The T.Flight Hotas One is an officially licenced joystick for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S which has definitely raised more interest among the Xbox community since the launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X|S. The T.Flight Hotas One is also compatible with Windows machines although this review will focus on the design and practicality for use on Xbox consoles. Is this the perfect accompaniment for journeys across the skies? Read on to find out.
There is nothing quite like playing a video game the way that developers would want players to experience their masterpiece, one which can definitely be improved by the control input. Modern day controllers have a lot of technology residing in them from haptic feedback and gyro sensors but will always still struggle to replicate the feel of a steering wheel or a flight stick. Thrustmaster are no strangers to this quandary, their long-term expertise has helped craft some of the best flight sticks seen in the industry, with a large portfolio of accessories and peripherals for the last 30 years. Right out of the box the T.Flight Hotas One oozes in build quality, while feeling sturdy, rigid and solid.
The device comes in two parts, the joystick and the throttle, which can be used disconnected from one another, or joined together by using the supplied Allen key. The unit has a 2.5 metre USB cable which can be easily plugged into any of the many USB ports on the Xbox Series X|S, no installation required, just plug and play. Pieced together the flight stick and throttle is well weighted and can be placed on a desk, or alternatively it can be surprisingly comfortable to rest it on the lap.
The Flight stick itself is incredibly well built, offering multiple levels of resistance which can be adjusted from the underside of the unit. Controlling the pitch and rolling is achieved by moving the joystick back and forth or side to side respectively and twisting the rudder for the yaw. Immediately upon handling the joystick it feels natural. The twist for the yaw feels incredibly satisfying, offering that level of resistance that makes it feel like an incredibly authentic experience. There are four buttons on the joystick itself, featuring a rapid-fire trigger and a multidirectional hat switch. The only non-intuitive button during playthroughs was the B1 button, which is placed at the top end of the back of the joystick. When the action got hot in games like Star Wars Squadrons it was difficult to locate or react fast enough to this button, although this might be due to a personal issue: left-handedness. Hand precarities aside, the base of the joystick features a sizeable hand rest, ergonomically designed to help increase the comfort for longer play sessions.
Aside from the joystick, the throttle is the other main focus point with 8 buttons and a throttle mechanism. The throttle goes back and forth, as any throttle would, but offers very little resistance, which is a little bit of a shame considering the resistance offerings on the joystick. There are four buttons on the front, replicating the A/B/X/Y buttons from the Xbox controller, albeit in a peculiar layout, with the Y button offset from the rest. It is easy enough to rest a thumb on the A button and then easily manoeuvre it to the X or B buttons, but the Y button is far less easy to reach. In one way it has been understandably placed away from the three other buttons to avoid being accidently pressed by the palm of the left hand, but it is also quite difficult to reach in the position it is in. The buttons and the paddle on the back are easy enough to reach, although, as with all new controllers, it can be hard to know which button is which, even more so when they are out of sight during gameplay. After getting familiar with the game of choice these buttons do become second nature to play with.
The T.Flight Hotas One is an entry level flight stick, but it offers great quality for the price point. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many games that flight sticks are compatible with, so purchasing a flight stick has to be more of a concerted choice, although the chances are that anyone reading this review most likely would have already made that decision. Aside from the aforementioned Microsoft Flight Simulator and Star Wars: Squadrons, the most notable titles are Ace Combat 6 Fires of Liberation, Ace Combat 7 – Skies Unknown and the Elite Dangerous series. Each of them is a great game in its own right, although there is a more complete list on the Thrustmaster support site. For a complete experience, the T.Flight Hotas One has a port available for an add on rudder system, which would aptly control the rudder and brakes with your feet, just like in a real aircraft.
