Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog A10 Replica Flight Stick & Throttle Set - PC

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.

I doubt a better quality system at this price-point exists. The size, heft, feel, quality and weight is so close to authentic it's alarming - especially while priced at less that $600! Independent throttles or pin together for single engine; start and shutdown, APU, operation are like real; flameout recoveries; load configuration and flight control manipulation realism good; torsion of stick pretty good, it's responsive. Throttles have adjustable "humps" to go over while retarding from IDLE to OFF, and advancing from MIL to AB I mean even its TF34 T5 Amp override switches work lol Match these with VR for latest incredible realism. The old sims of yesteryear having 2D visuals, housed in a computer room the size of a two br apartment, compared to this HOTAS stuff attached to a mid-upper tier gaming PC with VR ... a comparison not even close. Worth it.

I needed another joystick after my trusty Saitek X45 went belly up (may it Rest In Peace), and spotted this one while I was browsing for another. I'm going to admit that the price tag made me hesitate, but at the time I had a little extra spending money and was less than satisfied with the reviews I had seen of some of it's direct competitors (X55 & X52), so I decided to take the plunge...... .....and I could not be more pleased that I did. The first thing I noticed when it arrived was the WEIGHT. I mean, this thing is REALLY heavy, but when you open the box and take it out, you immediately understand why. Right off the bat, I could tell that the build quality was outstanding. Switches audibly snap when you move them and movement for all the spring loaded hat buttons is very sharp. Whereas most manufacturers would use plastics for a great deal of their components, Thrustmaster did not. This HOTAS is built to last and it shows. Another thing that really impressed me was that I could comfortably reach all of the buttons and switches on the stick without the need to readjust my hand. This may be a minor consideration for most people, but it's always been a source of irritation for me. The motion of the stick is also very smooth and there are no dead zones in it that I can see. This was another plus for me since I usually like to amp up the sensitivity on my sticks so as to eliminate the need for exaggerated movement to attain pitch and roll. Again, some of the cheaper models I've handled seemed to have an area immediately around the dead center of the stick where small movements were not recognized, thus necessitating the need to significantly lower the stick's sensitivity. I should also point out that another thing that truly delighted me about this HOTAS was that I could detach the stick from it's base. This may seem insignificant to most people, and it likely will be, but I constructed a custom seat for my newest gaming PC and opted for a center mounted stick when playing flight sims. Naturally, there are times when I want to sit down and play a different type of game, such as an RPG or maybe a shooter like ArmA, and the ability to remove and store the joystick when I don't need it has proved to be an extremely handy feature. It's been said that one of the Warthog's claims to fame is that it's ostensibly a replica of a real A-10's stick and throttle assembly. I'm going to have to take them at their word on this, I'm not a fighter pilot. I honestly couldn't care less, anyway. What's important is that I now have a HOTAS with the flexibility and DURABILITY that's going to provide me with legions of hours of fun playing flight sims. Is it expensive? Yes, it is. But, if you are truly a fan of flight simulation, and you're looking to purchase another (or a BETTER) HOTAS, I would strongly urge you to give the Warthog serious consideration. In fact, I'm reasonably sure that I read a positive review of the thing by someone who had logged over 1000 hours of flight time in military aircraft.....for real. If THAT isn't enough to convince you, maybe you should stick with War Thunder. ;)

I can't say enough about this stick. Actually I said so much about it two of my other friends bought one too. One came over to my house to see why I was so excited about this thing and in 10 minutes he was using my computer to go on Amazon to overnight ship one to his house. Sure it's $400 but you will never need to buy another flight HOTAS setup again. You could literally use the joystick to build a house and it would still work. The construction is so heavy duty and built so well that it makes you feel like no matter what, it will be there working. I've had this thing now for about a month and I've used it in Elite Dangerous which I play 3 to 4 times per week for hours on end. I'm also not a small guy, being 6'5" and 300lbs I'm rough on things like this but the Thrustmaster has withstood my abuse. The controls and buttons are second to none and are well placed. I mean, it's a replica of the real deal, which you know was researched and refined by the military over and over again until it was perfect. The throttle is a separate USB plug from the Joystick, so if you don't need the throttle you can unplug it and the stick still works. Same goes for the stick, you can unplug it and the throttle and all the buttons on it will work. I like the fact that the units are independent of each other. My old Saitek X52 pro was not like that. I loved my Saitek but it gave up the ghost after 10 years of service. One of our guild members bought the X55pro and it died on him in 2 weeks. He sent it back and the new one they sent to him died in 3 weeks. He wound up buying this setup and just throwing away the Saitek. That says something. Ever since Saitek was bought by Mad Catz the quality has gone downhill. Thrustmaster is second to non with their equipment lately. I used to not be a fan of Thrustmaster but recently between the 6 speed shifter, this HOTAS Warthog and some of their other control units, I've become very impressed with them and can only say good things about their stuff. Most games that use a HOTAS setup have pre-built setups for this stick / throttle as well, so that makes getting into the game that much faster. The hall effects sensors versus pot sensors is amazing. I've never felt responsiveness like I've felt on this setup. It feels like an extension of my arm. I didn't even have to setup a deadzone on this because it just works. It doesn't wander left or right, up or down unless you make it happen. I can literally make the most minute input happen or crank it all the way over and it reacts exactly as you would expect. I found transitioning to this setup was easy and painless. Usually setting up and getting used to a new input device can take a while but this was perfect from day one.

such a great realistic setup for playing DCS or even MIcrosoft Flight Simulator. button functionality and operation is exactly what I would expect it to be like in the real aircraft. I love the weight of the controls because it makes it harded to acidentally slide them around on your desk. Downloading the Thrustmaster app allows you to map the axis and buttons relatively quickly for the A-10 in DCS and if you like that layout you can simply copy it and paste it into the layout for MSFS. Yes it is expensive, but in my opinion, you get what you pay for. I paid for quality, and that is exactly what I got.

So I bought this from Amazon and had it shipped halfway across the world to me only to be disappointed that the joystick was faulty. I had set up my PC battlestation to receive the coveted Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog in it's full glory and loaded up my favorite flight sim but when I tried to connect the joystick my computer wouldn't recognize it. The throttle worked but the joystick didn't. After trying for hours to get it working I gave up and decided to test it elsewhere. I went to a friend's house and the same thing happened. The computer wouldn't acknowledge it. So I went to another friend's house and then to another friend's house and then to another friend's house. It just wouldn't work. It wasn't my computer it was the joystick. Apparently sometimes the wiring can get loose in the base but everything seemed to be in order. Sad, disappointed and broke I lost all hope of ever purchasing stuff online again. I decided to e-mail my predicament to Amazon anyway. In less than a week Amazon sent me a brand new Warthog to turn my frown upside down. No muss, no fuss, they were intent on ensuring I wasn't disappointed. I can finally fly with the Warthog. I can fulfill my destiny to be a fake virtual pilot. It was simply good customer service from Amazon. It's not easy to shop online when you're not based in the US but then Amazon comes along and makes it easier for the rest of us. My confidence in shopping with Amazon just went up a couple of notches. They made a sad customer happy. Time to break out the credit card again. The throttle and joystick itself is very solidly built. I've had other joysticks before, like Logitech and Saitek, but the build quality of the Warthog is just phenomenal. It's heavy and you can tell they use good quality materials to build this. Nothing plasticky about it. None of my friends can steal it from me. The thing is massive and heavy. Good luck sneaking it out of my house without me noticing. So far the joystick has never slipped from its position during gameplay. The grip feels nice for my medium-sized hands. The hat switch and triggers are all positioned comfortably within range of my fingers. Response is fast and accurate so far, and it helps that they use a very strong spring in the joystick. The cables are long enough to enable you to set your joystick and throttle in the right position for you. The bright green lights are a nice feature although I usually set it off because I don't want to burn it out. It takes time to configure every switch, knob and button to your liking but once you do you are going to get a more immersive gaming experience. You will still crash in your flight sims but at least you will crash in style. The throttle is also very solid, with enough variety of switches, knobs and buttons to satisfy most people. They actually feel solid and strong and look like it's made to last a long time. But don't ever let your kid play with it. Something like this needs to be taken care of and protected. I like that you can control the throttle for two engines independently. The feel is good too. It's responsive without being too tight. I can't give you a more technical review as I am just a casual sim gamer. I like my flight gaming experiences to be realistic but balanced without being too difficult. The Hotas Warthog enables me to use it casually when I want to, with just the single joystick and simple controls for arcade gameplay or go full retard and use the whole Hotas Warthog complete with 6 monitors, instrument panels, rudder pedals, flight suit, helmet and parachute under my computer chair for when I want to pretend I know how to fly a plane. Should you buy it? If you absolutely must have the best, appreciate good quality, have extra cash, like setting up and binding your own controls and play flight sims regularly then yes you should get it. If money is tight for you and you don't play flight sims regularly then there are other options for you in the market. Take note that if you don't have a permanent spot for the throttle and joystick it might feel like a chore to set it up every time you want to play it. It's not hard to set up (it's plug and play) but because of its size and weight you're going to get an extra workout for your arms every time you take it off the shelf or out of the closet. Maybe that's a good thing. You spend too much time reading Amazon reviews instead of exercising. Yes it is pricey, but it is absolutely pure quality. So is Amazon. Great product, great customer service. I am recommending this.

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

The ThrustMaster Warthog: I struggled with myself in trying to pick a star rating of either 4 or 5 for this Joystick Flight System. As you can see I finally fell on 4 stars. I would've given it 4 1/2 stars but I haven't got that option. Right off the top I want to say that this is a fantastic flight controller system and at this point, I do believe that it is the best. I fly FSX and had a number of different joysticks and flight control systems including the Logitech G940, (my favorite before the Warthog system). I must say that ThrustMaster did a great job with quality on this system and made it so that every single button can be programmed. If you use the TARGET joystick profiling system that ThrustMaster offers, (free), the number of switches that you have can be increased by six times. Because there is a lot on the Internet about the ThrustMaster Warthog I'm not going to waste your time by repeating what everyone else has been saying regarding the smoothness of operation and adjustability the system offers. You can believe that if you buy this joystick system you will own the best joystick system on the market. So why four stars? Well incredibly, Thrust Master decided not to make the Warthog a force feedback system! Yes, that's right, a $400-$500 joystick and it doesn't have force feedback?! In addition, Thrustmaster includes something like 6 'ready made' profiles but omits the profile for a flight sim that carries a larger customer base than all other video games put together; Microsoft Flight Simulator! The last joystick I had before I bought the ThrustMaster Warthog was the Logitech G940. I'm sure that many of you have read the negative feedback about the G940 but keep in mind the G940 only cost about $250-$280. And the fact is I really liked the G940 and the force feedback system that it offered, (Logitech's CS was another issue altogether). I know not everyone likes force feedback but there's an easy solution to that. You see, ThrustMaster includes a wrench with their Warthog that permits the owner to change the way the throttle control operates. Would it have been so hard to include a wrench to remove the centering spring in the joystick? Why would I want to do that? Because if you gave the Warthog force feedback like the G940 you need a power supply that plugs into the stick and the spring would get in the way of the feedback system. I don't think it would've been a hard job to engineer, (I'm a mechanical engineer myself), but of course you always have to concern yourself with the ratio of cost and profit. It would be likely that the force feedback system I'm speaking of would raise the cost of the stick another hundred dollars or so. So between the lack of force feedback and a small problem I have with their miniature XY joystick button, (it's a 'mouse' button but a bit too small), I decided to give the stick four stars. Nothing is perfect but ThrustMaster certainly strived to reach that point. I also want to say that ThrustMaster is standing behind the product 100%. That's something that many of the companies have stopped doing. So once again, you will not regret buying this joystick system and even though it doesn't have force feedback, the smoothness of the joysticks movement makes it a pleasure to use and some real pilots have claimed that this joystick feels very much like the real thing. If you're still vacillating, buy it and try it. I think that if you give it a few hours as I did, you'll have no doubts and like me, will see that it is THE top stick in any class.

altijd al flith simulatie willen spelen, en nu in bezit van Thrustmaster Hotas Wartog replica USAF A-10C stick en throttle. Solide kwaliteit geen pruts dingetje. Makkelijk aan te sluiten in elkaar gezet. Moet altijd drivers installeren {up to date}.

OMG this is amazing 100% recommend and the quality but no z axis you will need pedals

Just the best Hotas you can buy, I keep seeing the price being refered to as one of the "cons" with this kit but believe me, you are getting a heck of a lot of HOTAS for your money. My last HOTAS was also a Thrustmaster, the F22pro with TQS throttle, cost way more than the Warthog and was all (very high quality) plastic. BUT that stick and throttle was in daily use for 23 years! I never needed to buy another setup, when gameports were abolished, I converted it to USB and I fully expect it to last another 23 years too if it wasn't for my need to replace it with the Warthog. Like many others I have fallen in love with the A10-C simulation by DCS, probably the most detailed and accurate sim outside of the commercial market (and probably better than most of them). The Warthog stick is detected by the sim and "just works". Must say I am not a fan of the red china hat switch top or the flap switch top, may need to get a chunkier set 3d printed but I'm not going top mark it down for that, it's still better than any of the competition. The feel of the stick is much lighter than I am used to, the F22 had springs from a Sherman Tank and this is a revelation, so much easier to control the ship with. Buttons are nicely placed and weighted and feel very professional, solid and smooth action. The throttles move smoothly and have adjustable damping, an off/idle detent and a switchable afterburner detent (allen key supplied). As everybody else has said, these are HEAVY bits of kit and they need to be so they don't move around when in use (which they don't). All in all the best stick and throttle I have ever used, even better than my F22pro and TQS. I know the price looks steep but my last TM cost a lot more than this but ended up being the cheapest HOTAS I ever bought, 23 years before it got replaced, I fully expect the Warthog to rival it for quality and longevity, I have no doubt, this will be the LAST, CHEAPEST HOTAS I will ever buy :)

This holy grail was delivered to me in under 48 hours! If this is the first time you have read a review about this thing then you must have also not heard of it and how did you even get here?! Solid build, and no matter how many youtube etc reviews you have watched, the phrase "solid build" just does not come strong enough until you take it out of the box yourself. I had it delivered to work and had to take the box a good 20 minute walk up hill in the rain. It was a bloody quest, approx. 6-7 kilograms total weight in an awkwardly large case (which I am keeping for future transport, has a handle built in). Throttle: the base is so heavy it makes a thud when its place on the desk and will rarely ever lift up off the desk when using. Has mounting holes as well if that's your jam. Handle is hollow and plastic because otherwise it would weigh so much more. But solid and cold, perhaps an aluminum coating on the wider portions of the handles. Switches are satisfying, the APU Start is especially stiff which gives me chills every time I start up the A-10c with a heavy loud "click!" and the sim's engine startup sound. Conveniently, the friction is actually at the far front left of the base, the Friction knob on the side ment to replicate the actual craft, is not needed in the sim so is left as an extra slider. This is perfect for zoom control; if you previously had say, an x52, and used the slider in DCS the resolution of control was so bad that zoom stuttered a lot. This thing zooms smooth as butter with a big stick on it to easily adjust without really having to take your hand too far from the throttle. Stick: Picking it up for the first time is like the first time you have ever held a real sword or a handgun at the range. Out of the box it is not mounted to the base, and on its own weighs several pounds of cold solid steel. The buttons are stiff compared to other sticks, nothing gets pushed by accident. Every action or weapon consent is with intention. The two stage trigger is ultra-stiff, the final stage click is quite audible. All of this stiffness 'goes away', I don't think its breaking in as much as my hands have gotten stronger from using it. Picking up the x52 to compare after reveals I have been using a floppy mess for the last 8 years. Pitch and roll has real weight to it, and no dead-zone seems to be required, it doesn't have any wobble at the center. The stick mounts on with a solid metal nut, vs the plastic threaded hoop on the x55. The base is also solid metal, it stays on your desk for sure. Only minor thing is that the stick is so heavy that when you throw far enough to hit as far as it goes, the weight can make the base lift a tiny bit but it settles right back (its just loud!). If you don't know what I mean, don't worry, mostly it was from me not being used to the stick. The base plate is also flat and broad, this is great because I have been able to tuck it under my legs and pretty much sit on the plate, placing the stick approximately where it should be in the actual aircraft without any permanent mounting. The front hangs off the seat a bit but my legs keep it secure without any effort keeping it still. (This is something I have never seen anybody else do so I might be lucky with my seat and comfort, try it) If you can take the left arm off your computer chair and place the throttle on a sturdy side-table at seat height, you pretty much just had to pay for the stick without any crazy home cockpit modifications. (but I wont stop you) As said before, got it under 48 hours even though it was quoted 2 weeks. Perfect condition. Solid product.

Finally feels like real in DCS World