Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog (Windows)

I am extremely unhappy with the TM Warthog. There is no way to correct the flawed design of the gimbal. This gimbal design is similar to an analog thumbstick (i. e. A flight control system would be more like an Xbox controller or PS controller) rather than a PC-determined flight controller. It is just a matter of being picky. The overall design and build quality are abhorrent.


What cannot be denied is that the build quality is abhorrent. As a V&E specialist, I have many years of experience My expertise is the V engine, so this is exactly what I would do. The gimbal mechanism was injection molded and was This material does not have a smooth surface and has a feature called a It is the material that proceeds to flow out of the cavity where the mold halves come together. In some cases, this can lead to what has been dubbed "Stiction". You can find it on Google. Throttle levers are extremely flimsy, and they are made of plastic with a thin metal veneer covering them. due to the steel ballast attached to the top side of the bottom cover plate, the throttle weighs nearly 10 pounds. On the throttle and stick, the switches are of the lowest quality possible. There are very few membrane switches that don't frequently malfunction open or closed, but buttons are. In my opinion, analog potentiometers are better than TM's "H". The cost of putting anything resembling a button or switch in the throttle would be acceptable if hall sensors were installed. There are stickied posts on a number of flight simulator forums that reveal how many TM customers have experienced total throttle failures because of main boards that were defective. Despite following TM's silly instructions to plug in the throttle after the PC boots up, my throttle is now on the list. The problem is unique to USB devices. Why do other devices not exhibit the same problem? Even though the flaw of this device is widely known, Thrustmaster continues to manufacture it regardless, offering to sell you a replacement for $60 when the failure occurs immediately. Should you be lucky enough to have it fail within your warranty period, they will still send you a replacement board, but you will need to do it You should look at all the forum posts you can find about customers who have had problems with switches. If you see a 5 star review, take it with a HUGE grain of salt. Initially you might be pleased with this HOTAS, but eventually, you'll encounter problems with its switches and buttons. Two years after installation of the throttle main board, the board will likely fail.

Rory Mitchell

| Dec 11, 2020

There is no better value on the market. The Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog stick and throttle have been in my possession for over a year, but I have purposely deferred my review because First and foremost, I was careful not to get a bad deal on the product as this happens sometimes with products like this. As a second reason, I didn't want to do a 'honeymoon phase' review in which I sing its praises without fully grasping I have a year's worth of experience, and here is what I would like to suggest In a nutshell The best buy of the year. It's just a matter of buying You will not regret spending the money. The rest of this article will fill you in on more details. In no way was this an impulse buy on my part I deliberated long and hard between this and the Saitek X55, which was only a few months old at the time. A comparison to the cheaper X55, however, was not as promising and it was also rumored that it had serious quality control issues. (Unfortunately, its successor, the X56, appears to be suffering the same fate. ) This is what it came down to Are you willing to spend $200 on a $50 piece of junk that may not last more than a few years, or are you willing to spend twice as much on a product that will- In the event I do not suffer the wrath of a "bum steer" A Warthog is probably a one-time investment that will probably last a lifetime? I took the plunge on this purchase and I am pleased to report that The Thrustmaster HOTAS is your only viable option for a premium joystick and throttle, unless you have deep pockets to get into GoFlight or Yoko The Yoke territory, and until Saitek gets its act together and stops building mediocre junk.

This is the first controller I've ever had that feels so precise and smooth. I concur with other reviews that the stick has a more 'heavy duty' feel than the throttles, but the throttles did not suffer from any reduction in quality. In addition to having no 'play' or 'mushy' feel they have the longest throw out of any throttle I've ever owned, making precise adjustments (absolutely vital when flying the Majestic Q400 on final) faster, easier, and less tiring. As a matter of fact, I was only able to tame the Q400 when I purchased the Warthog. In my opinion, the handles on the throttles are not quite as stiff as the switches on the throttle base, but I would be willing to wager that this was done to reduce torsion on the throttles and make them easier to control with single fingers. My old controller (Saitek X52) had plasticky switches, but those feel much better. Additionally, I will agree with other reviewers that the firm spring on the stick takes some getting used to, but over the course of a few months, I have become less sensitive to it Once you get in, it will not be quite so stiff and your arm will have gained enough strength to operate it without feeling fatigued. Having used a lightweight stick that provides similar levels of precision and control to the one I use, I can't see myself going back to a flimsy one again. Would have liked to have the stick rubberized - Instead, it is hard and rather slippery, which makes it a bit more difficult for me to grasp. The stick is only able to control the X and Y axes - there is no twist for Seeing Saitek hold my interest arose from this fundamental difference, but I have since changed my mind and no longer see 'twist' sticks as positive. As a result, now I use the rightmost slider on the rudder for rudder control, which took some getting used to, but is now second nature (due to mobility issues, foot controllers aren't an option for me). I will conclude with two last observations If you plan to use this with FSX, I would suggest getting FSUIPC and LINDA, which take 90% of the hassle out of configuring this beast. I also purchased a Logitech G13 gaming controller and moved all my EZCA views onto it. As a result, the hats and switches can be programmed to work as their hands should I am - It's almost impossible to fly when using a stick (and almost completely off the mouse). As a whole, the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog has exceeded even my wildest expectations in every aspect. The purchase I made a year ago is perfect and I have no regrets at all. Although I rarely consider expenditures on entertainment products an investment, I would gladly in this case consider it a wise investment. I feel that its quality is worth the price. It has upgraded my enjoyment of flight simulation, and it shows no sign of 'going bad' or wear and tear. As a matter of fact, its owner is unlikely to outlive it.

Richard Burton

| Sep 05, 2020