Coming out in what seemed to be a cloud of smoke, Thrustmaster dropped the Warthog Mk2, the successor to their incredibly popular HOTAS. Whilst not a cheap upgrade, retailing at around £450, whilst it’s listed for the same price as the first iteration, let’s find out what makes this a great step forward into your aviation setup.
This isn’t just a HOTAS, it’s a Control Station!
So if you weren’t award, HOTAS stands for Hands On Throttle and Stick. Its a control method that is used in a lot of fighter planes, as well as some other smaller recreational aircraft. The Warthog MK2 aims to replicate the feeling of being in an A-10C whilst ensuring that you have the most immersive experience when flying in game. Lets dive into see some of the features and why this needs to be added to your setup.
Design Features
The first thing that you’ll notice is the build materials, made pretty much entirely from metal to ensure a smoother movement around the centre and increased durability. It really is built to last. Along with the HEART technology that Thrustmaster has been using recently, building on their 15 years of hall effect sensors to bring a joystick that is both accurate and reliable. There wont be any drifting happening even through large and lengthy gaming sessions. Once you admired the build quality you can move onto some of the nitty gritty bits of the throttle and stick. The buttons!
Ok, starting with the iconic viper style flight stick grip. This is a 1:1 scale replica and developed under license from the US Air Force. Its metal structure replicates the handling sensations of the A-10C. Featuring 19 action buttons, with an 8 way PoV hat switch, the flight stick gives an experience designed to be as close to real fighter pilots as necessary. The only downside is that it isn’t suitable for left handed people, and a similar problem is encountered when using the throttle of the Warthog MK2.
Throttle Up
Moving onto the Throttle, first thing as mentioned before it isn’t suitable for your right hand. You get used to it, and before long will become second nature. The throttle can be separated into independent controls, or one joint throttle. Using the locking system it’s a quick adjustment, but one that opens up a vast array of manoeuvres capable with a dual throttle system. Included in the base of the throttle is probably more buttons and switches than you will ever need. There are a number on the actual throttle itself, as well as a whole bunch on the base. With lights lighting them up for when you are playing in the dark. Allowing you to hit every button the first time, and not cut your engines by accident. Or even worse, eject.
The real proof is in the pudding, or in this case the playing. Playing the new Ace Combat game was incredible with the Warthog MK2, taking to the battle intuitively and with ease. Mapping what buttons I needed so that they were in quick range of my hands. You can even download the TARGET software so that you can configure and test your controls. Ensuring that perfection is gained the first time.
Final Thoughts
If you are in the market for a HOTAS, the Thrustmaster Warthog MK2 is definitely the best option for a fully immersive experience. Whilst there are a whole bunch of systems out on the market. This one definitely screams premium, and only priced at £450. If aviation is your preferred game type, then you really can’t go wrong.
The Thrustmaster Warthog MK2 Receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A sample was received in order to write this review.
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