The good news is that most current flight simulator hardware will work with the upcoming, and highly anticipating, Microsoft FS 2020! Of course, they also work with existing flight sim software such as X-Plane.
We’ve reached out to our friends at Logitech / Saitek, Honeycomb, Thrustmaster, CH Products, and RealSimGear. They have all confirmed that all of their currently shipping flight sim products are compatible with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on Windows!
What will you need to get started with MS Flight Sim 2020?
At a minimum you will want either a Flight Simulator Yoke or a Flight Sim Stick.
You will use the yoke to control the attitude of the plane. When you turn the yoke side to side it controls the ailerons. Turn the yoke left, the left aileron goes up, the right aileron goes down and the airplane banks left. Turn right and you will bank right. When you push the yoke forward, the elevator goes down and the nose goes down. When you pull back, the nose goes up.
All of the yokes will have various switches and buttons that can be configured for various functions. Some Yokes will have either a built-in throttle control or separate throttle control. And, the CH Eclipse Yoke even includes a built-in rudder making it an all-in-one solution.
- Honeycomb Alpha Yoke – The newest and most realistic of the yokes. Does not include a throttle.
- Logitech Saitek Flight Yoke and Throttle – The most popular and widely used yoke on the market. Includes a separate throttle quadrant.
- CH Product Yoke – A great value priced yoke with a built-in throttle.
- CH Eclipse Yoke, Throttle and Rudder – One piece of hardware to control just bout everything.
Flight Simulator Flight Sticks and HOTAS
Flight sticks work in a similar way. Push left and right to make the plane bank left or right or push/pull the stick to make the nose go up or down. Side-sticks and center-sticks are better for making rapid control inputs which makes them more likely to be used in military, sport, and aerobatic aircraft. The latest Airbus passenger jets use a side-stick too and Thrustmaster makes a realistic Airbus Edition for Flight Sims.
Flight Sticks are generally the least expensive way to jump into flight simulators. Many of them are priced well under $100 and some even come with a throttle in a configuration known as HOTAS (Hands On Throttle And Stick). A HOTAS gives you access to all of the primary cockpit functions without having to remove your hands from the stick and throttle.
For most people, rudders will be the next part of a home flight simulator package. You can choose between Logitech Saitek Rudders, CH Products Rudders, or the Thrustmaster Rudders. Most software packages have an option to automatically control the rudders, but having them gives a much more realistic experience.
After you have a yoke or stick, throttle, and rudders you can start adding additional accessories like radio panels, switch panels, instruments or more.
We’re excited by the amount of interest and enthusiasm being shown for the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Are you an existing real world pilot getting into simming? Are you a new to flight simulators and interested in becoming a real work pilot? Let us know in the comments below!