Microsoft Flight Simulator made a big splash when it was released on Xbox Game Pass almost a year ago to massive plaudits from both critics and gamers alike. Despite a few minor performance issues, being able to fly to pretty much any airport in the world and actually being able to recognise your home town when you flew over it was nothing short of incredible. Now, with the Top Gun: Maverick DLC out in the wild simulating flights is all the rage again. While the Xbox controller does an admirable job of making the controls accessible, there is no question that it isn’t the ideal input method.
This is where Thrustmaster come in. They have packaged together both the T.Flight Hotas One and a set of TFRP Rudder pedals to form the Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X. This is everything you need bar a pilot’s outfit to get the full experience at a very affordable price. The Hotas One comprises a joystick and throttle which can be connected together via two rivets and a square clip for a more compact setup. This piece of kit is available separately for £79.99 should you wish to further cut down costs.
While the T.Flight Hotas One certainly is the most important part of the bundle, the pedals definitely shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s a package that compliments each other perfectly and really adds another dimension to any game it supports. I had put close to a hundred hours into Microsoft Flight Simulator alone while using my Xbox controller, but now it would be very difficult to even contemplate switching back without feeling like half the experience was missing.
The initial setup couldn’t be easier. Often times in 2022, plug and play is a term thrown around regardless of whether it is actually able to deliver as advertised. However, in this case, it did exactly that. Simply plug the USB lead-in and in our testing both Flight Simulator and Star Wars Squadrons both identified the device straight away and mapped the buttons accordingly. Although it should be noted that some minor tweaking was required for the rudder pedals. Making the standard setup so easy is a great way to get the player invested from the off and it is something so often missed these days.
Button inputs for the most part are precise and responsive, but I did note the odd occasion where it felt like less feedback was received from certain button presses gives you pause for thought during key moments. This was never enough to dull my enjoyment of the product though and something I noticed less the more I played. The unit comes with 14 action buttons and 5 axes which were ample during my playtesting. There is a switch on the rear to move between Xbox and PC connectivity but our testing was limited to console.
Customisation is also possible. All the buttons can be re-mapped to fit whatever specification you like, however in our testing we found the default setup so intuitive that there was no need to mess around with it. One area that could have been better was the USB cable to connect the device to the Xbox. Unfortunately, it is only 1.5m long, which really doesn’t give you much space to play with. Thankfully I had a USB extension cable handy and was able to sit in my desired position, but it is something worth considering as an add-on purchase at the time.
Given the short USB connection length, the rudder unit connects to the joystick via a proprietary T.RJ12 cable which has enough extra cable for someone in row B to chip in with some footwork. One thing I would have liked though is for the joystick base to be heavier, as it can feel a little lightweight at times. However, this does nothing to take away from the sheer enjoyment of flying in an all-new way. The extra level of immersion is felt instantly and I have even floated the idea of creating a makeshift cockpit in the games room.
Another cool feature is the ability to set the tension on the stick. There’s a dial beneath the joystick that allows you to both loosen and tighten so that you can find the perfect tension for you or, if you want to get super in-depth with it – change it depending on the aircraft you are flying at the time. Every little addition like this shows the level of detail Thrustmaster has gone to in order to deliver a top experience for the player.
I mentioned earlier that it was possible to play without the rudder pedals, but here’s why you should. They’re bloody cool. Controlling the aircraft’s rudders with the foot pedals really gives you that full immersion. They also use Thrustmaster’s patented S.M.A.R.T (Sliding Motion Advanced Rail Track) technology in order to move up and down the tracks – and brilliantly re-centre automatically when not being used. The pedals will comfortably fit up to a UK size 12 shoe, although if Sideshow Bob is reading this and happens to be a huge Flight Sim fan fear not! You can also remove the heel rest and place your massive feet in the optimal position.
Thrustmaster claims the T.Flight Full Kit X “works perfectly for any gamer of any skill level”. Often times this is just a box quote, but in this instance, the team has pulled it off. This is an entry-level device that both delivers on features and in price. With games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, Star Wars Quadrons, Ace Combat 7 and more all catching the imagination of gamers there has never been more of a desire for peripherals to bring you closer to the real experience. Look no further.
-Jock