Thrustmaster T.16000M FCS HOTAS for PC

I waited to review this so I could have it connected and functional. The package arrived very well packed with no obvious damage. I only have 1 complaint about the product, and it is consistent with other people's reviews of the joystick. The POV button is loose and wiggles around. This is a production flaw. Looking online will get you a tutorial on how to fix if it really bothers you. For me, it's not that big of an issue, it has no bearing on the performance. Connecting to windows was not a big deal although installing the drivers aren't as forward because win 11 wants to use its drivers. I also run Linux Mint. Thrustmaster does not support Linux. The joystick will work with some games, plug and play, your results may vary.

A good combo for the money

The HOTAS system is very customizable and easy to use once you overcome the slight configuration speed bumps with games. Each game sees the system differently. Some see it as one unit with shared buttons. Others see them as two different controllers like they should be. You may need to research the way to configure the controllers for the specific game since it isn't always clear how to do it.War Thunder is a game that causes a lot of problems so be mindful. I haven't been able to eliminate the rudder wobble that a lot of other users have reported. The wobble doesn't apparently occur with other systems.World of Warplanes is a dream to play with it once you customize the throttle and buttons.The build quality is there so I'm not at all disappointed. The sticky ... MoreThe HOTAS system is very customizable and easy to use once you overcome the slight configuration speed bumps with games. Each game sees the system differently. Some see it as one unit with shared buttons. Others see them as two different controllers like they should be. You may need to research the way to configure the controllers for the specific game since it isn't always clear how to do it.War Thunder is a game that causes a lot of problems so be mindful. I haven't been able to eliminate the rudder wobble that a lot of other users have reported. The wobble doesn't apparently occur with other systems.World of Warplanes is a dream to play with it once you customize the throttle and buttons.The build quality is there so I'm not at all disappointed. The sticky throttle situation only occurs when the resistance screw is to tight. Just slide the throttle all the way to the firewall, flip it over, and adjust the screw accordingly. You can see this in the user's manual.There isn't a lot of game specific documentation for this system so it might take some experimentation to get it to work for you.I'm just taking a star off for the War Thunder wobble issue and the limited documentation that Thrustmaster has on it's site for game specific configuration or general troubleshooting.

An imperfect product in an overpriced segment.

I'll try to keep this short and to the point. The entire HOTAS segment is overpriced and underwhelming, but in that less than ideal setting, this combo set is a decent value.The T.16000M flight stick has a great feel. The resistance is higher than a lot of other flight sticks, but personally I like it as it gives the stick a clear center point and requires deliberate thought and movement. The actual tracking and motion feels smooth and precise, as does the trigger. Unfortunately, the rest of the stick feels and looks rather cheap, though the overall design is ergonomic, comfortable, and the grip can be switched to accommodate left-handed pilots.The throttle feels similarly smooth and precise at first, and it's on-rails movement is unique in the segment. That ... MoreI'll try to keep this short and to the point. The entire HOTAS segment is overpriced and underwhelming, but in that less than ideal setting, this combo set is a decent value.The T.16000M flight stick has a great feel. The resistance is higher than a lot of other flight sticks, but personally I like it as it gives the stick a clear center point and requires deliberate thought and movement. The actual tracking and motion feels smooth and precise, as does the trigger. Unfortunately, the rest of the stick feels and looks rather cheap, though the overall design is ergonomic, comfortable, and the grip can be switched to accommodate left-handed pilots.The throttle feels similarly smooth and precise at first, and it's on-rails movement is unique in the segment. That said, the factory grease isn't the best, and within about two weeks the throttle was prone to sticking at certain points. Opening it up and replacing the factory grease with a better one solved this, but at $160 (up $30 from the original MSRP of $130), this shouldn't be needed. The throttle has plenty of buttons, switches, and hats, and I like both the analog stick and paddles on the front (though I wish the analog stick was positioned for use with the thumb which would be more precise).Both input separately via USB, and while additional programming software is offered by Thrustmaster, it's not needed for the majority of games. I did download and install a single driver file, but after that, no additional software was needed, and Elite: Dangerous even had a preconfigured control set up for the FCS HOTAS.My major complaint is the entire set up feels entry-level in terms of the amount of plastic used and the quality of said plastic, yet commands a decidedly premium price relative to other input devices like gaming mice and controllers. I understand the HOTAS market is completely skewed in terms of pricing, and at $160, this is technically entry-level as far as HOTAS pricing goes but it doesn't feel like a $160 product. Instead, it feels like a $99 product with an inflated market price, and the lack of mechanical switches, or denser, better feeling materials like metal or carbon fiber is a disappointment.In all, I would say this is a decent set up, and after 150 hours in Elite, I haven't had any issues other than the throttle sticking mentioned above. That said, the Z-axis twist feature built into the flight stick's grip is notorious across the internet for high failure rates, and should be mentioned.

Great value for money bundle

It's been quite some time since I've purchased a joystick and I must say that I am very happy with this purchase and the range of configural buttons on both the joystick itself and the throttle. I've only been using this combo for a couple of weeks but everything works as expected. Very happy for the comfort and feel of the joystick, and I knew going into this purchase that the TWCS Throttle does not slide as smoothly as you might like but that has not been a deal breaker for me. Although every external aspect of these devices are plastic they feel and appear well made and very sturdy. I definitely recommend this bundle for the price point it's competing in and a great entry level option.

Review of THRUSTMASTER T-16000M FCS Joystick - Black

This is a really good budget joystick, I use it to play Elite Dangerous. I use dual joysticks.I like the numerous buttons, the hat switch and the feel of the handgrip and it's ambidextrous. I've used this stick for many years now, there is only one drawback with it and that is the yaw or twist axis. The potentiometer is not up to the job, at best you'll get six or seven months out of it before the pot starts to go and you'll get drift, random inputs and lack of functionality in the end. At worst it will last just a few weeks. I've exchanged many of these. I've had five in total. If you can accept this shortcoming then you'll enjoy this joystick. I do still use it and have got a spare one for when my latest one breaks, and it will. Best way to use it is probably with ... MoreThis is a really good budget joystick, I use it to play Elite Dangerous. I use dual joysticks.I like the numerous buttons, the hat switch and the feel of the handgrip and it's ambidextrous. I've used this stick for many years now, there is only one drawback with it and that is the yaw or twist axis. The potentiometer is not up to the job, at best you'll get six or seven months out of it before the pot starts to go and you'll get drift, random inputs and lack of functionality in the end. At worst it will last just a few weeks. I've exchanged many of these. I've had five in total. If you can accept this shortcoming then you'll enjoy this joystick. I do still use it and have got a spare one for when my latest one breaks, and it will. Best way to use it is probably with pedals so that you don't need the yaw function at all.

Skill issues for the win!

Recieved my T1600M flight pack promptly as usual (If more companies could deliver like Scorptec, the world would be a better place). Out of the box, everything is firm, clean and comfortable. It's obvious that this is not high end hardware, but it's what I'd expect for $300-400. If you want polished chrome and metal parts, spend twice that and get a warthog.It has more buttons, knobs and switches than I know what to do with, the stick is ambidexterous if that's something you want (or if you're into space sims).All in all, I've come to the quick realisation that I have no idea how to control a helicopter in war thunder. But I'm having a hell of a time trying.Also, if this is your first hotas, you need to download the software to run it from the thrustmaster ... MoreRecieved my T1600M flight pack promptly as usual (If more companies could deliver like Scorptec, the world would be a better place). Out of the box, everything is firm, clean and comfortable. It's obvious that this is not high end hardware, but it's what I'd expect for $300-400. If you want polished chrome and metal parts, spend twice that and get a warthog.It has more buttons, knobs and switches than I know what to do with, the stick is ambidexterous if that's something you want (or if you're into space sims).All in all, I've come to the quick realisation that I have no idea how to control a helicopter in war thunder. But I'm having a hell of a time trying.Also, if this is your first hotas, you need to download the software to run it from the thrustmaster website. It probably says where in the manual, but I googled it.

Unergonomic, poorly designed throttle

The Joystick is OK. However, it really needs more hats/inputs on the stick itself. The buttons on the base are really not possible to use without looking carefully to make sure you are pressing the correct button. Useless, can just use the keyboard instead. Also, if the joystick was unused for a few minutes, it would suddenly not register any input unless I disconnected and reconnected it.The throttle though... terrible. It has no smooth action. This is a well documented "feature", with people going as far as modding the throttle to correct this. You can even buy "upgrade" kits online to fix this design flaw. The throttle body is also very big, only good if you have very large hands (I use medium size latex/nitrile gloves, and my hands are way too small for this ... MoreThe Joystick is OK. However, it really needs more hats/inputs on the stick itself. The buttons on the base are really not possible to use without looking carefully to make sure you are pressing the correct button. Useless, can just use the keyboard instead. Also, if the joystick was unused for a few minutes, it would suddenly not register any input unless I disconnected and reconnected it.The throttle though... terrible. It has no smooth action. This is a well documented "feature", with people going as far as modding the throttle to correct this. You can even buy "upgrade" kits online to fix this design flaw. The throttle body is also very big, only good if you have very large hands (I use medium size latex/nitrile gloves, and my hands are way too small for this throttle). The hats/switches on the throttle are also too far apart from each other for a normal sized hand. I could not access some of them without taking my hand off the throttle.The software for the stick is also terrible and outdated. The firmware update tool found the throttle, and updated the firmware. But it could not connect to the server to download firmware for the joystick itself. Was hoping to fix the "sleep" issue above that forced me to reconnect it, but no.As a positive, they feel planted on my desk while in use. The joystick is a little stiff, but you can make very precise movements with itOverall very disappointed. Sending it back to Digitec and will be buying an X56 to try it out instead.

Very good choice for the flight/space simmer looking for a HOTAS setup that won't break the bank

I'm a long time flight simmer and more recently have been playing a lot of Elite Dangerous. My fairly old Saitek HOTAS recently gave up the ghost and I was in the market for a new setup. I'd very much like a Thrustmaster Warthog but can't justify the price at the moment, especially as it recently seems to have spiked from 300-ish to 400. I'd heard good things about the T-1600M and found OcUK were selling this package with the throttle and pedals considerably cheaper than everyone else.The stick itself is very nice, It's got a decent weight to the base so it feels solid and won't move around the desk as you use it. The grip is very comfortable (and the package includes the necessary bits to change it over for left hand use). This stick uses the Hall Effect sensors ... MoreI'm a long time flight simmer and more recently have been playing a lot of Elite Dangerous. My fairly old Saitek HOTAS recently gave up the ghost and I was in the market for a new setup. I'd very much like a Thrustmaster Warthog but can't justify the price at the moment, especially as it recently seems to have spiked from 300-ish to 400. I'd heard good things about the T-1600M and found OcUK were selling this package with the throttle and pedals considerably cheaper than everyone else.The stick itself is very nice, It's got a decent weight to the base so it feels solid and won't move around the desk as you use it. The grip is very comfortable (and the package includes the necessary bits to change it over for left hand use). This stick uses the Hall Effect sensors which are found in Thrustmaster's considerably more expensive flagship HOTAS Warthog. The advantages touted are these sensors are very accurate and precise, with a high resolution. They don't wear out and aren't effected by dust getting inside the stick. So in theory at least, as long as you look after this stick and don't abuse it too much it should last forever. In my flight sims I've found it to be very smooth and pleasant to fly with. The throttle unit is also rather nice. Rather than rock back and forth the throttle slides back and forth on metal rails built into the base. The action is just a little bit juddery or sticky, but nothing that a bit of extra lube on the rails won't sort out. The base i quite light, but has a large footprint and the rubber feet do a good job of gripping my desk so I haven't found the throttle sliding or moving about the desk despite it's relatively light weight. It seems to be designed for larger hands though, so if you have small hands you might find yourself having to move your hand on the throttle to reach the buttons and rudder rocker controller on the front. The rudder pedals are about as good as you'd expect them to be at this price point. Again the unit has a good weight to it and the rubber feet grip the carpet far better than the ones on my old Saitek pedals which seemed to be forever slipping and sliding on the carpet as I used the pedals. The rudder travel itself isn't massive, but again at this price point you can't really expect more. The pedals themselves would seem to be suitable for all but the largest or smallest of feet. You can remove the lip at the bottom of the pedals if you wish. I do find the central position detent on the pedals to be a bit weak, and in use it can be quite hard to "feel" the central position of the pedals. The pedals are also rather close together (more so than the Saitek pedals). To be fair after a few hours use I've got used to it and don't really notice it. The toe brake action is nice and smooth too and the springs for these seem to be stronger than the Saitek ones which make them easier to use as you can more accurately feel the pressure you are applying to the brakes. Note though these are flight pedals and the toe brakes pivot around a point about halfway up the pedal - as such they aren't really suitable for use in driving games.I haven't tried the Thrustmaster Target software for programming - I can quite happily get by without it.I'd have preferred a fourth button on the top of the stick, and a stronger central detent on the rudder pedals. Overall this is a very good setup for the price (less than half the current cost of just the HOTAS Warthog stick and throttle). Highly recommended for those looking for an entry level stick/throttle/pedals setup or who can't justify the price of the HOTAS Warthog or some of the other high end specialist flight controllers (from the likes of VKB, etc).

Works, but could definitely be better.

Had a Saitek X36F for many years that finally died and seeing the prices on similar setups, I decided to try a cheap stick for a bit before making a decision which system to go to next. Tried the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, but unfortunately, it only lasted a few months before most of the axis were so messed up it was unusable.Found a good price on this system with B&H. Reviews seemed pretty solid, so decided to give this system a shot. I debated between this and the Thrustmaster Airbus Edition. Decided on the T.16000M because of the rudder paddle on the throttle and all of the extra buttons with this setup.I am second guessing this at this point because this does not have the most ergonomic button placement. Throttle movement is not real smooth. MSFS default ... MoreHad a Saitek X36F for many years that finally died and seeing the prices on similar setups, I decided to try a cheap stick for a bit before making a decision which system to go to next. Tried the Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, but unfortunately, it only lasted a few months before most of the axis were so messed up it was unusable.Found a good price on this system with B&H. Reviews seemed pretty solid, so decided to give this system a shot. I debated between this and the Thrustmaster Airbus Edition. Decided on the T.16000M because of the rudder paddle on the throttle and all of the extra buttons with this setup.I am second guessing this at this point because this does not have the most ergonomic button placement. Throttle movement is not real smooth. MSFS default layout has the elevator trim set to the wheel at the left end of the throttle, but every time you make an adjustment to the throttle you inadvertently make drastic changes to the trim. You have to shift your grip forward on the throttle to reach the rudder paddle, which moves your hand out of position of most of the buttons on the throttle. The old Saitek throttle had the rudder paddle positioned so that you could maintain a standard grip and be in position to use other buttons and controls simultaneously.So far everything is working as it should, it is just not that comfortable to use, and it is difficult to shift your grip around to hit buttons while maintaining full control of your aircraft. Adding the optional rudder pedals would obviously help the situation, but I have used the somewhat similar Saitek system for years so I know that it can work better than this.

[Rewarded Review] Disappointed with this Thrustmaster product

A bit disappointed, the controllers have a sturdy feel, but as others have stated, all 3 are made out of plastic, a little less than 1/8" thick or thin depending upon which way you look at it.The rudder peddles, the width from outside left to right is 11.5", comfortable position for me when sitting, feet are 15" apart left inside of my foot to right inside. Point being I have to almost put my knees together to get my feet on the peddles, great for a kid but not so much for an adult. As with a real aircraft, and I am a pilot, you push forward on the peddles to apply the brakes. If you have the peddles right under your feet up against your chair, easy enough to do, but is rather uncomfortable to have them that close, any further away, since there are no adjustments ... MoreA bit disappointed, the controllers have a sturdy feel, but as others have stated, all 3 are made out of plastic, a little less than 1/8" thick or thin depending upon which way you look at it.The rudder peddles, the width from outside left to right is 11.5", comfortable position for me when sitting, feet are 15" apart left inside of my foot to right inside. Point being I have to almost put my knees together to get my feet on the peddles, great for a kid but not so much for an adult. As with a real aircraft, and I am a pilot, you push forward on the peddles to apply the brakes. If you have the peddles right under your feet up against your chair, easy enough to do, but is rather uncomfortable to have them that close, any further away, since there are no adjustments it is very difficult to get the peddles pushed all the way forward to apply the brakes. There is also the fact the there isn't any real tension pushing the peddles backwards or forwards to control the rudder so you can go off course or worse buy simply putting your feet on the peddles.I purchased this set to us with MS Flight Simulator 2020, when you go to controls in MSFS you can see the joystick and the throttle. When you go to the joystick settings, it shows all the buttons and a lot of axis settings, like Joystick axis, X, X-, X+, Y, Y-, Y+ and so on, problem is, its trial and error to figure out which axis goes to which joystick control. When you go to the throttle settings, it shows the same thing but instead of saying throttle axis, it says joystick. It took a long time to finally get everything setup and working the way I wanted, problem though is when I went back a few days later, I was back to square 1, even thought I saved the settings, it did not remember them.I know the manuals shows all of the button and axis settings per device, and this might be a MSFS issue, but the settings should be a little, or a lot clearer as to button and axis assignments/settings/configuration per controller, you shouldn't have to guess.Joystick seems to work ok but I do have a problem with the buttons. I have an old Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick, same amount of buttons and all have numbers on them, the Thrustmaster joystick does not so at quick glance finding the right button can be a challenge.I know, this review is mostly negative, and a lot if my frustration stems from not wanting to spend hours calibrating and adjusting settings hoping that the settings will be saved. I am the kind of person that if I cannot figure out the basics within the first 15 or 20 minutes, I have no use for whatever it is. Other than the rudder issue, which to me renders that device useless, if you have the time and patience to configure and set everything up give the joystick and throttle control a shot, you might have better luck than I.