Hi folks,
This will be a concise but somewhat comprehensive review of the HOTAS 4 on PS4, with a number of recommendations included along the way. This is intended both for people on the fence about HOTAS and for people with HOTAS currently. To make it as intuitive as possible for those on the fence, I'll structure it as responses to questions. I may update this from time to time as I learn more.
First, some initial qualifications:
a) I have been playing ED on Xbox since October 2015.
b) I have never used the Thrustmaster HOTAS 4, or any other HOTAS setup, before.
c) I bought ED PS4 on release day and have been playing with HOTAS 4 since the day after release, averaging maybe 6 hours a day.
d) I am playing on PS4 Pro.
HARDWARE
Q. Is the hardware flimsy, weak, light, or otherwise shoddy?
A. No. It's plastic and both the throttle and stick feel pretty light in my hands. But the bases are solid and heavy and stick nicely to a table surface. I have mine on my glass-topped coffee table (I sit cross-legged on the floor) and they haven't slipped once.
Q. How long are the cables?
A. The cable connecting to the PS4 is 6-8 feet long, so perfectly reasonable for someone who wants to sit on a couch. The cable between the throttle and stick is a bit over 12" I think. To give you an idea of what this allows, at maximum extension I can sit my 13" MacBook Pro between the throttle and stick (which makes searching for trade information and so on particularly convenient).
Q. How durable is the HOTAS 4?
A. Having only had it about a week, it's hard to say. If taken care of, I don't see any reason why it won't last as long as a DS4. I only have two areas of concern: (1) the stick mechanism and (2) the D-pad on the top of the stick. I'm unsure whether they'll wear out in the short term, so I'm being careful how I use them, particularly in the case of the D-pad . To be clear, I've no reason to expect they'll wear out - I just don't know what to expect from them. I should note that I hold controllers lightly and never, ever shove or otherwise intensely use them. If you're pushing and shoving the flight stick around in combat like your life depends on it, I expect your HOTAS will expire far sooner than mine.
Q. I've heard the throttle is sensitive - is this a problem?
A. The throttle was more sensitive than I'd expected, and if I'd written this on day 1, I might have complained about it. But after almost a week, I've adjusted to the sensitivity of the device. And of course, you can adjust the throttle sensitivity on the software side in the ED options to compensate if you wish.
Q. Does the HOTAS 4 feel cheap, particularly compared to other HOTAS setups?
A. I can't speak to the comparison, but it feels perfectly fine, particularly at the price point. I have no regrets from a hardware perspective and in fact it's so good that I've decided to invest in a Thrustmaster PS4 steering wheel for Driveclub.
Q. I've heard there aren't enough buttons - is this a problem?
A. Certainly the HOTAS 4 doesn't have as many buttons as some HOTAS, and the lack of DS4 and/or keyboard support is an issue. However, after running the training missions and flying a couple of ships around in-game, I've adjusted the default button mapping in order to optimize the limitations. At this point, I'm VERY comfortable with my button map and with the number of buttons on the HOTAS 4. This is a subjective point - yet I can say that, objectively, there are enough buttons and button menus to capture the important ship functions (on this point, let me emphasize that I've been playing on XBOX since 2015 so have extensive experience with the game).
Q. How does the ship function with HOTAS 4?
A. Beautifully. I'm been using a controller for almost 2 years, and the HOTAS is a MASSIVE improvement. Once muscle memory kicks in, control is effortless and far exceeds that possible with a regular controller. For those familiar with using a controller, there's no longer any need to switch between control schemes to achieve full range motion - everything is available in the regular control scheme and so those "tricky" maneuvers, like canyon running, high speed docking, and combat in an asteroid belt are suddenly easy and enjoyable.
Q. Do the HOTAS really boost immersion in a measurable way?
A. To me, this is a very subjective question. My answer is this: far in excess of what I'd hoped. I really do feel like I'm flying my ship. Immersion has gone through the roof for me. One example: On XBOX, I got pretty good at flying with the controller. I could land at high speed effortlessly, for instance when boosting into a station to avoid a scan when smuggling. I did this a couple of days ago with HOTAS in order to meet a delivery mission deadline and...MY GOD! I felt so good as I smoothly landed my Cobra in a graceful arc of bright blue fire on the pad. Hell, my wife, who sometimes watches me play while crocheting, was even impressed by how cool it looked to see me controlling it with the HOTAS. That's what I call a seal of approval.
BUTTON MAPPING
Q. How is the default map?
A. OK, this really requires that I emphasize my past experience with XBOX. In my time, I've seen two general complaints about controller play: (1) not enough buttons, (2) the button menus (i.e. where you hold down a button to pop up the submenu controllable via the D-pad). To me, the button menus were an acceptable solution to the limited number of buttons on the controller and after almost 2 years of play my XBOX button map has become second nature.
This muscle memory kicked in automatically when I switched to PS4 with the DS4 on release night. The touch pad offered a nice addition which I made use of initially.
With the HOTAS 4, the default button mapping is effectively what it is on XBOX and DS4, with the obvious exception of the motion controls. Remarkably, after figuring out where all the buttons are on the HOTAS, my muscle memory kicked in in less than an hour, even in the case of the button submenus, and I had no trouble selecting my various ship functions. Chiefly, it was an issue of using my left rather than right hand to select functions. My difficulty lay entirely with moving the ship, particularly in high-stress situations like combat, and in switching to a throttle.
So, for those familiar with and comfortable using the default controller map, I don't envision a significant period of relearning. That said, on the basis of almost a week's experience I have decided that the default map can be optimized for the HOTAS 4, which I'll detail next.
Q. How have you optimized your HOTAS button map?
A. OK, I've seen lots of threads here and on reddit asking about this. So here goes:
- I switched fire group control to square + the D-pad (left and right). I chose square because that's the weapon function button, making for more intuitive button map recollection.
- I switched circle from boost to landing gear (hence eliminating the accidental boost problem) and made boost circle + D-pad down (the former landing gear control). Initially I was hesitant to move boost to a submenu due to the value of having boost ready at hand in emergencies, but when adding the value of my comfort with submenus (a subjective factor) and the convenience of eliminating the accidental boost problem (an objective factor), I made the jump and now muscle memory has kicked in.
- For the SRV, many people have complained about the default settings. I don't mind them. However, I did switch boost to the stick for the SRV.
- Galaxy menu: I made a number of tweaks to the default. I made the throttle control pitch on the galaxy map; square and circle control zoom; and R2 + L2 control height (this last might be default - I can't remember).
- Regular menus: I ensured that the trigger always and everywhere serves as a second X for menus, while R1 serves as a second circle to exit menus. This has really sped up menu functionality.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
HOTAS 4 significantly boosts immersion. It doesn't offer any measurable benefit (to my mind) over a regular controller when it comes to controlling ship functions due to the lack of additional buttons, nor does it in any way limit gameplay as against a DS4. However, when it comes to moving the ship the HOTAS offers unparalleled control, particularly by combining all movement options in one control map. The game menu's extensive remapping options and sensitivity options give you total control of the scheme and so, to my mind, whatever difficulty you will come across can be resolved by landing and revisiting your presets.
POSTSCRIPT: ENABLING HOTAS
Here's a guide on how to setup your HOTAS 4:
1. With the PS4 off, plug in the HOTAS.
(1.1. I believe you can also plug in the HOTAS while the console is on, but on the main menu with ED closed.)
2. Turn on the PS4 using the power button on the console.
3. Use the D-pad on the HOTAS to select ED. Press X to run the game. (On PS menus, the D-pad provides navigation or, if you prefer, the stick, and X and O serve their normal functions to select or exit.)
4. On the game main menu, select Options > Controls.
5. Change the controller setting from Default/Custom to Thrustmaster HOTAS 4.
6. FYI: If you remap your HOTAS buttons, the controller setting will show Custom rather than Thrustmaster HOTAS 4. Your HOTAS will still be active, so don't worry. I say this because it confused me momentarily.
7. Enjoy!
I hope this helps. o7
This will be a concise but somewhat comprehensive review of the HOTAS 4 on PS4, with a number of recommendations included along the way. This is intended both for people on the fence about HOTAS and for people with HOTAS currently. To make it as intuitive as possible for those on the fence, I'll structure it as responses to questions. I may update this from time to time as I learn more.
First, some initial qualifications:
a) I have been playing ED on Xbox since October 2015.
b) I have never used the Thrustmaster HOTAS 4, or any other HOTAS setup, before.
c) I bought ED PS4 on release day and have been playing with HOTAS 4 since the day after release, averaging maybe 6 hours a day.
d) I am playing on PS4 Pro.
HARDWARE
Q. Is the hardware flimsy, weak, light, or otherwise shoddy?
A. No. It's plastic and both the throttle and stick feel pretty light in my hands. But the bases are solid and heavy and stick nicely to a table surface. I have mine on my glass-topped coffee table (I sit cross-legged on the floor) and they haven't slipped once.
Q. How long are the cables?
A. The cable connecting to the PS4 is 6-8 feet long, so perfectly reasonable for someone who wants to sit on a couch. The cable between the throttle and stick is a bit over 12" I think. To give you an idea of what this allows, at maximum extension I can sit my 13" MacBook Pro between the throttle and stick (which makes searching for trade information and so on particularly convenient).
Q. How durable is the HOTAS 4?
A. Having only had it about a week, it's hard to say. If taken care of, I don't see any reason why it won't last as long as a DS4. I only have two areas of concern: (1) the stick mechanism and (2) the D-pad on the top of the stick. I'm unsure whether they'll wear out in the short term, so I'm being careful how I use them, particularly in the case of the D-pad . To be clear, I've no reason to expect they'll wear out - I just don't know what to expect from them. I should note that I hold controllers lightly and never, ever shove or otherwise intensely use them. If you're pushing and shoving the flight stick around in combat like your life depends on it, I expect your HOTAS will expire far sooner than mine.
Q. I've heard the throttle is sensitive - is this a problem?
A. The throttle was more sensitive than I'd expected, and if I'd written this on day 1, I might have complained about it. But after almost a week, I've adjusted to the sensitivity of the device. And of course, you can adjust the throttle sensitivity on the software side in the ED options to compensate if you wish.
Q. Does the HOTAS 4 feel cheap, particularly compared to other HOTAS setups?
A. I can't speak to the comparison, but it feels perfectly fine, particularly at the price point. I have no regrets from a hardware perspective and in fact it's so good that I've decided to invest in a Thrustmaster PS4 steering wheel for Driveclub.
Q. I've heard there aren't enough buttons - is this a problem?
A. Certainly the HOTAS 4 doesn't have as many buttons as some HOTAS, and the lack of DS4 and/or keyboard support is an issue. However, after running the training missions and flying a couple of ships around in-game, I've adjusted the default button mapping in order to optimize the limitations. At this point, I'm VERY comfortable with my button map and with the number of buttons on the HOTAS 4. This is a subjective point - yet I can say that, objectively, there are enough buttons and button menus to capture the important ship functions (on this point, let me emphasize that I've been playing on XBOX since 2015 so have extensive experience with the game).
Q. How does the ship function with HOTAS 4?
A. Beautifully. I'm been using a controller for almost 2 years, and the HOTAS is a MASSIVE improvement. Once muscle memory kicks in, control is effortless and far exceeds that possible with a regular controller. For those familiar with using a controller, there's no longer any need to switch between control schemes to achieve full range motion - everything is available in the regular control scheme and so those "tricky" maneuvers, like canyon running, high speed docking, and combat in an asteroid belt are suddenly easy and enjoyable.
Q. Do the HOTAS really boost immersion in a measurable way?
A. To me, this is a very subjective question. My answer is this: far in excess of what I'd hoped. I really do feel like I'm flying my ship. Immersion has gone through the roof for me. One example: On XBOX, I got pretty good at flying with the controller. I could land at high speed effortlessly, for instance when boosting into a station to avoid a scan when smuggling. I did this a couple of days ago with HOTAS in order to meet a delivery mission deadline and...MY GOD! I felt so good as I smoothly landed my Cobra in a graceful arc of bright blue fire on the pad. Hell, my wife, who sometimes watches me play while crocheting, was even impressed by how cool it looked to see me controlling it with the HOTAS. That's what I call a seal of approval.
BUTTON MAPPING
Q. How is the default map?
A. OK, this really requires that I emphasize my past experience with XBOX. In my time, I've seen two general complaints about controller play: (1) not enough buttons, (2) the button menus (i.e. where you hold down a button to pop up the submenu controllable via the D-pad). To me, the button menus were an acceptable solution to the limited number of buttons on the controller and after almost 2 years of play my XBOX button map has become second nature.
This muscle memory kicked in automatically when I switched to PS4 with the DS4 on release night. The touch pad offered a nice addition which I made use of initially.
With the HOTAS 4, the default button mapping is effectively what it is on XBOX and DS4, with the obvious exception of the motion controls. Remarkably, after figuring out where all the buttons are on the HOTAS, my muscle memory kicked in in less than an hour, even in the case of the button submenus, and I had no trouble selecting my various ship functions. Chiefly, it was an issue of using my left rather than right hand to select functions. My difficulty lay entirely with moving the ship, particularly in high-stress situations like combat, and in switching to a throttle.
So, for those familiar with and comfortable using the default controller map, I don't envision a significant period of relearning. That said, on the basis of almost a week's experience I have decided that the default map can be optimized for the HOTAS 4, which I'll detail next.
Q. How have you optimized your HOTAS button map?
A. OK, I've seen lots of threads here and on reddit asking about this. So here goes:
- I switched fire group control to square + the D-pad (left and right). I chose square because that's the weapon function button, making for more intuitive button map recollection.
- I switched circle from boost to landing gear (hence eliminating the accidental boost problem) and made boost circle + D-pad down (the former landing gear control). Initially I was hesitant to move boost to a submenu due to the value of having boost ready at hand in emergencies, but when adding the value of my comfort with submenus (a subjective factor) and the convenience of eliminating the accidental boost problem (an objective factor), I made the jump and now muscle memory has kicked in.
- For the SRV, many people have complained about the default settings. I don't mind them. However, I did switch boost to the stick for the SRV.
- Galaxy menu: I made a number of tweaks to the default. I made the throttle control pitch on the galaxy map; square and circle control zoom; and R2 + L2 control height (this last might be default - I can't remember).
- Regular menus: I ensured that the trigger always and everywhere serves as a second X for menus, while R1 serves as a second circle to exit menus. This has really sped up menu functionality.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
HOTAS 4 significantly boosts immersion. It doesn't offer any measurable benefit (to my mind) over a regular controller when it comes to controlling ship functions due to the lack of additional buttons, nor does it in any way limit gameplay as against a DS4. However, when it comes to moving the ship the HOTAS offers unparalleled control, particularly by combining all movement options in one control map. The game menu's extensive remapping options and sensitivity options give you total control of the scheme and so, to my mind, whatever difficulty you will come across can be resolved by landing and revisiting your presets.
POSTSCRIPT: ENABLING HOTAS
Here's a guide on how to setup your HOTAS 4:
1. With the PS4 off, plug in the HOTAS.
(1.1. I believe you can also plug in the HOTAS while the console is on, but on the main menu with ED closed.)
2. Turn on the PS4 using the power button on the console.
3. Use the D-pad on the HOTAS to select ED. Press X to run the game. (On PS menus, the D-pad provides navigation or, if you prefer, the stick, and X and O serve their normal functions to select or exit.)
4. On the game main menu, select Options > Controls.
5. Change the controller setting from Default/Custom to Thrustmaster HOTAS 4.
6. FYI: If you remap your HOTAS buttons, the controller setting will show Custom rather than Thrustmaster HOTAS 4. Your HOTAS will still be active, so don't worry. I say this because it confused me momentarily.
7. Enjoy!
I hope this helps. o7
Just for the record, my Hotas X is 3 years old and not squeaking even a bit.
