APEX Gaming PCs: apexgamingpcs.com/products/growling-sidewinder Use Code "Growling" at checkout for 10% off ALL ED Modules (does not include preorder products) Hope you guys enjoyed the video and found it helpful to get started on your journey into DCS, can't wait to see you guys flying over the virtual skies of DCS soon, if there were any questions I missed please comment them below I will attempt to answer them to the best of my ability, thank you watching.

Just a note: When GS says “a few days” in regards to learning an aircraft, he means a few days in hours. An hour session for 4 days won’t get you anywhere. 2 days worth of *play time* (48 hours), is more of a realistic expectation.

I recently got FC3, have around 50 hours in so far, great fun, I love the F-15C. Watching your videos has been the inspiration to get into DCS.

Can't thank you enough for this content. As a beginner this is invaluable. Coming across your sight inspired me to give DCS a try. PS; you and Longshot throwing those python missiles around like the three stooges in a pie fight almost made me blow hot coffee through my nose. Keep up the good work.

About 2 years ago this channel randomly came across my youtube feed. 2 years later, I think I've spent close to 5 grand between my computer, hotas, and aircraft. I don't regret a single penny

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS. I am a former aviator (commercial) who wants to try my hand at DCS but I didn't have a clue where to start.

Growling has always been helpful, I asked him multiple times about the F-16 and he responded just in minutes,Great !

6:09 One thing I found very useful and one that is unique to DCS compared to IL-2 and others, is the ability to assign custom modifiers. This means you are not limited to the usual shift, ctrl, alt, etc. on your keyboard to make more bindings (e.g. 'G' to raise gear and 'SHIFT + G' to lower it,) but you can use buttons on your (cheap) HOTAS as well. I have now assigned the trigger on my T.16000 joystick to be a modifier. This allows me to use ALL other buttons on my HOTAS a second time. You still need to develop muscle memory, but this way is so much more natural and easier than having to remember which 'ALT' key to push together with which letter. You can make more intuitive flows around button groupings for certain systems. This is especially true when you play birds without fully clickable cockpits like the FC3 modules.

First off, you always have some of the most brilliant content to watch, hours and hours of entertainment to enjoy. Secondly, thanks for putting this out, I myself am a space simmer but have wanted to dive into DCS for a very long time with the only thing currently holding me back being getting a throttle and rudder pedals since I run dual sticks for space games. Keep up the fantastic work!

For any beginners out there wondering on the broad ranges of HOTAs, I have a T Flight HOTAS 4 which is maybe $125 to $175 depending on where you get it. I've had it for nearly two years and my experience is great! Also got the rudder pedals that are made by Thrustmaster to connect directly with the HOTAS system. If you want reasonable prices but a true HOTAS and pedal combo, I say go for that one.

step 1: be rich

As a long-time DCS guy (original KA-50 on DVD) I will say you have covered things very well. I would add that if you are asking TrackIR vs VR, also think about motion sickness. If you're prone to easy motion sickness like myself, VR might not be the best option in DCS. TrackIR is very much a legitimate option for keeping eyes-on the enemy when set up right. I've never had any trace of motion sickness from TrackIR due to the constant grounding in space provided by 2D. At worst, learning to keep your head stable long enough for fine clicks on buttons can cause a stiff-neck at first. On the other hand, some of the guys I know like to get a new VR guy in the RIO seat and take them up for flat-spin recovery practice. No really, they're great guys. :D

Great stuff, GS! Thank you. The most frustrating part of DCS for me has been the in-game F-18 tutorial. But your videos make me want to put in the time.

Hey man, I have been loving the content recently. I used to play DCS but my PC is now not really good enough and my X 52 hotas broke. I loved flying the F15C and the SU25. Gonna be a while until I can afford to get back on the game so keep making awesome content to keep my itch well and truly scratched.

Trackir was the biggest game changer for me. It's invaluable. Then again I never tried it without at least a very cheap HOTAS (Thrustmaster 4). Now I just have a relatively cheap x52 for extra buttons to bind.

This answered A LOT thank you for this vid it’s short, to the point, and just what I needed

Great review! Thanks for the discount code and your contribution to the community!

is it posibly a coincidence that I started on the day this video came out? you chanel is a gold mine of info man thanks for teaching me in the 6 days ive been playing because of you im able to fire radar guided missiles and simple bfm / bvr tactics. Ive since gain a basic understanding of my SU33 once again thanks alot...

FC3 was an excellent suggestion - there's hundreds of hours worth of fun to be had, and it also serves to get you over the hump of DCS's quirks. So by the time you're ready for a full-fidelity module, the only thing you'll be learning is the module.

Saw this vid when it released, i joined the discord and watched from a distance before jumping in as its a huge commitment to make. Few days again bought a H.O.T.A.S X52 Pro soon found out my PC needs some upgrades. If anyone reads this and wants to get into DCS I'd say yes. I just wish i wasnt so Idle for so long. Fly high Pilots! ✈️👌

I literally just got the game because of your channel. Perfect timing.

Hey man, iv been recovering from sugary recently and your videos have helped. Thank you : )

I’m reasonably new to DCS and fully endorse GS’s recommendations. I started with the exact HOTAS in the video, T16000M, because it was a very good price and has great functionality (especially the throttle). It wasn’t long before I committed to DCS and dove in to a Warthog HOTAS and WinWing panels; do this when you know you’re going to stick with it as it’s expensive, but it is very, very worth it. Especially for the stick - once you get more used to aircraft and combat systems you go looking for more hat switches… The only recommendation I’d differ on is head tracking - not because you don’t need it, I agree that for a decent experience you do need it - just that TrackIR isn’t the only option. TrackIR is a plug-and-play solution but it’s extremely expensive for what it is. The alternative is to get a PS3 Eye Toy camera and do the IR/visible light filter mod (it’s fairly easy, just follow a tutorial here on KZfaq), download the freeware driver and head tracking software, and get a cheaper head mounted device like a Delanclip or Trackhat (or make one if you can find the right IR emitters and can be bothered). I have the PS3 camera and a Delanclip, it was all pretty easy, works flawlessly, and cost me about 1/5th that of a TrackIR system. I have then proceeded to go batshit crazy on my simpit with DDIs, UFC, button panels, etc. It’s too much fun, especially when you can cold start a jet without touching the mouse or keyboard. Look for jeremy_thegoose on Insta for my setup.

It takes "PRACTICE" That's why it ROCKS!

Just want to say that for the ultra cheap-o head tracking option, I have used a webcam with aitrack+opentrack for a year before I upgraded to vr and it wasn’t terrible. Takes some tunings and can be buggy at times but if you are waiting to invest in something better it can definitely fill that gap.

Perfect timing, literally just got to sit down for the first time in a year to actually put some time in the seat. Giving the F-14 a try, so we'll see how it goes..

I was literally just about to download DCS when I saw this in my subscription tab. Thanks bro

this youtube channel has ben my #1 for dcs world tips and watching video on dcs world i know there are alot of channels out there... maybe its becuz this is the first-ever video channel I've seen of DCS world and im so glad i did I've ben playing dcs world for about 2 1/2 years and fell in love to bad im almost 25 years old wish i would have found this sim when i was 16 lol anyway thanks for the grate videos

The thing about being passionate for the aircraft is absolutely true, I was on the fence between the MiG-21 and the Mirage being my first module. I really really loved the MiG, it was the jet aircraft that got me *into* jet aircraft, but I was convinced to get the Mirage over the MiG as a first timer and ended up not enjoying my time. The trial license system came out for DCS months later and as soon as I got a chance to get into the air with the MiG-21I was in love and having so much fun. Despite now owning and enjoying the JF-17 today I still fly the MiG-21 regularly and have gotten a passion for flying the JF-17 as well.

You should always use the free trial before committing to a purchase. You can trial any aircraft or map module for 2 weeks. The trials even refresh after 6 months.

As someone in the long sign up process for the USAF Academy, looking to start dcs as a hobby looks fun af.

Great advice, Growling Sidewinder. Honest and straight to the point. One thing to remember is that this hobby tend to get expensive. Soon you start getting better GPU/PC, HOTAS, table mounts, rudder, monitor and maybe VR + many modules and maps 😂😂. DCS is addicting, fun and rewarding!

I just downloaded DCS because of you. I can’t wait to play it!

Hey, good video, i agree on basically everything you stated. I would also add that you can test fly every module (individually) for 14 days every 6 months (if i am not mistaken). So before bying anything you can see for yourself what you can expect, and also gain some experience for free if buying a module is not feasable for you right now.

Nice video! You forgot the trial licenses tho this can also give you an idea if your PC can handle the game and I mean 14 days of free Hornet flying is good fun.

Good to here about the F-18C. I was a AT in VFA-82 in 1995-96. Lot 10 and Lot 18. Also spent some time on VFA-204 A models.

DCS has by far the absolute greatest helicopter simulation in the market, so if youre a rotary wing guy and dont care so much about fixed wing, DCS is still the place to be.

Man, just bought my first full fidelity module (f16). When I had seen your video first. Was initially leaning towards the hornet, but everything I saw said the viper was better for dogfights.

I downloaded DCS on my old PC running Win 7. I think I only had 8MB ram, and don't even remember the CPU. DCS wouldn't even load the home screen. So I bought a decent mid tier system, and after about 5 minutes in the free SU-25, I bought the FC3 pack. I loved it at first, especially the F-15, but I've had first hand experiences with the F/A-18 and it was only a couple days before I purchased that module. To this day it is still my favorite to fly. Like you said, if you're passionate about a module, that's the one you should get!

OUTSTANDING! I've been on the fence about this for over a year! Ever since MS announced that Windows 7 would not be supported anymore and at the time, they said Windows 10 and FSX wouldn't mix, I was forced to leave my favorite flight-sim platform; (FSX if I wasn't clear). I've since built another PC from the ground up in preparation for installing MSFS and after giving MSFS the very best try I could for over 4 months, (including spending $$$ for 3rd party addons), I found MSFS to fall far short of the FSX platform that I had been flying for well over 9 years. Last night, I decided to 'abandon ship' and will retire MSFS as carefully as I can, including the 1TB NVMe drive that was dedicated to the MSFS installation. I plan to o a complete removal of the software so that I don't have any of it running in the background. From what I've read a few months ago, FSX can run on Windows 10 and I still have the 3-disc installation set. But rather than going right back to FSX, (which is not a shooting sim), I thought I'd look at DCS again. One of the things I really didn't like about MSFS (and have never gotten used to) was the required installations of XBox and Gaming Services. I'm not a 'gamer' and don't need all that stuff but MSFS wanted it, so... I bought the MSFFS Premium and felt I should be able to run it w/o all that other software, but that wasn't the case. I know that it may be very likely that DCS will require the same superfluous software (i.e. Xbox and Gaming Services), and I'm prepared for that if it's as good as it appears. But if there's a way to fly DCS w/o the XBox & GS installations I would be elated. Well thanks again for the great information and now I need to look into those few details and figure out what I'm going to do. I'm entirely covered on all the other points, (the PC, HOTAS, Trackir, etc.), and you've made it clear to me as to which DCS version I feel I should go with. So, I need to get busy! Rich

Thank u so mutch for helping to grow up this community

Got a pc and HOTAS, and vr optimization is in progress. Absolutely awesome experience. Got the hornet and tomcat as my main modules, but I’ve got a lot to learn still!

Great guide, recommended to some FC friend in FFXIV who want to get into DCS, that being said my foremost recommendation is always look at manual, get the plane off ground by trying different button or die trying, then die by 1000+ different way. Dying is much more efficient of a teacher than watching guides.

bruh i literally decided to start playing DCS yesterday, and i'm just now watching this today. how the universe provides! or in this case, GS.

You didn't mention the free 2 weeks trial for all modules! One of the best new features in DCS

When deciding on trackIR and VR I highly recommend finding someone that has a VR headset and trying it first because I have had friends that just cant use them do to nausea and eye strain. I use a riftS and a 3060 laptop GPU and get great performance on multi and singleplayer mission and cant recommend it highly enough.

I got the f14 recently, dont regret it one bit, i love being my friends RIO, im still trying to learn, but highly recommend the f14, as well as the f15c

This is the first ever Growling Sidewinder video I've watched and Jesus that couple of seconds intro audio gave me the chills.

This is fantastic mate. I just installed DCS for the first time. I've got Logitech 3D Extreme pro joystick. Is it okay for people like me who got into DCS first time?

GS, awesome breakdown man. I bought the T. 16000M w/ pedals back before the new year with the exact intentions of getting into DCS. I do have a quick question and does it matter playing the game through STEAM versus downloading it and paying for the modules through EC? This is my main question as I was introduced to the game on STEAM originally. You were the one who rekindled my love for flight sims. Keep rocking the awesome videos!

Observed your channel a few times in the past, and more recently, once again I got bit by my Combat Aircraft bug, and I subbed to your channel because you have some amazing videos! Thank you for this video in particular because I just got a nice gaming laptop and I've been itching for something far more realistic than Ace Combat, lol.

What a co-incidence. I was actually thinking of requesting u tomorrow to upload a tutorial for beginners. Thanks bro

Thank you for all you do for us on DCS. You've been a big help to me, and I am asking for just a little help with VR if possible. I run quest 2...it's amazing..I get 90fps on virtually every aircraft and map...went for the Pimax 5k super. Loaded up openxr to bypass steamvr, I'm only getting at best 40fps. I have a beast of a system... I5-12600 ASUS ROG Z690 64gb RAM 4x 2tb M2 RTX 3060

Are there any cheaper alternatives to head tracking thank track IR that you would reccomend? Or should I wait and save for Track IR? Great video as always and at a perfect time! I was just watching some reviews on modules as this came out

I got into DCS in December of 2021 so here's my advice. I got the free verson to try it out, test my pc, etc. Then, I waited until black Friday where the modules are up to 75% off and HOTAS systems are cheap. I got my Thrustmaster T16000M with the matching throttle and rudder pedals for just $170! I bought the F-16 viper as my first module because it's a highly capable, high-fidelity aircraft. For my headtracking I use a trackIR alternative by grassmonkey simulations and I got it for $70 and it works just as well and it can be used for all flight simulators.

There is no going back for me now after playing DCS in VR. None. Nadda. I do not remotely care that I have to lower my graphics settings. And I've used DCS VR for literal years now. You are in the fighter. You are there. I can't live without the true depth perception you get with VR. Especially in helicopters. And the experience even after years never stops blowing my mind.

Thank you for the guide. Got my friend into playing DCS, gonna probably send this to him later. However I still have a question, do you use any shaders or filters while playing and what graphic settings would you recommend to turn up to "increase" situational awareness? My problem is that most of the time I see people flying a few miles away from me on the radar/datalink but cant find them visually.

Thanks GS for all of the interesting and instructive content on this combat flight simulator and IL2. I especially appreciate your comparison of track IR vs VR on DCS. One question: do you think that there are any high-end laptops coming out that could handle DCS acceptably well? I realize, of course, that a laptop will not perform as well as a high-end desktop but I was hoping that I might be able to get away with only having to turn down the realism settings slightly on the laptop. One other question, sorry, do you think rudder pedals are a high priority hardware item? Thanks again.

Thank you very much for this. It somewhat lowered the barrier for me to join the DCS community

Tip for beginners: if your hotas hasnt got enough buttons just get an xbox controller aswell and bind it to things you want on your hotas but cant bind. I started playing dcs with the a10-c module back in 1.5, I had a saitek fly 5 stick and an xbox controller and have some great memories of starting out and learning alongside some people from a community I reached out to once Id learned the very basics of the plane. The xbox thing isnt ideal, but its easier to press a button or move a stick than it is to remember that alt+ctrl+j,k,l,i = tdc slew or whatever when your hotas hasnt got the buttons you need.

I'm so poor

woah im early!

Thanks, I didn’t know about this but I’ve installed it thanks to you’re help

Personally cannot wait for this video series. I have both F18 and F16 as a newbie and the f16 is a PAIN to land and a newbie 😆

I'm actually super thankful for this video, I've been wanting to get into DCS for the longest time and dive into an su-27 or 35, I love flankers and dcs seems to be the only game that does them justice, and hearing that the su-27 is an fc3 module eases my heart a little. also I'm really glad they allow monthly payments

perfect ! i just installed DCS on my rizen9 mini pc to see how it would run and it seems i can get a verry playable experience at 1080p without over taxing it's cooling capacity. the lower fidelity flaming cliff pack seems ideal in that respect so all i need is a mid range HOTAS and I'm set for a nice consistent learning curve. great video man i think i have a path to approach it.

Can you fly the Panavia Tornado in DCS? That's the jet I learned to fly in. By which, of course, I mean that it was the jet used in the air combat sim that I first learned to use, way back in the early 90s. I had to learn how to fly the plane, how to arm it and how to use different weapons (properly), all without a manual. I lost my copy and back in '93 when you lost your manual, you couldn't just find another copy online. You either had to buy the game again, or you had to figure things out without the manual. I fell in love with the Panavia Tornado AND with the AGM 65 Maverick missile!! I LOVED that you could target a specific tank on the ground, 20 Km away, fire the missile and then watch the relay from the optical seeker. You got a missile-eye-view as it flew towards the target, right up to the moment of impact!! The HARM missiles were kinda cool, but the AGM 65 was the best of the lot!! Anyway, if the Tornado is available to fly in DCS, I might end up climbing back into a cockpit...

Great video! I did exactly as Growling suggested. I downloaded DCS and flew (tried to anyway) P51 and Su 25 for FREE! I loved the game and the graphics, but I am an old PC flying nut from early Microsoft flight games. I had a cheap HOTAS system and it worked just fine. I also suggest you find some flying buddies. I, luckily, had a group of friend that encouraged me to join them and it was a fun experience learning from and with them. If you do not have any flying buddies then look at on line servers and groups. Many are recruiting and would love to add a dedicated and passionate player to their team. After playing for a while I upgraded everything! The only downside to flight sims seems to be the "need" to get better equipment. I went from a $50 HOTAS to a Warthog HOTAS, 3 Thrustmaster Cougars, $2000 PC and building my own button boxes. Growling is correct about buying the plane you want to fly. Mine was the F/A 18c and I love flying it. DCS is more of a sim than a game so learning each aircraft takes time, in some cases lots of time! If you really enjoy flying DCS you will probably end up with a few favorite planes and spending more than you thought you ever would on a flight sim!

If you have a VR headset, you could get VTOL VR as a taster. It’s a great introduction to simulators, but is simplified compared to DCS. It helped me learn the basics of radar, dogfighting, AtG, BVR, and helicopters. Once you’ve got the hang of it all and played, you could then go into DCS and settle in wonderfully like I did.

This is a great video exactly what I needed to get into DCS. I have been watching your videos for a couple months they🛩️🔥🔥💯 my brother

2:14, recommends the airframe I spent 20 years working on. Me: YES!!!

You know what. Cause of finding this channel I got into DCS, and at first I didnt think the game was for me. I didnt understand/liked the prices of each aircraft, and thought the game was too difficult/tedious to learn how to play since it is a simulator and not just a game. But darn it, somehow I stuck with the free planes that come with it and NOW bought the Viggen AJS-37 and the F-15 E? I think. Viggen is still pretty hard to use but I LOVE the F-15, and have found that now I have a growing passion for jet fighters, I live in San Diego and at work all day F-16/18 and what looks like maybe F-22/35's pass pretty low almost every work day. thanks for the videos! your knowledge of these planes has helped me understand DCS big time!

I just got off a DCS run that my friend had. I flew the SU-33 (my favorite plane of all time) and it was amazing. I'm sold now, Ima get the SU-33 module and learn the heck out of it

This video was really helpful! It really answered all my questions before i jumped into DCS! I had purchased a HOTAS a while ago but really didn’t use it because i had no idea what to do and felt stuck. I recently got a VR headset and was debating coming back, and this video really brought me back into the community! Thanks so much!

Yeah, Thanks. I can see my Social Security checks marching off to some computer store to get upgraded for DCS and VR (already sprung for TrackIR 5). Great content and I learn something new every session. Thank you.

Getting a PC built right now for DCS. It'll be interesting learning the aircraft, maybe I'll apply tricks I learned from familiarizing myself with real aircraft. One thing I learned is that avionics is always the steepest learning curve and longest to learn. You just have to take the time to learn how to program everything. As they often say "Garbage in, garbage out". If you fumble even one character or number when you program the FMS you'll find your head buried in the cockpit focusing on the one system not realizing what happened until you get an alarm or radio call from ATC. Anyways it should be a fun challenge learning the different aircraft.

Take your time. It’s okay to spend weeks just learning 1 aircraft. Like he said, once you do, the skills are transferable to other aircraft.

Beyond thank you. You are a gem who helps

I found it pays to pay close attention to how your aircraft responds to your actions, particularly the warbirds where physics, timing, throttle, and speed play a great deal in their responsiveness.

So funny. Just was asking about how to get into this. First video that should when opening KZfaq. Awesome and thanks

Im planning on beginning in DCS soon. This will help me so much! Thanks GS!

Perfect timing. Il-2 player looking to start playing dcs seriously. Been following you for ages and the quality of you content is fantastic. Hope to see you on your server when I'm ready for pvp.

Youre the best of the best, sidewinder - RW Pilot, dcs enthusiest

I use a PS4 controller. It's not the same hand movements as a stick but it works! Plus I can use the touchpad to look around while flying with the left stick. If you've played with planes on PS4 games, you can map your controls as the same in dcs. After that you just need to get used to realism and physics

Man this is one of the more helpful videos i've come across - on any topic - the only thing u don't seem to know is how to make a cockpit that flips you 360* with plane movement - so get on it

When you post that you're wanting to get into this game in the GS discord and 3 days later he uploads a video.

Finally got a house and now that I have space I’m planning on building my first desktop so I can officially participate in this sim and do it in vr

I love your tutorial videos

Wish I'd watched this yesterday, before buying the Gazelle as my first module - could've saved $5!

I love the idea of flying planes etc but so much work! Just like real life learning jets etc. I don't have the patience and almost certainly can't afford the equipment but I am so fascinated. Interesting.

Thank you very much for the very helpful video.

Wow you blew up in subs. Congrats man, you deserve it.

Never been into flight simulators until I saw your videos. Gotta say you’ve got me really interested into dcs now. I don’t think I’ll get into it now because of spec limits but definitely sometime down the road I’ll upgrade my computer and get started! Also I didn’t even know what trackir was until watching this video and I really want to pick one up now for when I play dirt or assetto corsa.

And here I am with new pedals and proper mounts for my HOTAS...

Thanks for this. That was a nice, quick breakdown.

You can actually try any plane for free just go on the website and choose trial under your account and you can try the airplane of your choice for free ! Keep it going Growling Sidewinder love the content

Thanks GS. Very informative and helpful.

I appreciate the honesty in saying what you need here. I'm not interested enough to get a stick or track IR (tbh i don't even have much time to learn dcs) but maybe if one day do I know now what's best

Great Guide! I played the very early flightsims in the 80's until TFX2000. Then i lost interest.But what we have today on PC's is really mindboggling! Thank you for sharing your experiece!

Great tutorial with good info. to help me started!