Flight Stick · X-Plane 12
Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas 5 Microsoft Flight Simulator Edition
- Budget
- Hall-effect sensors
- PC and PS5
- 5 axes · 14 buttons
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X-Plane 12 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 X-Plane 12
The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas 5 suits simmers moving up from a gamepad to X-Plane 12, with Hall-effect magnetic sensors that keep the center steady on short final. The trade-off is plastic build, a right-handed grip and rudder by twisting the stick rather than pedals.
Updated October 2026
Pros & Cons for X-Plane 12
Strengths
- Hall-effect sensors on the main axes read your inputs with magnets instead of rubbing contacts, so the center stays put — hold a bank in a steady turn or fly a long ILS in X-Plane 12 and the nose doesn't creep while your hand is still.
- The throttle is its own unit rather than a small lever bolted to the stick base, which is rare for what this money usually buys — set climb power once and leave it there while you trim and work the radios.
- Five axes, 14 programmable inputs and adjustable spring tension make it a sensible first HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) for GA touring or an airliner climb, and X-Plane 12 lets you map every one of them and add rudder pedals later without replacing the stick.
Trade-offs
- Rudder comes from twisting the grip, which is fine in the cruise but awkward on a gusty crosswind landing — pulling back into the flare can add a little twist you didn't ask for, and long taxi turns mean holding the grip over.
- The body is plastic and the grip is right-handed only, so left-handers, and anyone who wants a sturdier gimbal or a throttle with a detent (a notch you can feel for idle or reverse), will need to look at the next step up in price.
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 X-Plane 12?
Yes — it scores 86.5/100 for X-Plane 12 and is a sound pick if you're stepping off a gamepad or keyboard. Hall-effect sensors and the separate throttle show their worth in hand-flown approaches and long climbs, where a steady center and a power lever you can set and leave really matter. It shows its limits in strong crosswind work and in bigger airliners, where twist rudder and a plastic body feel less settled than pedals and a heavier gimbal.
Is it worth the price for X-Plane 12?
For the money you get contactless Hall-effect sensors on the main axes plus a throttle that stands on its own, a pairing you don't often see without spending more on a flight stick. If you already own rudder pedals and only fly light GA in X-Plane 12, a plain stick would cover you, but this handles pitch, roll, rudder and power in one box.
Which platforms does it work on?
It's listed for PC and PS5, and X-Plane 12 runs on Windows PC (and Mac) rather than consoles, so console licensing doesn't matter here — plug it into the PC and assign each axis and button in X-Plane's controller settings. If you also want it on a console, check the box says Hotas 5 (or the older Hotas 4), because the Xbox-labelled lookalike won't work on PS5.
Do I need rudder pedals with it?
No — rudder is built in as a twist of the grip and no pedals come in the box, so you can fly X-Plane 12 the day it arrives. Add rudder pedals once you're doing crosswind landings or a lot of taxiing with differential braking, and when you do, unassign the twist axis in X-Plane so your hand can't feed in rudder behind your back.
How should I configure this in X-Plane 12?
Plug it in first and open X-Plane 12's controller settings to confirm all five axes and the 14 inputs are recognized and mapped the way you want them. If pitch or roll feels twitchy, add a small null zone (a dead zone around center where nothing happens) and soften the response curve for that axis, set the detachable throttle up as its own axis so climb power stays where you put it, and firm up the spring tension if the stick feels too light on approach.