Before the analog stick or directional pad, there was the joystick. These primitive rudders might seem simply by todays standards, but its the granddaddy of all modern control schemes we have today. Over the years joysticks have delineated into several different types of controllers including your standard gamepad, flight sticks and fight sticks, and joysticks have even made their way into specialized gaming mice and PC keypads.The right joystick can make you feel like Maverick in Top Gun, or perhaps Kara Thrace in Battlestar Galactica. Other implementations of joysticks offer a surprising amount of innovation with some devices like vertical mice and fight sticks giving people better and more customizable ways to play.Whatever you are looking for, Ive rounded up the best PC joysticks below, organized by category. And be sure to check out the end of the article, where Ive put together a buying guide that highlights what you should keep in mind when you shop for a controller outside of our recommendations.
TL;DR These are the Best PC Joysticks
1. Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog PC
Best Flight Sim Joystick
Controls: 20 Dimensions: 18.1 x 9.8 x 12.6 inches Weight: 12.2 pounds Good for games like: IL-2 Sturmovik
For serious, dedicated flight sim fans, the Warthog is one of the finest joysticks ever made. Machined almost entirely from metal, it feels solid and has a military aesthetic about it and it stays put, with no tendency to slide around on your desk. Its covered in about 20 buttons, switches, and hats, which are all fully remappable. The separate throttle offers a hands on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) experience and has a split controller for operating dual engines.The Warthog moniker comes from the fact that its modeled after the controls in the A-10, and for deeper immersion, the controls actually require the same actuation pressure as the real thing. The joystick maintains extreme precision, in part because it relies on magnetic Hall Effect sensors for orientation. There are even a handful of programmable LEDs for nighttime gaming. Unfortunately, theres no z-axis rotation on this joystick (because you wont find a twisting stick in the A10, either). But if youre willing to buy a Warthog, perhaps youre also willing to invest in a set of rudder pedals.
2. Logitech G X56 H.O.T.A.S. RGB
Best Midpriced Flight Sim Joystick
Controls: 30 Dimensions: 11.4 x 6.7 x 7.1 inches Weight: 5 pounds Good for games like: Elite: Dangerous
Logitechs G X56 is, in many ways, a more affordable version of the Thrustmaster Warthog; its a hyper-authentic throttle and stick combo, boasting a massive 30 programmable buttons, switches, and hats along with Hall Effect magnetic sensors. And like the Thrustmaster, the throttle splits for dual engine control. The biggest difference is in the industrial design this system is mostly plastic, and relies on suction cups, not heft, to stay in place. Another difference, though, is that this joystick has z-axis support, so it might be a smarter alternative for many gamers. The lower price is just a bonus.When you factor in that each control has three programmable modes, that adds up to a formidable 189 programmable settings. In addition, theres a mini analog stick on both the throttle and stick, useful for gimballed weapons and sensors controlled independently from the air frame.
3. Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS X
Best Budget Flight Sim Joystick
Controls: 17 Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches Weight: 4.7 pounds Good for games like: Elite: Dangerous
Costing just a small fraction of serious sticks like the Warthog and X56, you might think that the Thrustmastrer T.Flight HOTAS X couldnt be more than a toy, but it packs a surprising amount of simulation power into its plastic frame. Youll probably appreciate the fully detachable throttle assembly; it remains wired to stick, but you can arrange them on either side of your keyboard a handy feature, since youll probably need a lot of keyboards shortcuts since the HOTAS X has just 17 programmable buttons and switches (though, in fairness, thats a solid array of controls for folks new to flight sims).You can store multiple button mapping profiles in the joysticks on-board memory, and switch among them on the fly with no need to launch desktop software.
4. Logitech Extreme 3D Pro
Best Budget Joystick
Controls: 13 Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.8 x 8.4 inches Weight: 2.7 pounds Good for games like: Star Citizen
Not everyone needs an authentic flight stick if you just want to jump in the cockpit and start flying without mastering dozens of controls, a budget stick like Logitechs Extreme 3D Pro is just what the doctor ordered. Even so, it offers a dozen buttons and an eight-way hat for controlling your ship without resorting to the keyboard.The focus here is on simplicity, so the trigger features a rapid-fire mode, you get a manageable number of programmable buttons, and the z-axis rotation delivers simple rudder control. The whole thing sits firmly on a very wide base to prevent tipping and sliding during gameplay.
5. Thrustmaster T16000M FCS
Best Joystick for Lefties
Controls: 17 Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.3 x 8 inches Weight: 2.6 pounds Good for games like: Elite: Dangerous
Another solid budget-priced joystick made of the same DNA as Logitechs Extreme 3D Pro, this model uses Hall Effect magnetic sensors for precision, which is great in a budget-priced stick. It also features 16 buttons, an eight-way hat switch, and z-axis rotation.The best feature, though, is a gift to leftie gamers. The joystick is fully ambidextrous; by swapping around three components, you can play it with either the left or right hand.
6. ZLOT Vertical Gaming Mouse
Best Vertical Gaming Mouse
Controls: 11 Dimensions: 4.3 x 2.8 x 3 inches Weight: 7.8 ounces Good for games like: Counter-strike
It might seem odd to put a joystick on a gaming mouse when theyre designed to be pointing devices in the first place, but the ZLOT Vertical Gaming Mouse makes good use of its stick. You can think of the joystick on this peripheral as more of a four-way toggle than a true joystick. Sure you can set each of the cardinal directions as WASD, but you wont get the diagonal movement control of a true joystick. Still, you can use the stick here for quickly switching weapons, activating character abilities, and putting other commands.Joystick aside, the vertical tower design in the ZLOT Vertical Gaming Mouse reduces stress on your wrist and fingers and improves reaction time while eliminating fatigue. Despite being easy on the budget, the ZLOT mouse uses a Pixart PMW3325 IR sensor with five adjustable resolution settings from 1,500 to 10,000 DPI, and includes 11 programmable, macro-capable buttons (including the thumbstick), with the settings stored in the mouses internal memory.
7. Mayflash F500 Arcade FightStick
Best Fight Stick
Controls: 7 Dimensions: 14.2 x 2.4 x 9.2 inches Weight: 6 pounds Good for games like: Mortal Kombat
Specialized games sometimes require specialized controllers flight sims have flight sticks, for example, and fighting games have fightsticks. The Mayflash F500 Arcade FightStick is a step up from an entry-level controller, and justifies a slightly higher price tag with a hefty metal frame and support for headset audio for gaming consoles. Speaking of which, it has broad compatibility you can plug it into a PC or pretty much any gaming console. It also includes both square and octagonal top plates, so you can set it up with the layout you prefer.The F500 has eight buttons, and while theyre perfectly serviceable controls, its easy and inexpensive to customize the F500 by swapping out the buttons for arcade-quality Sanwa Denshi parts. Many dedicated fighting game users do exactly that.
8. Razer Tartarus v2 Gaming Keypad
Best Gaming Keypad
Controls: 25 Dimensions: 2.4 x 8 x 6 inches Weight: 12.3 ounces Good for games like: Overwatch
Youve got to be a dedicated gamer to invest in a gaming keypad, since these one-handed keypads are generally pretty limited to just games (though some people also use them for professional applications like macros in Photoshop go figure). The Razer Tartarus v2 includes 19 hybrid mechanical/membrane keys for less clicky, yet tactile input and an eight-way D-pad with a removable knob. The entire keypad is programmable with remapping and macros options, with three different profiles you can switch between on the fly, making it great for both MMOs and FPS titles.Its all supported by a cushioned, removable palm rest, and the thoughtful ergonomics of the Tartarus make this a great choice to set off to the side of a laptop for very comfortable gaming and it also features full RGB lighting, so it looks as good as it feels.
What to Look for in a PC Joystick
Joysticks arent run-of-the-mill gaming accessories. Theyre specialized gadgets with their own lingo and features. Right off the bat, for example, you should decide if you just need a stick, or also a detached throttle control. HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) configurations try to authentically simulate aircraft and, more fantastically, spaceships. For sure, having your hands on both throttle and stick can feel authentic and significantly increase your immersion.Bonus points: Some throttles also split to let you separately control two engines. On the other hand, you can sacrifice realism with a less pricey joystick that includes a rudimentary throttle lever integrated into the base.
The quantity and configuration of buttons is also critical; more controls add up to more realism and fewer reasons to ever touch the keyboard in-game. But 30 buttons with three programmable modes each can mean 100 or more different commands, which may be a lot more than you have the patience to learn as a casual gamer. If that sounds intimidating, you might be happy with a simple keyboard with a dozen buttons and switches.
Once you get past those basics, there are a lot of smaller details that distinguish joysticks. Stick tension is important to the feel of the game, and thats something you can really only appreciate by trying out in person. Some joysticks err on the side of being too stiff, but thats probably far preferable to a joystick thats too lose, which feels cheap and inauthentic.
Some joysticks twist from side to side this is referred to as z-axis rotation and lets you easily apply rudder or yaw. As a general rule, youll want this, particularly in flight and space simulators. And dont forget that in the heat of combat, its good to have a joystick that stays put. Some joysticks ensure stability through sheer mass. Others have suction cups to keep it from sliding.
Dave Johnson has been writing about gaming and tech since the days of the Palm Pilot. See him shout into the Twitter void @davejoh
