The Best Joysticks for Flight Simulators

Best Joystick

The best advice is from a real pilot who does Flight Simulation.

Stefan Drury recommends the Logitech Extreme 3D and I agree with him. I have owned a few Logitech products and they last the longest, even better than Razer.It is similar to Panasonic in the cosumer electronics. Probably Logitech uses lasting plastics instead of cheap plastics that do not last long.

 

 

 Logitech Extreme 3D Pro

As Mr. Drury commented, it is better to use this joystick rather than the more expensive ones and save for gas to enjoy real flights. It could mean that the joystick feeling is reasonable. At RM150 from PCIMAGE, it is a bargain. One important characteristic is the lack of dead zone at rest. This is what differentiates the realistic feeling from the cheap joysticks. The more expensive joysticks mmay be more accurate but they are not worth the realism as far as flying is concerned.

Real Joysticks are Inferior

The more expensive joysticks such as the Hall effect switches used by Thrustmasters HOTAS WARTHOG because they try to emulate real joysticks but I notice that they are limiatioins, rather than advantages. We are trying to emulate the weaknesses of real joysticks as commented by this video, in this Linus Tech Tips channel. Real joysticks are heavy and slow. If you use them in competitions, you may be at a disadvantage.

 For an example of manufacturers who have upgraded to the latest technology, watch this video about Airbus choice of joysticks instead of wheel.

Because modern vehicles are flown by wire, we can use joysticks to reduce space.We should use joysticks for cars as well. The Radio Control hobby world is far more advanced than real world technology and manufacturers are still behind RC hobbyists. In video games, gaming hardware could be more advanced than real hardware and manufacturers should emulate these gaming professionals because vehicles are now flown by wire.

Hobby controllers may not be as durable but they perform better and cost much less within their expected life. If they pass that life, just replace them. Performance is more important than life time. The reasons that pilots and users are more familiar with tradional controllers, is not valid because they can be retrained and younger generations are already trained in video games to use optimal controllers. Airbus is an example of a forward looking manufacturer. Car manufacturers should follow.

One reason why car manufacturers shold folow is the versatility of the joystick. This Logitech joysticks as well as others, have a Z-axis that is implemented by just twisting the joystick. The Logitech Extreme 3D PRO even has a slider that can be used as a throttle, just like many others.

Cheaper Joysticks

I had used a cheaper joystick, Genius F-31U with vibration. Unfortunately the vibration does not work in Windows 10 64 bit. Its major problem is the lack of centering ability. It wonders off, making it difficult to keep my hands off the joystick.

Genius Maxfighter F31u

Adjusting Joysticks

Because cheaper joysticts have more deadzone and does not centre well, the dead zone adjustment of Microsoft Flight Simulator should be adjust to accomodate it.

Listen to the advice given by  Old Guy Geek Tech Tips channel. However, he does nto elaborate on how to adjust.

I suspect we need to increase the dead zone allowance for joysticks with erratic centering so that the aircrafft can fly by itself without us touching the joystick, just adjust the trim once in a while. It will certainly reduce the stress of flying.

For sensitive planes such as aerobatic planes, we should reduce curving the response curve downward. For airliners, it is best to increase sensitivity by curving the curve upwards so that small joystick movement can cause a large change in control surfaces. This is an example of how cheap joysticks are not really a problem for modern vehicles because they can be compensated for.

I didn't do it for my Genius F31U which I should have done fully. I tried to play with the sensitivity adjustments but decided to give up and buy the Logitech joystick instead.

Realistic Joysticks

The best way to make realistic joysticks are to make them look like real joysticks, like Thrustmaster Warthog and have devices to adjust the hardwardness of the inputs by changing springs or adding tightening screws.

The above is a good video of how rudders make flight simulators more realistic without breaking your budget. He even advised Thrustmaster to invest a little more by adding grease for the rails.

To be even more realistic, you can watch this video of Thrustmaster TPR. One comment is that real Cesna pedals are vertical. At MYR 4,179.96 ( US$1000 )it is just too expensive. The cost is in making them realistic instead of just functional.