What’s the finest PC joystick? Selecting a joystick may be less complicated than you assume with solely a handful of key standards to think about, and only some corporations even nonetheless making devoted flight sticks. Whether or not you are after a single persist with get began in air fight video games or desire a full area sim expertise, we have got a joystick for you.
The very best joystick general is the Turtle Seashore VelocityOne Flight Deck, which brings a large number of capabilities to your fingers with its HOTAS controls. For these with much less to spend, the perfect finances joystick is the Logitech G Excessive 3D Professional, which is unbelievable worth at beneath $35. In the meantime, the perfect area sim joystick is the Thrustmaster Sol-R2 HOSAS. For extra choices, try the listing beneath. Plus, make sure you learn the how to decide on and FAQ sections should you in want of some steerage on what to search for in a flight stick. In the meantime, should you’re after a battle stick joystick, quite than a flight stick, try our greatest flight stick information.
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Finest PC joysticks in 2025:
Logitech G Excessive 3D Professional Joystick
Finest finances PC Joystick
| Buttons | 12 |
| Connection | USB |
| Throttle | Sure |
| Weight | 2.7lbs / 1.2kg |
- Excellent worth for cash
- Surprisingly strong construct high quality
- Throttle management
- Simplistic software program
- Not ambidextrous
- No devoted rudder management
Typically we simply need to hop in a Boeing 747, flip down the realism of the flight mannequin, and simply benefit from the view. If you happen to fall into this class then the Logitech G Excessive 3D Professional Joystick presents all the pieces you might want to have an excellent informal expertise, which is why it earns our choose as the perfect finances standalone PC joystick.
With 12 customizable buttons, together with an 8-way HAT swap, you will discover loads of choices on your controls so long as you are not planning on diving into DCS and beginning up an Apache gunship.
The built-in throttle is all you want for flying about in video games corresponding to Microsoft Flight Simulator in its simpler settings or Battlefield and the extent of management shall be much better than a mouse and keyboard or gamepad. Z-axis enjoyers are nicely catered for right here too as you may twist the joystick with reckless abandon for rudder controls for correct flying.
At an MSRP of $39.99 (£44.98), it is exhausting to fault it, however it will be good to have some additional buttons or for it to be extra ambidextrous or have various fashions in order that lefties aren’t neglected. The joystick is often discounted too – making this selection extra attractive regardless of its few setbacks.
Learn our full Logitech Excessive 3D Professional evaluation.
Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One
Finest finances HOTAS PC joystick
| Buttons | 15 |
| Connection | USB |
| Throttle | Included |
| Weight | 4.5lbs / 2kg |
- Respectable value
- Particularly nice for in-game flight
- Ergonomically designed
- Y button placement a bit off
- May use extra buttons
- Cable may very well be longer
Whereas it won’t be fairly as a lot of a marvel because the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog listed above, that is nonetheless a top-notch joystick. It’s each comfy and ergonomic and is not any much less able to enhancing all of your favourite flight simulators.
It has a good array of 15 buttons that you may remap as you please (though it’s a bit fiddly), with adjustable rigidity ranges that allow you to get it simply the way in which you prefer it. We want the Y button was barely higher positioned, however apart from that, all of it felt very nicely designed.
It is a huge piece of {hardware}, for certain, however should you’ve acquired the true property, it stands to be a improbable addition to your setup. If you happen to additionally get pleasure from gaming through Xbox, you will even be happy to listen to it presents cross-compatibility with each Xbox and PC. You would possibly discover extra buttons, or customization choices on the pricier choices, however for the price, that is fairly improbable.
Learn our Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One evaluation.
How to decide on the perfect PC joystick
Grabbing the perfect joystick for PC completely relies on what video games you wish to play. Like actual planes, the controls are wildly totally different and the costs may be equally wild. A devoted throttle helps should you’re critical in regards to the flight sim scene, which is why a few of our premium alternatives embody them. Some items, just like the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X, embody a throttle at a really cheap value.
If you happen to play fight sims, go for one thing a bit extra concerned such because the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog which options many buttons, hats (a multi-directional swap), a devoted throttle, and bombproof building whereas should you’re extra of an informal person you might be nicely served by the budget-friendly Turtle Seashore VelocityOne.
Thrustmaster’s T-Flight HOTAS One is good should you’re cruising among the many stars, whereas its TCA Officer Pack Airbus Version caters extra to simulators. Logitech’s G X56 strikes an excellent middle-ground, nevertheless, and may swimsuit most players eager to take flight.
If you happen to’re a sim veteran however have not tried your hand at dogfighting but, or vice versa, then it could be price subscribing to Microsoft’s Xbox Recreation Cross for PC, the place you will be capable to entry a number of flight sims in a single bundle.
After all, you won’t be into flight simulators in any respect. You too can get joysticks just like the 8BitDo Arcade Stick, particularly designed for arcade video games (particularly combating video games). It would be fairly cumbersome with most flying video games, however should you love retro fighters which are all about these fast button combos, it is night time and day.
Joystick FAQs
Do I want a joystick for Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Microsoft Flight Simulator would not require the usage of a joystick, with the perfect PC controllers making for an excellent various, however they do vastly improve the expertise. A joystick merely seems like a extra pure and true to life technique to work together with a aircraft. What’s extra, the sheer complexity of some controls and capabilities means it may be loads simpler to make use of the devoted capabilities on a joystick than keep in mind all the handfuls of keyboard binds or controller buttons mixtures wanted to totally take cost of a fancy plane.
What joysticks are suitable with Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Microsoft Flight Simulator has extremely extensive assist for many joysticks – it is the one largest sport of its style so producers need to guarantee their gear works nicely with the sport. The Microsoft Flight Simulator improvement workforce maintains an inventory of suitable controllers on its web site, which you’ll find right here.
What does HOTAS imply?
HOTAS is an acronym for “Fingers-On Throttle And Stick,” and it primarily describes a joystick setup the place you’ve a devoted second throttle controller in addition to a joystick. So, each your arms are totally occupied being on a throttle and stick.
What’s a Hat swap?
A hat swap is a multi-directional button just like a d-pad on a controller. Nevertheless, they have an inclination to have a sharp, conical form like a hat. They’re usually located on the highest of a joystick and are sometimes used to manage the participant’s view – except you are utilizing a VR headset – however can be utilized for different capabilities too.
Do I want a separate throttle management?
Exact throttle management is a key part of any flight or area sim, with all however essentially the most finances joysticks together with some type of throttle management. The important thing issue is that, like your joystick motion, a throttle management must be analog, so many controls provide sliders of some type. As an illustration, the Logitech G Excessive 3D Professional Joystick has a easy rotating throttle dial simply in entrance of the primary joystick.
Nevertheless, for extra exact management and immersive really feel, a devoted throttle management is a serious improve. Joysticks with separate throttle controls are identified HOTAS programs and in addition to providing a bigger, extra exact devoted throttle management, these programs usually embody two throttle controls for controlling left and proper engines, plus they have an inclination to host many extra devoted buttons and switches, enabling you to carry much more controls to your fingertips. Our greatest joystick general, the Turtle Seashore VelocityOne Flight Deck is a HOTAS management.
What number of buttons do I want?
True flight sim video games can demand dozens of controls to be interacted with to actually simulate what it is like to manage are plane. From turning on gasoline pumps to altering flaps and naturally firing your weapons, you solely have to take a look at photos of the within of a cockpit to understand how complicated planes may be.
To this finish, many greater finish joysticks embody a great deal of additional buttons and controls. A few of the most essential to look out for are additional throttle controls, HAT swap for controlling your standpoint, and every other additional analog dials for setting controls corresponding to flaps to a number of settings. Nevertheless, remember that many controls can nonetheless be enabled through a keyboard, it is simply {that a} joystick could make them faster and simpler to search out and make for a extra immersive really feel.
What joystick do you want for an area sport/sim?
If you happen to’re taking part in a sport that entails motion in area, quite than in air and with gravity, the important thing additional characteristic you want for a joystick is a Z-axis management. This will both come within the type of a wholly separate second stick, such because the Thrustmaster T.16000M duo or Thrustmaster Sol-R 2 HOSAS House Sim Duo, or as a single joystick with the power to not simply tilt again/ahead and left/proper however twist as nicely. That is why the Logitech G Excessive 3D Professional Joystick is our favourite finances joystick because it presents this additional perform regardless of costing so little.
What’s the perfect controller for flight sims?
If you happen to aren’t able to put money into a devoted flight stick simply but, you might need to think about a high quality controller as a substitute. Our listing of the perfect PC controllers has a bunch of nice choices, however a few of our high picks can be these with swappable thumbsticks that enable for including taller, extra exact sticks, corresponding to on the Scuf Valor Professional. We might additionally advocate looking for out a Corridor Impact controller, as this kind of thumbstick tech eliminates stick drift. Controllers from as low-cost as $30, such because the EasySMX X05 provide this characteristic.
Who makes the perfect joysticks?
There are solely a handful of producers that also make flight sticks, with the massive three being Logitech, Thrustmaster, and Turtle Seashore. Additionally look out for Honeycomb and VKB choices. Any merchandise by these corporations shall be dependable however there’s appreciable variation between their least expensive and costliest choices, so all of it relies upon what options are a precedence for you.
Do joysticks put on out?
Sadly, so. Like all {hardware}, they are often broken by steady use. If you happen to use the identical joystick for years and years, you might discover that it turns into much less responsive, or that it often misses inputs. Chances are you’ll have the option restore sure joysticks however discovering spare components may be tough plus, should you’re paying another person to do the restore, as with most issues in life, it solely makes financial sense should you’re repairing an already costly merchandise. You probably have a comparatively finances joystick, it’s going to in all probability be cheaper to simply purchase a brand new one.
Are taller joysticks higher?
Sometimes, you will get the next stage of accuracy when utilizing a taller joystick. Moreover, you might discover that the taller choices are extra comfy to make use of, particularly should you’re an individual with massive arms. After all, the shorter ones nonetheless have their advantages, however should you like aggressive gaming specifically, taller ones could also be higher.
Why is my joystick drifting?
You probably have a joystick that is began to float, there are a number of potential causes. It may very well be that the joystick has grow to be broken by way of extreme use, and it may be that filth is trapped inside it. If you happen to really feel comfy doing so, you possibly can take it aside and clear the inside. Nevertheless, as opening it like it will void the guarantee, it is in all probability finest to keep away from this except you are very assured with {hardware} upkeep or know it is already out of guarantee.
For extra product suggestions on enhancing your setup, learn our guides on the perfect PC steering wheels and the perfect racing sim cockpit. They have some nice solutions for followers of racing video games.
