it fare in actual simulations? DCS World: A hardcore military aircraft simulator that fits this HOTAS's complexity like a glove. After a few hours of play-testing you even start to run out of switches(crazy right) for the more serious aircraft. World of Warplanes: I mean.... Sure? You will dodge better because you control far more parts of the aircraft than mouse dudes but aiming will be really hard. It's way too Arcade-ey, it feels like super overkill using this beast for that. War Thunder: Unless you're on simulator mode, you will run into the same problem as WoWP. In simulator mode, feels very good, haven't tested it out too much though. Microsoft Flight Simulator X: On the more complex cockpits the switches really help. I mean that's pretty much it, the most complex part of MFSX is taking off and landing. Overall, since out of those I play DCS World, where this controller can truly shine, I may be a bit biased towards the worth of all these switches, and the wonderful feel of the joystick. But, I still stand on my rating of the product. Joystick: 10/10, probably the best you can find on the lower end market Throttle: 9/10, very good, but some parts of it don't hold up to others

First, this is a toy, and an expensive toy, but that written it seems reasonably well made and certainly has a feel, and sense of quality that is well beyond any cheaper plastic joystick. This HOTAS really seems to be meant for use with DCS A10C, but it is definitely usable as a general purpose stick and throttle with other flight simulators. What does take some getting use to is that the stick has a fairly stiff spring, so you may find yourself fighting it a bit, but on the positive side the sensors on this stick are very good. No detectable dead zone, and an accurate response means that you can move the stick where it needs to go, and the plane goes there. Not having to fight with a dead-zone makes a big difference! As others have written it's mildly disappointing that the throttle handles are part plastic, but that aside both pieces are comfortable in the hand, the buttons are well placed (thank the original designers for that), and the weighted bases mean you probably won't need to bolt these down. Most of the buttons and switches have a good solid feel, but a few of the switches feel a bit cheap in that they have some slop. The one button I don't care much for though is the slew button. It just feels sloppy. Not unusable, but could have been better. The addition of an extra pinky switch is welcome (though can be removed for those who are bothered by the fact that this is an extra button not found on the original A10C stick). I am somewhat concerned about reports that these sticks develop 'stiction' over time. While not playing, I occasionally rotate my stick fully clockwise, then counter clockwise in hopes that this may help to keep the grease evenly distributed in the ball joint, but I do feel some degree of sticky behavior that suggests I'll eventually need to take it apart, re-grease, and maybe sand the ball joint as others have done. Something I'd rather not have to do, but I can already feel why some of these sticks develop a tendency to stick when moved. Recommended if you are into military style flight sims in which controls are generally input in a smooth methodical way. Can be used with commercial plane simulators too, even if that's not very realistic. I don't think I'd want to use this with twitch type games where a lighter spring is desirable, and fast twitchy type inputs are needed. It's just too heavy and stiff, and probably better to use something that is meant to last a year at best then thrown away.