fly high with our top picks

The Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Deck isn’t for anyone looking to dip a toe into flight sim gear, with a design that aims to have that 1% extra over competitors be it on performance or inputs. It has 139 buttons, with more obtainable through the companion app, and it sports more HAT controls than any other commercial HOTAS controller.

Its price is premium, there’s no avoiding that, but the value on offer is incredibly competitive, and you could spend more and get less with other controllers. Turtle Beach has nailed an approachable design that can be intimidating at first, but once you’re deeply immersed in games like Microsoft Flight Sim or War Thunder, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you adapt.

Its accompanying software is sometimes unreliable due to freezing and crashes, but there isn’t much need for it beyond the firmware updates, and these may address stability issues in the future.

Read our Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Deck review for more.

The Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog is the best premium PC joystick for good reason. The Warthog is modeled after the joystick found in the real U.S. Air Force’s A-10C aircraft. The joystick went through many phases of development, and the end result is a product with a fantastic metal build and laser precision. This is the best flight simulator joystick if you can handle the high price.

The HOTAS Warthog has 55 customizable buttons and hat switches to ensure that you can fly any digital aircraft – be it military, civilian or spacecraft. This quality does come at a premium as the full set has an MSRP of $549.99 (£449.99), which is a lot more than even the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Deck, but it regularly goes on sale for less.

The HOTAS Warthog has been a flight-simmer favorite for years now. With a weighty and authentic feel, a nitpick from us virtual helicopter and spaceship pilots is the lack of z-axis rotation built into the joystick. Admittedly, pedals would be ideal for this and there are a number of inputs available on the stick. We can’t fault Thrustmaster for staying true to the A-10 though, as this isn’t found in the real thing either. Get the HOTAS Warthog if you want the most authentic and very best PC joystick that money can buy.

Thrustmaster isn’t relegated just to the realm of the ultra high-end – it also caters to those who want a great flight sim experience and do not want to spend a month’s rent doing so. For this reason,  the Thrustmaster TCA Sidestick Airbus edition is our choice for the best beginner’s PC joystick.

The included throttle ensures you won’t be missing out on any major functionalities and despite the low cost – you’ll feel like a real pro when you’re soaring through the skies (or space).

Unlike the Warthog HOTAS setup – the TCA features an integrated twist rudder meaning you can freely manoeuvre on the z-axis without having to reach for another control. It’s lockable too if you’d prefer to have it assigned to another button or don’t want to accidentally use your rudders during a long-haul flight.

The paltry amount of hats does make the TCA less suited to combat sims but you can still make do with what’s on offer – given its Airbus credentials though you might not be surprised that it is most at home in the likes of Microsoft Flight Simulator rather than in DCS. It also feels a little plasticky in the hand and doesn’t offer the tactical realism of the Warthog joystick but at this price point that is to be expected.

The Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition isn’t the cheapest on this list but if you’re somewhat serious about getting into flight sims then you’ll be well served if you can stretch your budget to this choice. What’s more – it is regularly discounted so you may nab yourself a sweet deal.

The Logitech G Saitek X56 throttle and stick offers the best price-to-performance ratio which is why we have crowned it as our best-value PC joystick. The X56 features 31 programmable buttons and 5 hats meaning that pretty much any craft should be covered.

You won’t need to shell out for pedals either as the joystick can rotate to engage z-axis movement from rudder adjustments. An adjustable spring tensioning system means you can dial in what level of resistance you want allowing for even more granular control.

The joystick also benefits from Hall effect sensors which enable you to further adjust how it feels if you want an authentic experience when flying a craft with sluggish controls. The sensors also mean that the X56 should remain as accurate as the day you bought it as it won’t be susceptible to stick-drift.

Having the throttle with independent sticks means you’ll have much more control over dual-engined spaceships and planes. All this choice makes the X56 a great setup to grow into as the controls can be as simple or complex as you like.

Hopefully, the joystick and throttle will last long enough though as the construction of the unit feels a little lacking as it is mostly comprised of plastic. This means that it is quite lightweight so you will definitely need to make use of the suction cups or attach it more permanently or the unit will slide about your desk.

While it might not be quite as much of a marvel as the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog listed above, this is still a top-notch joystick. It is both comfortable and ergonomic and is no less capable of enhancing all your favorite flight simulators.

It has a decent array of 15 buttons that you can remap as you please (although it is a bit fiddly), with adjustable tension levels that let you get it just the way you like it. We wish the Y button was slightly better positioned, but other than that, it all felt very well designed.

It’s a big piece of hardware, for sure, but if you’ve got the real estate, it stands to be a fantastic addition to your setup. If you also enjoy gaming via Xbox, you’ll also be pleased to hear it offers cross-compatibility with both Xbox and PC. You might find more buttons, or customization options on the pricier options, but for the cost, this is pretty fantastic.

Read our Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One review.

We’ve talked a lot about joysticks that are ideal for games that put you into the cockpit of planes and spacecraft, but that’s not the only type of game you might want to use one with. If you’re a fan of retro, arcade, or fighting games, then you’ll appreciate something like the 8BitDo Retro Arcade Fight Stick.

The joystick itself is comfortable to hold, and there’s a plethora of buttons conveniently placed to the left for you to get those combos in with. Unlike conventional controllers, this fight stick makes it particularly easy for you to have one hand dedicated to precise movements, while the other focuses on all the right button combinations. There are so many customization options that let you tweak it to just the right specifications for you too.

Many arcade games were specifically designed to be played in this way, so this joystick can be your getaway to a more authentic experience. There are a lot of fight sticks out there, and this is definitely a solid all-rounder. Console gamers will also be pleased to hear that it offers Nintendo Switch compatibility too (though sadly not Xbox or PlayStation).

Turtle Beach isn’t known for its flight sim peripherals first. Still, its first outing into the business has been remarkably successful and the VelocityOne Flightstick ticks many boxes in a very tidy package which is why it is our best all-in-one PC joystick.

The throttle controls are built directly into the base of the unit meaning you don’t have to bother with multiple cables running across your desk. There are additional USB-C ports and these can be used to connect to other controls such as pedals and the like.

There are many customizable controls too and to help make sense of what you’re doing – a monochromatic OLED screen adorns the top of the joystick which shows your axis, trim, and a chronograph.

The joystick is beautifully built too and every time we look at it we are shocked that Turtle Beach knocked it out of the park on their first attempt. It even has z-axis controls!

It’s not without its quirks mind you as the throttle controls are bewilderingly not off to one side but flank the joystick. Whilst this may aid in making it more ambidextrous – it means that anytime you need to adjust the throttle at the same time (which is most of the time) you will have to remove your hand from the joystick entirely which isn’t ideal.

The VelocityOne Flightstick is also very lightweight so unless you attach it to a set-up, you may find yourself knocking it about. These issues withstanding, for around $129.99 (£119.99) you are getting an awful lot for your money.

Sometimes we just want to hop in a Boeing 747, turn down the realism of the flight model, and just enjoy the view. If you fall into this category then the Logitech G Extreme 3D Pro Joystick offers everything you need to have a great casual experience, which is why it earns our pick as the best budget standalone PC joystick.

With 12 customizable buttons, including an 8-way HAT switch, you’ll find plenty of options for your controls as long as you’re not planning on diving into DCS and starting up an Apache gunship.

The integrated throttle is all you need for flying about in games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator in its easier settings or Battlefield and the level of control will be far better than a mouse and keyboard or gamepad. Z-axis enjoyers are well catered for here too as you can twist the joystick with reckless abandon for rudder controls for accurate flying.

At an MSRP of $39.99 (£44.98), it’s hard to fault it, but it would be nice to have some extra buttons or for it to be more ambidextrous or have alternative models so that lefties aren’t left out. The joystick is frequently discounted too – making this option more enticing despite its few setbacks.

Read our full Logitech Extreme 3D Pro review.