A Flight Simulator Yoke - often referred to as steering wheel or control column - plays a crucial role in creating a realistic and immersive flight simulator experience. A flight yoke is usually found in general aviation aircraft (from brands such as Cessna and Piper) or most airliners. If you plan to fly those aircraft, you should definitely pick a yoke for your flight simulator setup. Continue reading ⇢
Four elements you should think about before buying a Flight Yoke
A Flight Simulator Yoke is a great choice for anyone who is going to fly in flight-yoke-controlled airplanes most of the time.
There isn't much choice compared to flight sticks when looking for a yoke. You would think this makes choosing the best yoke easier, but unfortunately, this isn't the case. When selecting a yoke you should pay attention to the following elements:
POV Switch
The POV switch allows you to control all the different cameras within your favorite flight simulator.
A must-have for every flightsimmer.
Shaft Length
The length of the shaft has influence on the accuracy of the yoke.
The longer the shaft, the more accurate a flight yoke is.
Buttons & Switches
Each yoke comes with a number of buttons and switches.
These buttons and switches bring several actions literally to your fingertips.
Throttle Quadrant
Yokes are available with or without at throttle quadrant.
If a quadrant is included you don't need to purchase one separately.
Control your Aircraft
One of the key factors in selecting a Flight Simulator Yoke is the length of the shaft. With a longer shaft you have more travel on the pitch-axis (push-pull), which gives you better control over the aircraft. The same principle applies to the roll axis (left-right). A yoke that has 180-degree turning has more travel than a yoke that doesn't have this feature. A yoke with a larger turning angle gives more control over the aircraft.
Shaft length does not apply to the Thrustmaster TCA Boeing Yoke, as it doesn't have a shaft. This system works on a pendulum to simulate the control column found in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane.
The importance of built quality in Flight Simulator Yokes
Another essential factor to consider when purchasing a flight simulator yoke is built quality.
One of the factors of the quality of a flight yoke is based on the materials used. A more expensive product, such as the Virtual Fly Yoko+, is made (almost complete) out of metal, whereas more budget-friendly yokes are made of plastics.
The higher quality hardware also use magnetic (Hall-Effect) sensors. These sensors don't have any moving parts and measure the magnetic field change when the stick is moved. This makes flight simulator yokes with Hall-Effect sensors resistant to wear and extremely precise.
Top Picks
Elevate your Flight Experience with our top picked Flight Simulator Yokes.
You can find a lot of different Flight Simulator Yokes on this page. But what if you're not completely sure what type of controller fits you best?
No worries! We've got you covered with a dedicated page for beginning pilots. On this page, we guide you through the different models and options and explain everything about joysticks, yokes, rudder pedals, and throttles.
Is a Yoke or Joystick better for flight simulator?
We can't give an answer to this question. You can play Flight Simulator perfectly with both a joystick or a yoke.
Selecting a flightstick or a yoke is about preference. A flight simulator yoke is the best choice if you fly yoke-controlled aircraft most of the time. If you're flying stick-controlled aircraft, then a joystick is the better option.
Good to know: for flightsimulator your hardware preference doesn't count. Both are input devices, and both can control stick- and yoke-controlled aircraft.
Are yokes compatible with other PC flight controls?
Yes. You can combine all brands as long as each device has its own USB connection. I.e., there are no issues when you combine a yoke from a brand with a throttle of another brand.
Are there force feedback flight yokes?
Yes, flight yokes with force feedback do exist, but unfortunately, we don't sell them.
If you are looking for a high-quality force feedback yoke we suggest you look at the Swiss Brunner Yoke. This yoke is for (semi-)professional use, and prices start at € 1249 (excl. VAT, duties, and shipping).
