Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Flight Stick, Throttle and Control Panel for Flight Simulation, Official Replica of the U.S Air Force A-10C Aircraft (Compatible with PC)

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.