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Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One Review: A Great Flight Stick for Beginners

Sakege November 10, 2024

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: One Minute Review

Can you believe that Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One has been around for years? The basic device offers everything you need to get started in Microsoft Flight Simulator or something more exotic, with an accelerator, a comfortable stick and the option to couple each one or keep them separate.

The complete unit is cheaper than many flight sticks you can pick up without an additional throttle, meaning you get a lot of volume for your money, if not a bang. The throttle lacks resistance and the casing of both halves is made of a relatively cheap-feeling plastic. Fortunately, that makes it lightweight, meaning it’s easy to transport between desk and couch setups on PC and Xbox.

Still, 14 buttons and 5 axes are more than enough to earn you your pilot’s wings, and more intermediate features like a tactile hat switch and a nice, springy trigger make it feel much more complete than its rivals at this price.

PlayStation gamers will also have to look elsewhere, but the Hotas One will work on PC and current-gen Xbox consoles and will go all the way to the xbox one. If you have one of those platforms, the plug-and-play nature makes it easy to get started, and the Xbox buttons replicated throughout the unit can make the jump easier for those who traditionally use consoles.

All of this makes for an attractive entry-level flight stick that lacks additional spindles and controls, but offers a more cockpit-adjacent split-stick and throttle form factor that’s easy to be impressed by. It’s not getting any younger, but Thrustmaster continues to re-release it in new colorways (including a microsoft flight simulator option), it is clear that the company stands behind it as a first test of the flight stick for beginners.

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas A flight stick on a desk

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes)

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Price and availability

List price: $99.99 / £89.99
Available in black and Microsoft Flight Simulator options
Released in October 2017

The T-Flight Hotas One has been around for a while (there was a PS3 version at one point, which should indicate how long it lasted), and this particular model has been taking PC and Xbox gamers flying since 2017.

It is increasingly difficult to find the plain black version, but the Microsoft Flight Simulator The version is the same product with a white finish, suggesting the stick isn’t going anywhere. That new color option is much brighter and makes the stick look more modern.

Still, you’ll find either for under $100 with discounts, making it more than competitive with some non-throttle options like the Turtle BeachOne Speed. It’s drastically cheaper than mid-range options like LogitechIt’s also the X56 Hotas RGB, and it’s still a great starter option given its price.

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Specifications

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Price	$99.99 / £89.99
Dimensions	10.43 x 10.39 x 9.53 inches / 265 x 264 x 242mm
Weight	5.73 lbs/2.06 kg
Compatibility	Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, PC
Buttons	14
axles	5
Accelerator	Yeah
Connection	USB-A

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Design and Features

Ideal for desktop use
Plastic feels cheap
Dust may accumulate on the base of the accelerator.

The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One was the first official flight device released for the Xbox One (a console that launched in 2013), so it has had some longevity. Still, its design looks very much of its time: it’s relatively sleek in black, with some silver accents and a striped F2 button on the stick.

Still, it is very sticky, which can cause it to creak audibly during use. Thank goodness it’s not a real plane! On the one hand, that probably kept the price down, but on the other, it feels far from premium compared to more expensive devices like Thrustmaster’s T.16000M FCS Flight Pack.

While the buttons can be remapped in your game of choice within their individual settings, as the device is a “generic” option, I’m glad to see the Xbox buttons represented here. There are so many flight sticks intended almost exclusively for PCs that it’s nice to see the face buttons here, in color, for easier recognition. There’s even the Xbox button to open the Xbox menu on the PC or console.

The rubber under the lever helps prevent dust from entering the mechanism, but the same cannot be said for the throttle, which is not protected from dust or elements underneath; If you use it regularly, that won’t be a problem. , but it’s definitely worth mentioning that it’s likely to collect dust.

The device connects via USB-A, with a detachable cable which is ideal in case someone pulls on the cable while you play. Remember the cables of the original Xbox and you will be grateful if it prevents your console or PC from falling.

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas A flight stick on a desk

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes)

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Performance

Plug and play on console and PC via USB-A
Splitting sections is easy, although cable management can be tricky
The hat change is a nice touch.

Setting up the T.Flight Hotas One couldn’t be simpler – simply connect via USB-A. While the industry is moving away from it, it’s still alive here, so keep in mind that you may need a USB-C adapter depending on your port selection.

Once connected, it just works, both on console and PC. enjoyment dangerous elite at each one, and within minutes I was rolling and plummeting with reckless abandon, whether on my desk or the couch. The stick is responsive and the Z-axis rudder can be used via the throttle rocker, which I found offers more granular control when leaning left or right.

One of my favorite parts is the hat switch, which here comes in a four-way version. This nifty input on top of the flight stick can act as a D-Pad, allowing you to do things like open the landing gear in dangerous elite with a press. It’ll be hard to go back to the mouse, keyboard, or controller, that’s for sure, but naturally, eight-way hat switches will duplicate the available commands that are just a tap away.

It’s easy to separate the stick and throttle, but the two are connected by a cable. Once you put them back together, you’ll probably want to run the cable underneath through a trench at the bottom, and in my experience, that can be tricky.

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas A flight stick on a desk

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes)

The relatively low price of entry is also noticeable in the throttle. It’s not bad, it just lacks strength, making it feel less like a piece of aerospace equipment and more like a toy. It’s hard to escape the feeling that this is where shortcuts were taken, and when you move into hyperspace in a space simulator like dangerous eliteIt seems to lack any significant reaction. It makes sense at this price, but it’s worth mentioning.

On the other hand, I will say that the trigger lever feels nice and snappy, snapping back into place in a way that feels nice and tactile while also ensuring you can line up those laser cannon shots into something like Star Wars: Squadrons and have the trigger ready to shoot again almost instantly.

I am also happy to report that the T.Flight Hotas One is ideal for Microsoft Flight Simulatorwhich was to be expected with its official brand version. The split design means you can place a keyboard in between the throttle and flight stick, which then allows for a much wider range of commands than the T.Flight Hotas One can provide due to its smaller number of buttons.

However, as I mentioned above, the plastic construction can make the stick creak a little and it’s light enough that it’s not too difficult to accidentally move it across the desk with relatively less effort.

Should you buy the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider…

Have you sold the T.Flight Hotas One yet? Here’s how it compares to two similar products.

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Row 0 – Cell 0	Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One	Turtle BeachOne Speed	Thrustmaster Viper TQS Mission Pack
Price	$99.99 / £89.99	$122.99 / £119.99	$529.99 / £449.99
Dimensions	10.43 x 10.39 x 9.53 inches / 265 x 264 x 242mm	6.46 x 8.54 x 9.07 inches / 164 x 217 x 230mm	9.1 x 11.7 x 10.2 inches / 231 x 297 x 259 mm
Weight	5.73 lbs/2.06 kg	1.81lb/821g	7.4 lbs/3.33 kg
Compatibility	Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, PC	Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, PC	personal computer
Buttons	14	27	64 (14 virtual buttons)
axles	5	8	6
Accelerator	Yeah	No	Yeah
Connection	USB-A	USB-C	USB-C

How I tested the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One

Tested for two weeks.
Used in both divided and singular unit modes
Tested in multiple games on two platforms

I spent about 15 hours playing it. dangerous elite and star wars: squadsboth on PC and through a Xbox Series.

I played each game for several hours, before switching platforms and switching again to ensure consistent performance across all games and platforms.

I also played Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC for five more hours, splitting the Hotas One and using it as a single unit to test its comfort in both configurations.

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Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One Review: A Great Flight Stick for Beginners

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: One Minute Review

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Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One Review: A Great Flight Stick for Beginners

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: One Minute Review

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