Virpil Controls review: there is a new challenger in the world of flight sticks and throttles

You can blame it Microsoft Flight Simulator for the flight stick shortage we are experiencing. Logitech, Thrustmaster, and many of the big names aren’t in stock everywhere. The little product that is actually available – even used equipment – goes for hugely high prices. Still other manufacturers take pre-orders and then stock new units as soon as possible. So what’s a budding flight or space sim enthusiast to do?

My advice is of course to give the scalpers a spacious berth. If you are stuck Microsoft Flight Simulator – especially the big commercial planes – give Honeycomb Aeronautical a try. If you’re playing a more hardcore flight simulator, like something from the DCS World portfolio, you probably already know VKB. The high-quality equipment is currently in stock. But if you want to spend a relatively modest amount on a more general purpose device, something that might work with terrestrial and Spaceflight – I recommend taking a look at Virpil Controls, a small European company that is doing some really remarkable work.

And, like everyone else, Virpil’s stuff is backordered too. Still, Virpil sent a selection of its most popular flight gear at the end of last year. I took it for a test drive on my custom-built aircraft. So far, I have been very impressed.

Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon

Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon

My favorite set of gear is called the Virpil Constellation Alpha, which, when combined with a throttle valve, does an admirable job of piloting commercial aircraft. It has many hat switches, plus an assortment of triggers perfect for games in the IL-2 Sturmovik family or other high-end simulations. It’s mostly plastic too, but in a good way. It feels more robust than the Logitech X-52 and X-56, but lighter than the all-metal Thrustmaster Warthog.

The Virpil Constellation Alpha is also available in a left-handed version. That means you can easily arrange a much more complex dual-stick setup. Also known as a hand-on-stick-and-stick (HOSAS) setup, I found it completely changed the flying experience in both Star Citizen‘s Persistent Universe and Elite dangerous.

Explaining the difference is difficult to do with words. Previously I had played space flight simulation games with a single stick and throttle, which is known as a hands-on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) setup. If I swapped the throttle for a different joystick, I had to constantly hold the left stick forward to maintain the forward thrust. But by pulling back on that stick, I had easy access to the reverse thrust, which makes slowing down and changing direction in space a lot faster. The right stick still has full control of pitch and yaw, while the rudder pedals handle the roll. But now I can use the stick’s two pivot axes to shoot (right) and move up and down (left). Previously, those functions were on a little hat switch on my throttle.

Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon

After a few hours of practice with HOSAS, I found that I suddenly had much more precise and immediate control over my virtual spaceships than ever before. Vectors that were previously downgraded to the keyboard or little hat switches were now integrated into the joysticks themselves. I could hit the throttle on the main propeller to accelerate forward, turn my ship into place, then roll to the left while also moving down a bit and sliding to the right all at the same time. The impact was especially prominent in Star Citizen, which has much faster ships and much more aggressive combat. HOSAS made me a harder target to hit, and helped improve my own target – especially with fixed weapons.

In fact, the Constellation’s side-mounted thumbsticks mean you can actually navigate on foot without taking your hands off the joysticks. That made the experience come in Star Citizen, which offers a surprising amount of walking, much more enjoyable. It will also likely have the same kind of impact when Elite Dangerous: Odyssey launches later this year, adding first-person foot gameplay to that spaceflight game.

Photo: Virpil Controls

Another highlight for me was Virpil’s Ace Interceptor Rudder Pedals. I’ve had a pretty good experience with the Thrustmaster TPR Pendular Rudder Pedals over the years, but they hang from a large central column that takes up a lot of space in my office. Virpil pedals sit much, much lower to the floor and offer a wider stance – which I really appreciate as a 6’6 ”man. Ace pedals also have a much better mounting solution in my opinion compared to the TPR pedals. Out of the box, Virpil’s large, grippy rubber feet stay on most surfaces. You can also remove about an inch of height from the pedals, removing the rubber feet and the entire bottom frame, to attach them directly to a custom flying seat.

While the input devices are only excellent, Virpil also has a range of surprisingly affordable custom mounting solutions. For around $ 70 you can get the Virpil Desk Mount V3-S. It has a dead simple clamp with an adjustable bite, which you can dial in to grip and hold the edge of your desk surface firmly. They are released quickly, making storage a breeze. They are also beautifully powder coated and come with all the bolts you need to make the attachment to the Constellation. The V3-S also opens the door to additional customization options, including supports for a keyboard, mouse pad, additional button boxes and more, all on the same clamp.

Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon

Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon

Note that you will need two of the Desk Mount V3-S units for a HOSAS solution using the Virpil Constellation sticks, bringing the price of accessories to $ 140. If you’re going for a HOTAS solution instead and using one of Virpil’s fully customizable throttle bodies, you’ll need a slightly larger version of the clamp and a special adapter plate. That brings the price for a full HOTAS mounting solution closer to $ 180.

Overall, I love these Virpil controls. They strike a good balance between price and feature set, comfortably between classics like the Logitech X-52 and Thrustmaster T16000, and more expensive products from Thrustmaster and VKB. They’re also just the right weight and feel like a substantial upgrade from the kind of flight sticks I’ve been using for the past decade.

There are a few caveats, however.

First, the documentation on these products ranges from terrible to nonexistent. Even the basic assembly took me to YouTube, where I spent hours extracting videos in foreign languages ​​trying to figure out which screw fits where. Likewise, when it comes to calibrating and programming, you’ll have to find your own way with the user community on YouTube and on message boards, as Virpil offers next to no help in getting things straight.

Second, know that the current version of the Virpil throttle may be too much for most users. It has about twice as many buttons as Microsoft Windows recognizes on a game controller, which means you need a little extra time to tune it before jumping into a game. If you’re going for HOTAS, I recommend buying something from Thrustmaster.

I have also noticed some defective materials in the batch of products I received. For example, the non-marking pads on the mounting hardware started to slide off after several weeks of continuous use. I also had crushed several screw heads when trying to remove them, either because they were made of weak metal or because they had too much thread-locking compound.

With those limitations in mind, I still can’t help but recommend Virpil. After seeing nearly a decade of modest, step-by-step improvements in space, it’s nice to see a manufacturer innovate with their flight sticks. There is even a series of collective grips on the way, which will be perfect for the new helicopters coming to DCS World and Microsoft Flight Simulator in the not too distant future.