X-Plane 12 · Head to head
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Flight Stick vs Winwing Ursa Minor Fighter Joystick
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Discontinued
Thrustmaster replaced the HOTAS Warthog with the Warthog MKII in September 2026, so we rank the MKII instead. See the current flight stick rankings for MSFS 2024 and X-Plane 12.
Discontinued
Amazon itself no longer sells this stick (only third-party sellers, with little stock), so we no longer rank it. See the current flight stick rankings for MSFS 2024 and X-Plane 12.
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Flight Stick vs Winwing Ursa Minor Fighter Joystick for X-Plane 12: Ursa Minor wins by 10.5 points.
The Winwing Ursa Minor rates 75/100 against the Warthog's 64.5/100 on our model-derived scale, a gap that translates to more usable axes and buttons during complex IFR approaches into photogrammetry-heavy airports like KLAX or EGLL. The Warthog holds its ground for pilots running lean VFR cross-country legs in familiar airframes where its proven metal construction and established axis mapping feel locked-in. The Ursa Minor's six axes and 26 buttons give VR city flyover sessions and online multiplayer ops a meaningful edge, reducing button-reaching head-tracking breaks mid-flight.
Choose Thrustmaster Warthog Stick if…
Choose Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Flight Stick if you already have a mature X-Plane 12 profile built around its axis layout and want a metal stick with zero relearning curve for your existing VFR workflows.
Choose Winwing Ursa Minor if…
Choose Winwing Ursa Minor Fighter Joystick if you fly demanding X-Plane 12 scenarios — dense VR city approaches, high-workload multiplayer sessions, or photogrammetry airports — and need the extra axes and button count to keep hands on stick.
Our take
The Winwing Ursa Minor Fighter Joystick is the clear call for most X-Plane 12 pilots: a 10.5-point lead, more axes, more buttons, and the same metal build make it the stronger stick across every high-workload scenario.
Quick Take: Thrustmaster Warthog Stick vs Winwing Ursa Minor
Sensors
Tied
Best Value
Thrustmaster Warthog Stick
Throttle & Rudder
Tied
Thrustmaster Warthog Stick scores 55/100 while Winwing Ursa Minor scores 58.45/100 for X-Plane 12. They are closely matched.
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