Review on Ultimate Precision: Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Flight Stick for Windows by Robert Pearson

The Warthog gets a lot of negative feedback because of the plastic gimbal, and rightly so. But of all the other options, including the Virpil, VKB, and Winwing, the Warthog is the cheapest, most affordable, and easiest joystick to buy to get to the top. Fully deployed, my base actually developed the least amount of twisting movement, but *that's only because I bought a few different 10cm extensions, the first one was poor quality and required me to repeatedly screw and unscrew what unnecessary pressure exerted on the gimbal. This can be remedied by buying a good quality extension cord and cable if you plan to use them. Because of this, I bought an extra base in case my current one breaks. However, I am still using my original base with a very slight twisting motion and it has not affected my flight in any way. I will continue to use this base and leave the new one under the table until the original breaks. And finally the handle. I LOVE recording. Did I mention I love him? I do. This is the most important selling point for me. No other grip, be it Virpil, VKB or Winwing, feels as real as the Warthog. The former are actually quite plasticky and cheap, albeit of high quality. That weight adds an unexpected level of immersion that I just can't leave out for any of the others. Because of this, I've come to terms with the need for a new base from time to time, and for $169, even if it's once a year, I can download it, although it's known to last much longer. Another option is Virpil, but they are quite expensive even for their bases and always get backordered.