Plugged in the new T.16000M HOTAS on my system last night (Takes two USB ports). This HOTAS is officially supported by Frontier.
I loaded the driver file I got from their web site, but did not install the T.A.R.G.E.T. software. I booted up E: D and went into settings to find a selection for that specific HOTAS and selected it. Saw that the vast majority of controls were already mapped to the buttons and was ready to fly.
Except, I had been using a Logitech Extreme 3D joystick and Thrustmaster HOTAS X throttle combo, so the pre-mapped settings were not the way I wanted them. Spent an hour erasing the presets and re-entering the mappings I wanted. I kitted up an A-rated Sidewinder, went into Solo and launched to test it out. After thirty more minutes, I had it set up reasonably well. Some observations:
- There is no middle detent for neutral on the throttle like the HOTAS X. You need to designate a button to toggle reverse thrust. Throttle action is smooth and has just the right amount of resistance for me.
- The secondary fire button isn't on the thumb-rest like the HOTAS X, instead it is directly under and beneath the hat switch on the top of the joystick. That took some getting used too and isn't ergonomic. I was scanning wakes as a test and it's an awkward position to keep your thumb in all the time.
- The base of the joystick lights up whenever you move it. That can be distracting. You may be able to turn that off using T.A.R.G.E.T. software, but I wanted to keep the install as minimal as possible.
- The three throttle side switches all have four selections available. Up, down, forward and back, which is great for mapping options. However, I found it was easy to select two functions at the same time, if you pulled back or pushed forwards at the wrong angle. This happened multiple times, even when mapping the controls. Will take some getting used too.
- I have a wooden desk and both of the HOTAS units kept their place without screws or rubber pads. There was no movement or sliding across the surface of the desk, regardless of the violence of my maneuvers.
- Button placement on the throttle is PERFECT. Each falls under my fingertips or thumb exactly. The joystick shaft placement is OK. I think they missed an opportunity by not putting the secondary trigger on the thumbrest, but the top of the stick works well. The base of the joystick is a different matter. There are six buttons on each side of the base. Forward buttons have depressions, where rear buttons have braille style bumps to tell them apart. That is good, but the angle and placement of those buttons is at an unnatural angle and you have to hold your hand at a weird angle to cover them all with your fingertips. Without a VR headset, I had to look to place my fingers, orient my fingertips to the buttons, then was able to click them. Took way too long and in VR would take even longer. Time spent finding a control in combat is death. As a result, I ended up not using those buttons for anything except ship lights. If I do use them in the future, it will be for non-combat related functions.
- Retail price is $129.99. I paid $156 (with shipping and duty to Bermuda). I feel it was good value for money and is a quality item. Build quality was good with consistent seams, no rough edges and a smooth finish. The joystick shaft is shaped for a hand and feels natural. There are a few little issues as noted above, but after roughly two hours of setting it up and testing, it's starting to feel comfortable. I haven't used it in an SRV yet, but plan on doing that tonight to get the controls set.
If it were not for the strange button placement on the base and secondary fire button location, I'd give this 5 out of 5. However, I'm going to rate it at 4 out of 5 because of those things. It is still better then the HOTAS X I used to run IMHO and YMMV. Will use the HOTAS for at least twenty more hours and add further commentary later. I just wanted to give a first impressions review for anyone considering this product.
Amazon link here: https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T-16000M-FCS-HOTAS-Controller/dp/B01KCHPRXA/
I loaded the driver file I got from their web site, but did not install the T.A.R.G.E.T. software. I booted up E: D and went into settings to find a selection for that specific HOTAS and selected it. Saw that the vast majority of controls were already mapped to the buttons and was ready to fly.
Except, I had been using a Logitech Extreme 3D joystick and Thrustmaster HOTAS X throttle combo, so the pre-mapped settings were not the way I wanted them. Spent an hour erasing the presets and re-entering the mappings I wanted. I kitted up an A-rated Sidewinder, went into Solo and launched to test it out. After thirty more minutes, I had it set up reasonably well. Some observations:
- There is no middle detent for neutral on the throttle like the HOTAS X. You need to designate a button to toggle reverse thrust. Throttle action is smooth and has just the right amount of resistance for me.
- The secondary fire button isn't on the thumb-rest like the HOTAS X, instead it is directly under and beneath the hat switch on the top of the joystick. That took some getting used too and isn't ergonomic. I was scanning wakes as a test and it's an awkward position to keep your thumb in all the time.
- The base of the joystick lights up whenever you move it. That can be distracting. You may be able to turn that off using T.A.R.G.E.T. software, but I wanted to keep the install as minimal as possible.
- The three throttle side switches all have four selections available. Up, down, forward and back, which is great for mapping options. However, I found it was easy to select two functions at the same time, if you pulled back or pushed forwards at the wrong angle. This happened multiple times, even when mapping the controls. Will take some getting used too.
- I have a wooden desk and both of the HOTAS units kept their place without screws or rubber pads. There was no movement or sliding across the surface of the desk, regardless of the violence of my maneuvers.
- Button placement on the throttle is PERFECT. Each falls under my fingertips or thumb exactly. The joystick shaft placement is OK. I think they missed an opportunity by not putting the secondary trigger on the thumbrest, but the top of the stick works well. The base of the joystick is a different matter. There are six buttons on each side of the base. Forward buttons have depressions, where rear buttons have braille style bumps to tell them apart. That is good, but the angle and placement of those buttons is at an unnatural angle and you have to hold your hand at a weird angle to cover them all with your fingertips. Without a VR headset, I had to look to place my fingers, orient my fingertips to the buttons, then was able to click them. Took way too long and in VR would take even longer. Time spent finding a control in combat is death. As a result, I ended up not using those buttons for anything except ship lights. If I do use them in the future, it will be for non-combat related functions.
- Retail price is $129.99. I paid $156 (with shipping and duty to Bermuda). I feel it was good value for money and is a quality item. Build quality was good with consistent seams, no rough edges and a smooth finish. The joystick shaft is shaped for a hand and feels natural. There are a few little issues as noted above, but after roughly two hours of setting it up and testing, it's starting to feel comfortable. I haven't used it in an SRV yet, but plan on doing that tonight to get the controls set.
If it were not for the strange button placement on the base and secondary fire button location, I'd give this 5 out of 5. However, I'm going to rate it at 4 out of 5 because of those things. It is still better then the HOTAS X I used to run IMHO and YMMV. Will use the HOTAS for at least twenty more hours and add further commentary later. I just wanted to give a first impressions review for anyone considering this product.
Amazon link here: https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-T-16000M-FCS-HOTAS-Controller/dp/B01KCHPRXA/
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