Video game flight is having a moment. Maybe being stuck inside due to the COVID-19 pandemic opened everyone’s eyes to the joys of exploring the world from the skies. Microsoft Flight Simulator surprised us all with its blend of depth and accessibility, on PC as well as on the new Xbox Series X and Series S consoles. Whether it’s flying over real-world locations or contending with real-time weather patterns, this love letter to aviation is positively poetic.
Normal video game controls are already tricky enough, whether you’re using a gamepad or a keyboard and mouse. However, flight controls truly challenge you to take your technical skills to the next level. For that extra layer of accuracy when flying video game planes, for yaw control like you’ve never seen, you’ll need a flight stick (not to be confused with a fight stick).
Thanks to the release of the biggest flight sim in years, this niche hardware may tough to find. If you can’t get your mitts on a full hands on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) setup, you may need to settle for something like a vertical mouse or another joystick alternative. However, if you do spot a gaming flight stick, these are the ones we suggest you snatch up before take off.
These sticks are also good for more than just fun but dry flight sims. If aerial combat is more your thing, Ace Combat 7 resurrected that franchise after a decade-long hiatus. Meanwhile, Star Wars Squadrons delivers a next-gen upgrade to the classic sci-fi fantasy of piloting X-Wings and TIE Fighters. Here are the best flight sticks for Microsoft Flight Simulator and other flight-based video games.
