PS4 Thrustmaster hotas 4, yay or nay?

The only answer is: try it out yourself, no one can answer this for someone else, since it's a personal preference. Some prefer DS4, others HOTAS and then there's the few who like both.
Order it and if you don't like it, send it back, else keep it. (Don't know where you're from, but here you get 2 weeks to try out online ordered items in which you may decide to not keep it)

Oh, and it doesn't matter if you're lefthanded or not. They also don't make special cars (just a silly example) for lefthanded people, do they? :)
 
Absolutely yay.

I started with a DS4 and then got the Thrustmaster 4; the former works well and they've done a great job of getting the most out of it, but you can't be the latter. I think the immersion value alone would be enough, but it controls really well, too.

My general impression from people knocking the Thrustmaster 4 is that they tend to be PC gamers who have used, or at least have the choice of using, a range of joysticks that probably are better. But us PS4 players don't really have that choice or anything to compare it to.

Thrustmaster 4 might not be as good as others out there, but it's more than adequate for PS4 players. Just make sure you have a laptop cushion to place it on if you're playing from a couch.
 
It comes in very handy. I have gotten pretty good at landing it that way as I can make very fine adjustments as needed. Also since R3 is on the front right of the control stick it is easy to press down while using my thumb on the hat switch to quickly adjust the PIPs while in combat. Granted I haven't done much combat except a few bounties in my sidewinder but I figured I should practice in a cheap ship before upgrading to a better and more expensive one.

Unfortunately this set up doesn’t suit me for combat. I tried it and realized quickly that my fingers are already on R1 and L1 for weapons which makes it awkward to use the thruster and fire at the same time.
 
Unfortunately this set up doesn’t suit me for combat. I tried it and realized quickly that my fingers are already on R1 and L1 for weapons which makes it awkward to use the thruster and fire at the same time.

I use my middle finger for the trigger/ R1 which leaves my index finger ready for R3. my thumb can move quickly from Secondary fire/L1, L3, and the hat switch easily.
 
Well, my Thrustmaster hotas 4 arrived this morning and after using it for around 25 minutes I'm sorry to say it's going to be returned.

I do have issues with it, mainly

1:- The throttle feels 'cheap', but also the throttle has very little feel to it, apart from the detent at 50%, 0-49% and 51-100% has no feel at all, it just flops around, there's no resistance whatsoever.

2:- The button placement on the throttle is quite horrible, mainly the triangle button which is in a silly place and is hard to reach.

3:- Although the flightstick does feel nice to use, there's only 1 hat switch on it?? Surely you need 2.
4:- an overall lack of buttons means you still need to do button combinations like 'circle + down', which is uncomfortable with the button placement on the throttle being so bad

I was looking forward to getting and using this but even a short time using it has me believing that I could never use this more than short bursts as I'd get cramp in my throttle hand. So I'll return it and go back to the DS4.

Sony really need to support something like the X-52, which has enough buttons and in good positions.
 
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Is the X52 Throttle completely separate to the stick (ie separate usb connection)? cause I'm not sure if that would work on PS that only allows one control device to be active at a time (I think).
 
Sorry to hear that. I find the throttle stays in place quite handily without any flopping around, so it might be you have a dud one. As for long-term use, I've never ahd a cramping issue, even when playing for 10+ hours (and this racing an SRV across the surface of a planet, so being constantly on the throttle). A second hat would be nice, but there's never been one on the X / 4.
 
I use my middle finger for the trigger/ R1 which leaves my index finger ready for R3. my thumb can move quickly from Secondary fire/L1, L3, and the hat switch easily.

Yep me too. I really like this arrangement. I also read somewhere that your middle finger is stronger and therefore quicker on the trigger. I always used my middle finger on a mouse when I played the odd FPS on PC many years ago. I am small (think second breakfast and hairy feet) so I stuck some foam around the base rest on the stick to raise my hand way up so that my thumb fits comfortably across the hat, L1 and L3 then my index finger rests on R3 and middle finger nicely on R1.
 
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Sorry to hear that. I find the throttle stays in place quite handily without any flopping around, so it might be you have a dud one. As for long-term use, I've never ahd a cramping issue, even when playing for 10+ hours (and this racing an SRV across the surface of a planet, so being constantly on the throttle). A second hat would be nice, but there's never been one on the X / 4.

I do use the throttle in the SRV but I have also mapped the HAT switch up/down to throttle so I can just set the speed at a specific amount by adding/removing 'pips'. It's quite leisurely, like cruise control.
 
Well, you’re obviously more dexterous than I am. I think my hand would cramp up doing that. :)

It's only when in combat I need to do that and most engagements I have been in don't last very long. When not in combat I just rest my hand on it normally. I admit it took some getting used to but now it just feels natural.
 
It's only when in combat I need to do that and most engagements I have been in don't last very long. When not in combat I just rest my hand on it normally. I admit it took some getting used to but now it just feels natural.

I didn't spend months with a HOTAS I'd bought way before a game was released just resting my hand on it getting used to it. No way. That would be crazy.
 
I didn't spend months with a HOTAS I'd bought way before a game was released just resting my hand on it getting used to it. No way. That would be crazy.

I actually got the game on release day and didn't get my HOTAS until a few days after release. But I do tend to have to stay in contact with it or it starts to cause my ship to drift. I may have to try changing the deadzones to see if it helps.
 
I actually got the game on release day and didn't get my HOTAS until a few days after release. But I do tend to have to stay in contact with it or it starts to cause my ship to drift. I may have to try changing the deadzones to see if it helps.

I've set pitch and roll deadzones to five pips on. Enough to stop the drift, but not really noticeable when you move the stick.
 
Well, my Thrustmaster hotas 4 arrived this morning and after using it for around 25 minutes I'm sorry to say it's going to be returned.

I do have issues with it, mainly

1:- The throttle feels 'cheap', but also the throttle has very little feel to it, apart from the detent at 50%, 0-49% and 51-100% has no feel at all, it just flops around, there's no resistance whatsoever.

2:- The button placement on the throttle is quite horrible, mainly the triangle button which is in a silly place and is hard to reach.

3:- Although the flightstick does feel nice to use, there's only 1 hat switch on it?? Surely you need 2.
4:- an overall lack of buttons means you still need to do button combinations like 'circle + down', which is uncomfortable with the button placement on the throttle being so bad

I was looking forward to getting and using this but even a short time using it has me believing that I could never use this more than short bursts as I'd get cramp in my throttle hand. So I'll return it and go back to the DS4.

Sony really need to support something like the X-52, which has enough buttons and in good positions.

Agree with 1, dunno about 3, but 2 and 4 I don't get.
About 4: besides missing the touchpad, how is it different from the DS4? IF only placement, see below.
And 2:"The square, circle and cross are easily done I can do easily with the thumb and the triangle can be pressed with the "mouse of the hand", which is the "abductor pollicis brevis" I think in this picture.
Not sure if you're meant to trigger the triangle button like that, but accessing with the thumb is indeed more difficult.

That said, this is of course just my PoV and I do hope for more stick support, you can't have enough choice!
 
Agree with 1, dunno about 3, but 2 and 4 I don't get.
About 4: besides missing the touchpad, how is it different from the DS4? IF only placement, see below.
And 2:"The square, circle and cross are easily done I can do easily with the thumb and the triangle can be pressed with the "mouse of the hand", which is the "abductor pollicis brevis" I think in this picture.
Not sure if you're meant to trigger the triangle button like that, but accessing with the thumb is indeed more difficult.

That said, this is of course just my PoV and I do hope for more stick support, you can't have enough choice!

All good points, hence the reason to allow reassignment of buttons.
 
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