Flight Stick · Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas 5 Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition
- Budget
- Hall-effect sensors
- PC and PS5
- 5 axes · 14 buttons
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MSFS Performance Score
- Sensors30% 100
- Throttle & Rudder25% 100
- Build Quality15% 50
- Platforms15% 100
- Adjustability15% 60
Biggest contributor: sensors (30% of the score), rated 100/100. How we score
Verdict for MSFS
The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas 5 suits simmers moving up from a gamepad in MSFS 2024, with Hall-effect magnetic sensors that hold a steady center on short final. Rudder comes from twisting the grip, so there are no pedals in the box, and the grip is right-handed only.
Updated October 2026
Pros & Cons for MSFS
Strengths
- The main axes use Hall effect sensors, which read your inputs with magnets instead of rubbing parts, so the stick keeps a reliable center and the nose doesn't creep when you click off the autopilot and hand-fly the last mile to the runway.
- You get a throttle as its own unit rather than a lever bolted beside your thumb, which is rare for what this money usually buys — set climb power on an Airbus departure, let go, and spend both hands on trim and the flight plan.
- With 5 axes, 14 programmable inputs and adjustable spring tension, it fits both a light trainer and a heavy jet: soften the spring for gentle sightseeing, firm it up for holding a steady bank in turbulence, and add Thrustmaster TFRP pedals later if you want proper feet on the rudder.
Trade-offs
- On PS5 you must check the box actually says Hotas 5 (or the older Hotas 4) — the Xbox-licensed Hotas One looks nearly identical but will not be seen by MSFS on a PlayStation, so a careless order means a return instead of a first flight.
- The base and grip are plastic and the rudder is a twist of the stick, so twisting hard during a gusty crosswind landing can tug your aileron hand slightly; the next step up in price brings metal parts and separate pedals that keep rudder and roll fully independent.
Full Specifications
- Sensors
- Hall effect (contactless)
- Throttle
- Its own throttle unit
- Rudder
- Twist grip
- Grip
- Right hand
- Spring tension
- Adjustable
- Build
- Plastic
- Axes
- 5
- Buttons
- 14
- Works on
- PC, PS5
- Released
- 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a good Flight Stick for MSFS?
Yes — it scores 86.5/100 for MSFS 2024 and suits anyone stepping off a gamepad or keyboard onto a proper stick. It shines in the parts of a flight you do by hand: the Hall-effect sensors keep a steady center on an approach, and the separate throttle lets you set a climb power and leave it. It shows its limits in build material and in the twist rudder, which is less precise than feet on pedals when you are tracking the centerline in wind.
Is it worth the price for MSFS?
For the money you are getting a Hall-effect stick with its own throttle unit and adjustable spring tension, where plenty of alternatives give you a potentiometer stick with the throttle stuck to the base. If you want the same sensors plus metal parts and dedicated pedals, that is the next step up in price, and most simmers won't miss it until they have a hundred hours logged.
Does it work on Xbox or PS5?
It works for MSFS 2024 on PC and on PS5, which matters because PS5 only accepts a short list of Thrustmaster controls — the same box covers both, so a PC upgrade later doesn't mean a new stick. One tip: on PC it plugs into USB and loads a ready-made control profile, but Xbox Cloud Gaming on phones or a browser doesn't accept flight sticks at all, so plan on the console or the PC itself.
Do I need rudder pedals with it?
No, you don't need pedals to start — twisting the grip gives you rudder, and nothing else is required in the box. Pedals become worth adding once you are taxiing tight taxiways or landing in a crosswind, where feet are steadier than wrists; Thrustmaster TFRP pedals plug straight into this stick on console, and you should unassign the twist axis in the control settings so the two don't fight each other.
How should I configure this in MSFS?
First check that MSFS has picked up the stick and that pitch, roll, throttle and the twist rudder are all assigned to the right axes before you fly. If the aircraft feels twitchy, add a small dead zone (a tiny ignored area around center) and soften the sensitivity curve so small movements do less; then dial the spring tension to taste — looser for gentle hand-flying, firmer so the twist rudder doesn't get nudged while you hold a bank.