How To Choose The Best Joystick

Choosing the best joystick for your needs may look intimidating. It’s definitely more complex than picking a controller for PC, or a racing wheel. After all, the market is filled with various models that come with a wide variety of different features. Next, your favorite games might prefer different joysticks. The best joystick for Star Citizen or Elite Dangerous doesn’t have to be the best for War Thunder.

Further, if you’re a newbie to the world of flight sims it’s probably better to get a simple yet trustworthy model that doesn’t cost a fortune before spending hundreds of dollars on more advanced models. Models that cost as much as a high-end gaming CPU or graphics card.

Also, some gamers prefer to use a flight stick and mouse or keyboard instead of the traditional HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) setup. Let’s discuss important features to look for when shopping for the best flight stick for your needs.

Set Your Budget

This is the first thing you should do. Decide the maximum amount of money you want to spend on a flight stick because some of the models cost a small fortune. And once after you set your budget it will be easier to pick the best joystick for your needs.

Check some budget and high-end models to get in the know about average prices and then you can place the upper limit on your budget. But, as every time, it’s wise to not set the budget in stone. Leave some leeway (10, 20 percent) in case you find a really cool joystick that’s just above your budget.

Decide Whether You Need A HOTAS Setup Or Not

HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) setup is the most popular setup in many flight sims. This allows users precise control of the throttle and the vehicle at the same time. But not all games demand a separate throttle control. In some cases, you can use your stick alongside a mouse or keyboard. There’s also a setup that uses two flight sticks.

If you’re new to the world of flight sims, you could get a joystick with a throttle control that’s built in the base of the flight stick. That way you will be able to control the throttle without paying extra for separate throttle or without adding more complexity to the control scheme.

Detached throttle increases not only control precision, but it also increases immersiveness and adds a natural feel to the flight controls. Also, a separate throttle allows for more buttons and switches to be added to the setup, which is important for some games. For instance, Elite Dangerous has a ton of controls and prefers joysticks with lots of buttons and switches.

If you decide that you need a HOTAS setup, make sure the throttle has a long travel distance, allowing more granular control of the acceleration and power delivery. Also, the throttle should have a certain level of resistance so you don’t increase or decrease throttle on accident.

Decide How Many Buttons You Need

As we already said, some flight sims are relatively simple while others include a ton of different controls. The best joystick for Flight Simulator won’t be the best joystick for Freelancer or Rebel Galaxy: Outlaw. The first is a complex simulation that prefers HOTAS setups with lots of buttons and switches while the latter two titles are relatively simple games that can be enjoyed with budget flight sticks.

If you love complex flight sims and only occasionally dabble in arcade space shooters or flight games getting a HOTAS joystick with a ton of buttons and switches is much preferred. On the other hand, if you like arcade flight games you will probably want a simple yet quality joystick with just a handful of buttons. But even then, there’s a lower limit on buttons you should aim for. A hat switch and about 10 buttons should be enough for most arcade games.

Some Joysticks Allow Z-Axis Rotation

Most joysticks allow users to control two axes, X and Y. This allows for pitch and roll control (up, down, left, and right). But some flight sticks come with Z-Axis control. By twisting the stalk of the stick left and right you can control yaw.

Now, hardcore flight sim fans prefer dedicated foot pedals to control the rudders. But, if you need a yaw control but you don’t want to increase complexity by adding a foot pedal or just want to save some money, it’s better to get a flight stick with Z-Axis rotation feature.

If You’re Left-Handed Or Enjoy Advanced Sims Look For Ambidextrous Joysticks

Left-handed people can make a huge mistake by getting a joystick that doesn’t have an ambidextrous design. Most joysticks are designed with right-hand users on mind. If you want to control the flight stick with your left hand look for ambidextrous flight stick models.

Also, most HOTAS joysticks are built for right-handed users. That means the flight stick is controlled by the right hand and throttle is controlled with the left hand. If you’re left-handed you should look for an ambidextrous design, or learn how to use a HOTAS setup made for right-handed users.

Some Joysticks Can Be Used With Consoles And PC

Most flight sticks are made to work with PC only since most flight sims are made exclusively for PC. But if you want to play flight games on PC as well as on consoles (titles such as Ace Combat or Elite Dangerous) make sure that the joystick you want to buy is compatible with the PS4 and/or Xbox One.

Try The Joystick Before Buying It If Possible

Finally, if you have a chance to try the joystick you want before making a purchase, that would be great. The best way to find out whether a specific joystick is right for you is by trying it in-game.