I ordered the kit the other day for £330 as I know someone who has one for DCS and they love it. I started out with plastic joysticks but they don't last long. This is the best one I have heard of from the guys I play DCS with and is about as expensive as I would go for a Joystick. Recently been trying MSFS in VR as well and needed a good stick for that as well. From the comments, it sounds like the mistake you have made is not using the software that came with the joystick which resolves the issues you highlighted regarding the switches.

I have seen many reviews of the Warthog somehow overlooking the included Target programming software- it makes this HOTAS do exactly what you want no matter what game, or software you wish to use. Target is not 3rd party software. It was originally developed by James Hallows, his Foxy software for previous TM gear such as the FCLS and the Cougar HOTAS and TM made it proprietary to their joysticks. The programming lets you change how the entire device works. It helps set the switches the almost any way you need them to, and allows for setting the scaling of the flight stick movements- good for those small precise movements you mention in your video. I cannot speak for the price, as we are now paying more than 2X just for video cards along with the Warthog. :(

A review that's not a commercial. Very rare. Good job.

your critiques are legit, and are the same shortcomings i noticed. that being said. as a hardcore flight sim enthusiast, it was worth the cost to me. definitely buy rudder pedals with it. if you're a casual simmer/arcade style player, prob steer clear of it. if youre going for quality and realism, prepare to drop the funds because it's gonna cost you. 8.8/10 from me

Bought a 'broken' one for $100. Only had a broken (snapped) d-pad on the joystick. Easily fixed, and now works like new. Totally overkill for me just getting into flight sim 😅

Having owned the X45, X52, X56, Warthog, and the Virpil HOTAS setup, I think the big thing that needs to be considered is that there is a bit of a fixation on "metal means quality" mentality that is pretty pervasive in the flight sim online community. If anything, a metal stick/throttle grip is more of a personal preference thing (some like the cooler, heavier feeling of metal stuff) because it has no real bearing on the actual quality or even durability of a setup. The big concern really should be the internals. The money Thrustmaster put into the all metal stick and throttle grip probably should have gone into a better internal mechanism for the stick base (that can actually hold up long-term).

The complaints were due to the product being too close to the real thing. So I have to give this video a thumbs down. As someone who actually worked on the Hog, you can't get any better than this for the price. You don't buy this to play space "simulators" like Elite Dangerous. You buy it for its intended purpose which is to boost emersion when playing an A-10 simulator like DCS - it is a specialized tool. This is like buying a Ferrari and complaining that you can't go off-roading despite paying half a million for a car so you gave it a 2 star in Edmunds.

I've had a thrust master Hotas for 5 years still working well, quailty made value for money

Had mine for 10 years+ now and the only thing I did was put the stick on a Virpil Base because it was too stiff to fly helicopters with, other than that, not a single issue. Matter of fact I've been looking at the newer stuff but in the end I don't need them. With that said it is an older design and they need to redo it for this day and age.

This is the third review of this awesome Stick, where the reviewer plays Elite Dangerous which is an arcade combat game. I think that this stick and throttle is for legit sims like BMS or perhaps DCS.

When it comes to throttles, the problem is that there's still a pretty large gap between entry level stuff such as my TM TWCS throttle and the WH's. Not only does the TWCS feel like a toy compared to the WH or the Virpil throttle, it's also plagued by its less than ideal design. Even after I re-lubricated mine with some fancy Teflon/silicone grease it's still not perfect when it comes to the one function a throttle should deliver perfectly (setting the throttle). It is much better than with the factory grease, but I guess there's only so much you can expect from a "plastic sliding on metal rails"-type of design. So, I'm kinda looking to upgrade, but that's a €240 proposition at minimum and would "only" get me the WH. Which - as you've pointed out - is an ageing design and has its problems. WinWing would probably be €280 to €300 with shipping and import-duties added on and Virpil is nearly €500, so... Don't get me wrong: The TWCS at €80 is a pretty good deal and it gets the job done - sort of. I just wish there was something in-between at, say, €150 to €200 with modern sensors, a smoother throttle action, more switches/buttons and, most of all, without a pot. So far, the TM hasn't gone wrong after 3 months of daily use, but I remember how soon after purchase my (otherwise pretty excellent) CH Pro Throttle developed problems with its pot, so I'm not sure how long the TM will last. I know VKB are working on something to fill the gap, but that thing has been in development for three years now and they're not any closer to a release date AFAIK. I OTOH am pretty close to giving in and just ordering the WH, but I'm just not sure if I shouldn't take the hit in price and hassle/waiting time and go for the WinWing F-18 instead. First World problems, ey? :)

Very smart guy, excellent review and points. I ordered VKB Gladiator NXT last week for DCS World and Star Citizen and the company e-mailed me with the message that the new Gladiator NXT EVO will come out and asked me if I wanted to proceed with the order or wait for it. I cancelled the order and they refunded me the money within 48 hours. I am impressed with their customer service. Now, waiting for that EVO to come out , so that I can order it.

Good video, very thoughtful. It shows that you actually spent time configuring the device, rather than just looking at it and feeling the build quality

Was looking at it since it was released, and recently I got back to flying sims and found out that the 14 year old Logitech Attack3 just won't cut it anymore. Did a bit of research and decided that the Warthog should still be big enough upgrade to get one for this Black Friday for 360€. Was looking at VKB Gunfighter 3, but the kit with throttle from Thrustmaster would be about 750€, so decided to upgrade later on if needed. And for now I can say I really like this setup for DCS, IL-2 and MSFS. The only thing I had to do, was risk about 2 hours and map everything with Joystick Gremlin. Now both switch positions work as X input device. Since from what I have tried TARGET uses only 32 buttons and mixes everything together. And I think it was well worth the time to set it up in Joystick Gremlin and remap all the planes to that setup. After about 50 hours on the new setup I am still liking it, but might open it up someday to relube and add the extension to reduce how prevalent the centre spring "detent" is and further improve on the stick feel and input accuracy.

I am a real airline pilot flying the A380, I bought the Hotas base to use with an Airbus sidestick replica, I can tell that the amount of strenght and forces required to be applied are alost identical to the ones on the real sidestick..so I would say this is very much spot on for the price point..

I was going to get the warthog, but then I would have to but the F-18 grip, and the throttle isn't the same. To be fair, I probably would have ended up getting a Warhog. But I got a deal on a Winwing Orion Throttle and Stick, for $400 for everything.

I own a first production run TMWH, and 13 years later, it's still looking and working like new. It was designed specifically for the DCS A10C, so some of the switches seem odd for people flying other sims. The 3 position switches for the flaps, lights (throttle pinky switch) etc. are on-off-on switches, making it harder to use for other sims, even other aircraft modules now available for DCS. Back when this HOTAS was designed, DCS only had the A10C and the Blackshark as high fidelity modules. And at the time, it was the best HOTAS available. TM had announced plans to make dedicated HOTAS for other aircraft, but other than the very recent F-16 stick, none were made. It can be configured for other sims/modules using the software that comes with it. However, these days, if I were looking for a general HOTAS for space sims, etc., I would look at Virpl to be honest. But if you are a dedicated A10C pilot, it's 5 stars. For other games, I agree with this video's assessment. If you want to put the stick on a Virpl base, you can buy just the stick and save some money. Frankly, many A10C pilots in DCS have mounted the stick on a Virpl base, which is an upgrade over the stock base in the TMWH set. The plastic ball gimbal in the WH is it's weak point.

WinWing is the way to go if you're looking for the best, however pricey.

I have the Worthog for DCS in VR. I love it. Modding it with and extension on the stick made it even better.

I have had mine since 2011. Nothing has failed. Calibration is still rock solid. However I need more, and this is hard to phantom, but more buttons and axis..

I like mine I got it in 2017 and its still working. its built solid I once had the throttle quadrant fall off my desk and it literally put a small hole in the floor. the only problem I had with it is the little ball switch on the throttle quad which has a mind of its own.

Owning a original Hotas Cougar since 1998 for use in Falcon 4.0 . Still use and love it

must be over 5 years ago that i bought a WH kit, upgrading from a 35 euro plastic stick, obviously the difference was huge and i fell in love with the WH, yes it has it's downsides, fairly so. but to me it's a bit of character, the A10 plane also has its downsides and quirks, but it still has a lot of die hard fans. so when they wanted to make a replica, i guess they didnt expect it to be that much of a copy of the real thing.

I like this review and think all of the critique offered is quite fair. I might bump an overall score to 4/5 because this device for sure elevated the game for everyone when no one else was. The throttle base switch implementation choices feel weird, but ultimately I find it very workable. First, it is isn't a problem with this device, but is actually a "no win" situation for any device maker. Flaps should be a control you can feel your device and know the correct position, and speed brakes as well. Those necessitate a constant state associated with input, and leaving that state should also translate to the simulator. While flaps is pretty well covered across all brands, I think speed brake is not well covered on other devices. It is very optimally a momentary actuation in one direction (extend airspeed brake), and stuck in the other direction until deactivated (retracted speed brake). In many jets it is not possible to visibly confirm the state of your speed brake and for such a basic thing it should be trivial to set it in a way that you know it's off or going to be there soon enough. The TM Warthog isn't a smooth fit for any other aircraft, but it is a usable fit even without TM's software. I think this is a good critique because I genuinely do not use those two engine override switches for any module. I don't even know what they do in A-10C either. Usage strain: this complaint is interesting and shows that TM Warthog is really meant for DCS rather than space sims. In DCS you do NOT fire weapons very often at all and you certainly don't do it on reaction. Outside of a close proximity dogfight, if you shoot something you knew you were likely to take that shot at least 60 seconds prior, and probably even 3+ minutes ago. You spend a whole lot more time flying, identifying, and marking targets, then setting up weapons delivery than you do shooting. The stick and throttle controls are designed around what is most frequently used and useful and those controls are not tiring at all to use repeated. The DMS and TMS switches, china hat, boat switch, communication switch etc are all as comfortable as they should be for how often you use it. Weight: the weight of the throttle is great for not sliding along my desk and allowing the lift mechanics to work. TDC slew stick: this is definitely a weakness. It is very usable though and a great improvement over not having one at all or trying to use a hat-switch. I just upgraded mine after 11 years and wish I had done it sooner. A-10C module is pretty well tuned, but trying to use this slew stick on the Ka-50 is a challenge. What Thrustmaster did in 2010 when they came out with this HOTAS was game changing though. They didn't require you have a sim-pit to have a premium and _flexible_ HOTAS experience. These two products can sit on a regular rectangle desktop -- though a left side return is more ideal for throttle placement. You can place the stick on your chair between your legs or up on your desk to the side or center. You can very easily add their stuff to a sim-pit as it has the requisite mounting capability. They allow you to swap out the stick which they've followed through with on the F/A-18C. The throttle grip is more than sufficient for Flaming Cliffs, A-10C, and Ka-50 for me for years and I don't plan on getting rid of it anytime soon. I have the AB detent option if I start to fly the F/A-18 far more frequently (A-10C and Ka-50 do not want AB detents). I am eagerly awaiting Winwing Orion2+F16EX to arrive so I can experience the Viper's throttle more accurately as it is very different than any others. The F16EX stick my replace my TM stick because it looks like a complete superset in terms of capability.

I am just getting in to simulations and currently do not have the money, but I want to thank you, since this will make my future purchase(s) much easier.

After getting various length stick extensions, it's now obvious to me that the Warthog stick base was made for simulators with proper extensions. I never feel any binding anymore and it feels very comfortable. The slew stick and pinky switch are bad points for the throttle and there are mods that fix this.

The right tool for the right job plays out here. You don’t use a joystick from a fighter aircraft to play space games. This was meant to fly A-10 Warthogs and give the user that experience. It is meant to go between the legs and handle the rough circumstances and maneuvers that the A-10 is known for. I give your review 2 out of 5 stars.

If anybody is considering this in 2024 you should definitely stay clear. For almost the exact same price you can go with Winwing which is a much better option.

At the moment warthog vs virpil in Poland with EUR/PLN rate makes warthog worth of 2000 PLN, and only throttle of virpil of almost 1900 PLN. Virpil is double a price.

I had one for 3 years. Loved it but then I noticed problems that I had probably not noticed or overlooked before. 1: Sticktion. The internal grease compound begins to fail, not right away, it just creeps in and you barely notice it until it becomes a problem. It got that bad that if I pushed the stick forward and held it there, then SLOWLY released that fwd pressure, it comes back in a series of jerks. Not a problem if youre just zooming around pulling G but for finer control, forget it. I know you can regrease it BUT you have to be happy with pulling the thing apart in mult procedures, all the while making sure you dont split a wires etc. If youre ok with that, you can get it smooth again....until the next time you need to do it. 2: Its no good really for Choppers. Far too stiff and clumsy to get anywhere near fine control thats required for a Helo. Now I know someone out there is gonna pipe up "I use mine on choppers all the time and it works fine..." Yeh mate, if you say so. Holding in fine anti-torque pressure on the stick which is very stiff, will be a good workout for your forearm and bicep. I am so glad I dont have to use this for my AH64 Apache module. I loved it initially but slowly fell out of love with it. I ended up giving it to a mate and got a Virpil setup instead. Oh yes, I forgot. The slew control on the throttle is CRAP.

You're the second reviewer to mention how the throttle switches dont work right with most games. This has lead me to last minute pull out of purchasing this HOTAS. I'm gonna go with the Logitech X56 instead.

The problem is lack of latched control support in Elite - things like lights, gear, hardpoints, cargo scoop should have the option to "sync" with the state of the latching switch. Then the actual gear switch would be up if the gear is up!

If they only could make another hotas of similar quality but with a twiststick and "propper" knobs on the throttle.

I'm just glad covid is kinda finally over and I got a hold of this sick throttle and stick for only $300 in total!

It is a replica of the A-10 and that's how those switches work on the A-10

I just picked one up (new) for £300. At that price in my mind it’s a no brainer

The Thrustmaster Warthog is great if you're flying a full fidelity A-10C in DCS out of the box. However if you are going to be playing just about anything else you have to use third party software to get the switches to act like proper switches. If you need something to do multiple games pretty flawlessly, you will be better off overlooking the Warthog to something like a Virpil offering even though it is a little more expensive.

I had this for some years now.. Before that i had Logitech Extreme 3D Pro (STRONGY recommended beginner/intermediate joystick, for the price, unbeatable imho!) Thrustmaster? i love it! the feel is incredible, i do find it slightly to large for my hand... now everything sort of feels like the real-deal (fortunate enough to have sat in a A10 during a flight show) but... the throttle just feels like... what it is... "provided by the lowest bidder" Now don't get me wrong, it's still on the top when it comes to gaming joysticks and throttles... but this i find to be a standard for throttles... they just have this "it works, and this is a little better than the others" feel, but there is always the "it does not feel ´just right" every time i try a new one... there are ofc a few exceptions.... These are the controls of the newer fighter crafts... but that level of quality and feel in a gaming joystick? a man can dream!

This setup was made specifically to replicate the A-10 Warthog for one very specific game. If you're using outside of those parameters, it's probably not for you (, so stop inflating the prices with your demand! Lol).

As someone who has just upgraded from the TM Warthog, there are really only two things that let this HOTAS down. The stick centring is AWFUL, and the TDC slew button is just SO inconsistently bad compared to the high quality buttons that are on the rest of the HOTAS. If they could fix these two issues I would generally recommend them as a good mid-high level HOTAS.

Thank you finally someone says if it twists.

Should be noted that it is not 100% metal the inner mechanism of the throttle and some of the stick are lasting which can cause problems making it better to look towards winwing for sim level gear and virpl for universal high end kit.

I think it's worth noting quite a bit of the internals are plastic and the exterior is low-quality potmetal. It's very undesirable too because it greatly increases the stick's inertia. The premium makers' plastics are a huge upgrade for the exterior material IMO. EDIT: And let's remember that nowadays in 2022, everything in the price range outclasses it. A good example stick-wise is the VKB NXT which might even be a tad cheaper in most regions.

maybe this is why there were so many friendly fire incidents...

Slew control has been fixed by ThrustMaster 'out the box' with the 2021 version...You obviously have an older unit. The slew control is smooth and unlike the 3rd party controllers has no unsightly flanges.

well,i am using this warthog hotas for well over 6 y now. in combine with tm high end pedals ,vr hp g2 . love it and not intend to replace in near future. ( fs2020 ).the only complain is on the 3 position flap switch .and thank for the vidio .I will give it 4.5 out of 5 .

X52, X56, 16000 and Hori hotas are all excelent controls but the warthog is the way to go for a little more cash

The only thing that sucks about the warthog is the base for the stick. It's unfortunate, since it's been released you can get much better units from vipril, winwing etc. for the same price if not less. The stock base makes it impossible to fly precisely near the middle.

Nice review. I've been flying with the same Warthog unit since 2012, nearly every day, and it is still going strong. Use it for DCS as a virtual A10 pilot and now the F18, Apache and Hind. Also use it for MSFS and il2. Flying in VR for the last six years or so, having so many axis and buttons is a great help. Have added a 20" extension to the joystick. I've always had rudder pedals, and I think anyone buying this unit should expect to have them. This HOTAS is great value for money.

Thanks - you have shown me points i needed to know. Subscribed.

I saw you use joystick and throttle mounts mounted on the front of the desk top. Did you buy them from a store or did you order them? Can you recommend something?

TY. I was about to drop 1k US on a setup, going to look at either the next level up because of the latch buttons or and equivalent level with non latching

I prefer the Logitech X56 and Logitech G Pedals The HOTAS WARTHOG and The Pendular Pedals are a nice way to spend $1000 tho.

I really like the Virpil stuff, but it's always, ALWAYS back ordered.

I really want the weight, the quality, the toggle switches and maybe I can barely afford it now that it came back down in price. But I play mainly Elite Dangerous and it has no twist :/

I was able to set it up with the t.a.r.g.e.t. software, it's very time consuming but so rewarding. And then frontier came in with a update and forced me to use the thrustmaster profile so I can add the yaw axis and had to remap the keys. This broke elite for me and I stopped playing. Tbh I don't see the problem with thrustmaster for me it's frontier who's at fault here :P

Strange, I bought the Warthog back when I played Elite and I had not the slightest problem with the toggle switches .. Back then we did not have a finished profile for it (I believe) but typically you want a toggle switch for stuff like gears down/up. So you know if they are down or up. There was not the slightest issue configuring it, the entire controls were mapped very immersively when I was done. I played it in VR only, so the controls being good and immersive was very important, as you could not actually see the stick.

I almost went for the warthog this Christmas but I ended up paying double and got myself a Virpil on Black Friday. I'm playing the waiting game. BTW, I'm in the UK, so here it's about £400 new and £350 used.

I'd almost get the warthog stick (I only do space sims, so I'd rather have 2 sticks instead of a throttle) simply cause of the all metal build, but the fatigue and missing out on an axis kinda worry me as I usually go for long sessions. I'll probably got for 2x VKB gladiator instead

Anyone here know if I can use a warthog throttle with my 16000m stick and pedal? Need a new throttle and I might as well start the upgrade process. But not sure if thrustmaster warthog throttle will work with thrustmaster 16000m stick and pedal. Thanks

I just bought this Hotas and the joystick isn’t smooth, you can feel resistance in the movement of the stick out of the box

What Hotas+throttle has the best rate quality/price? Warthog Hotas+throttle 400€ , one year ago, was for me to he best rate. Now there is certainly another Hotas+throttle with better rate. But which?

Awesome video! Thank you!!!

Thanks for the info!

The slew sensor is not like the real aircraft. The slew sensors on most real fighter aircraft are force transducers - they're like a miniaturized version of F-16 stick, they're very sensitive but also very precise. TM went for what is the closest equivalent to that in consumer electronics: the Track Point. But it's not even remotely the same. And a regular gamepad stick would work better - in fact that's not just what all the competition does, there's actually an upgrade kit _for warthog_ that replaces it with a regular gamepad stick.

How do you control your ship in star Citizen with the Hotas setup versus dual stick? I’m deciding which to go with now

What make and model are the brackets you are using to fix the HOTAS to your desk please? Are you happy with them?

You are a legend! Great review. I was very tempted by this device, but your criticisms are a concern for me so I’ll probably look elsewhere.

I think even with pedals the Warthog might be a mistake for space sims, because it can't cover all degrees of motions a spaceship often has.

The fact that the stick doesn't twist is a deal breaker for me. I do not want to pay for a set of pedals and don't want to use them either. I really wanted to buy this until I head there is no support for yaw on this setup.

Hey you have a lot of things in your table … what are Those hardwares ? And which games are playing in the vídeo ?

I got the Warthog a while back, and now it won't recognize the throttle control in Windows 11. So I can't use it unless I find some kind of way around that, if that's even possible. 🤦 Might just have to get something newer because I don't want to have to deal with it.

I am seriously considering this vs the X56 - I am totally torn but ideally want the "metal build quality" I am a total noob but looking to play MFS & Star Citzen ... Can you recommend this? :)

can you buy this with insurance just curious. If so I am soo down to get this!

I play warthunder on ps5 and want to know if I could get this and be able to use it but all I’ve seen is it on pc

Just ordered one on Amazon tonight for $489, for throttle and stick. Throttle on my X56, broken completely off. Anyone know if you can replace the switches from the X56 to the Warthog throttle?

in the uk now its £440 so I think it's gone down

So what is good for casual (my dad) that will Play Warthunder mostly , and maybe something like Ever Space 2 ?

i need the twist control for elite dangerous, i'm not sure i would like pedals

this one looks very solid

Since it's USB, can I plug it in with my Xbox?

any basic research would have told you that trustmaster worked with Northrop Grumman to design and make the warthog hotas.

Super nice , but its so expensiv . What ist the best alternativ under 200€/$

What ship are you flying @ 9:26

How about using it with DCS in 2024? Is it still viable, do you think? I’d use it for DCS World and X-Plane 12 As of January 2024 it’s $559.00 USD for the stick and the throttle. $250 for the F/A-18 stick. Which I’d get also.

Hi, I'm late to the party on this video but would like to ask if you think this set is worth £330 in present day?

you should try rs mapper it would save you a lot of crap with all and any button

Good review!

What are those desk mounts you are using? They look really useful. Edit: It's in one of his vids, for anyone else wondering.

Hi all. Does it work with a Boeing and stuff? I'm a flying n00b.

How do you get MSFS to see the Warthog?

The HOTAS WARTHOG is around $550 on EBay right now brand new. The X-56 is better for SPACE GAMES and for FLIGHT SIMS. It easily adapts to various aircraft in various games. The WARTHOG is designed for the A-10 replica - not even the F-16 or FA-18.

Hi is there a way to set the ruddle on the throttle?

the price is a lot better now

Uhmm right at the beginning, did you mean "well over a THOUSAND dollars"..?

We getting a Xmas vlog this year?

Can you please stop complaining about the god damn switches already and use RSMapper? Problem is that the 2 and 3 position switches are in fact 1/2 position switches. The switch is not in Pos.1 or Pos 2 as IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRUSTMASTER, but in fact the switch is ether in Pos.1 or not in Pos.1. There is no Pos 2 so you can map Pos 2 to a command in the sim. The workaround, is that RSMapper. You setup Pos1 = "alt"+"del"+"A" and Pos1 release = "alt"+"del"+"B" for example, then go in the sim and set up Gear up = "alt"+"del"+"A" gear down = "alt"+"del"+"B" and the software will translate your switch flipping to those key combination to be received by the sim.

I feel this review misses the mark, by not installing the (NOT 3rd party!) software, and not having rudder pedals (which is really expected from a flight simmer!) you didn't really experience the controller as it was intended.

metal on the outside and talk on the inside to the people seven have to sell clearly greetings

Is this device windows 11 compadible?