Why do you need a flight stick in 2026? 🎮

Reading Time: 4 min

As the design label Fancythatshit.com and the site Flightstick.net, we naturally have to deal with interface design, which includes gaming controllers & flightsticks 🎮.

In this article we talk about the differences between controllers, especially the flightstick and why you need one in 2026 .

Strangely enough, the flight stick is not mentioned at all in the Wikipedia article on gaming controllers.
Reason enough to clarify!

A foretaste of what awaits you at the end of this article: In this short, we have put together the best Delorean games that you can play with a special kind of flight stick!

Distinctions

To really rock flight simulations like STAR WARS, you don't need the usual Playstation controller, but a specially built input device.
Photo-graphic: Fancythatshit.com

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We differentiate between controllers, flight sticks and other gaming accessories:

Why does a gaming controller have so many names?
🤯 🤯 🤯

The reason why there are different names for the same type of controller: Marketing from the manufacturers. They give the controllers slightly different names to suggest an additional unique selling point. Although there is none!

A flight stick is either a joystick or a combination of joystick and throttle. It is optimised for games that mainly involve flying spaceships or aircraft, for example.

History of the flightstick: aircraft technology

Joystick of a military aircraft // Joystick and throttle originally come from aviation technology
Image source: Licensed

As can be seen in the comic graphic above, the pilot operates a so-called ‘yoke’. Pulling the yoke lifts the nose of an aircraft by raising the elevators and the aircraft climbs.

Since the invention of the Hands-on-Throttle-and-Stick system (HOTAS) in 1971, joysticks and throttles have been used instead of control horns, mainly in military aircraft, as they are much easier to operate, especially in emergencies.

Despite this, control horns are still used in modern aircraft. The adaptation to the gaming sector only took place in the 1990s.

As gaming accessories

Accessories especially for flight simulations on PC/MAC/Playstation/Xbox etc. are becoming increasingly popular worldwide
Image source: Licensed

The most established manufacturers of alternative PC and console controllers are VIRPIL, Thrustmaster, Logitech, Honeycomb Aeronautical and Turtle Beach.

WIRELESS X USB

Is a wired or wireless flight stick better?

The question that arises with normal controllers plays a minor role with flight sticks, because many modern flight sticks are equipped with a combination of wireless (Bluetooth) and USB.

Flight sticks are larger than conventional controllers and serve a different purpose. Flight sticks are usually placed on a table, sofa, or mounted on a gaming chair, for example. Therefore, you will not be carrying them around constantly. And that's a good thing: you buy a flight stick because it offers in-game comfort and enhances your gaming experience—not because you want to carry it around.

Are controllers out of date?

Mobile Games

Playstation Portable PSP

Since the release of the PSP (Playstation Portable) in 2005, there has been speculation that handheld devices, such as smartphones with mobile games, would replace the PC and the classic console in gaming. So far, however, none of this has come to fruition. Interest in new types of controllers will continue unabated in 2026.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is used in arcades with VR headsets as well as at company events and some parties. However, in the case of flight simulations, VR does not make sense without a flight stick. Therefore, flight sticks must continue to exist to enable the gaming experience at home as well as in arcades. VR does not offer the relaxed gaming experience at home. If you want to game in a relaxed manner at home, a flight stick is the right choice! —

HOTAS VS. HOSAS

The VPC Constellation Alpha Prime Grip HOSAS system from VIRPIL is currently rated particularly highly by all testers online.
Image source: VIRPIL

While with a HOTAS (=‘hands on throttle and stick’) you play with one joystick and a separate throttle, with a HOSAS (=‘hands on stick and stick’) you do this with 2 joysticks.

Within a well-programmed game engine, HOTAS shines by emulating real flying handling, independent stick and throttle control.
HOSAS enables advanced combat manoeuvres through freedom of movement thanks to the two sticks (for games like Star Citizen).

But the price is different: 246$ per joystick.

FANCYSTICK

The FANCYSTICK controller redefines precision and control in the HOTAS and throttle area.
Image source: FANCYTHATSHIT.COM

Specially designed for the innovative gamer who enjoys design and lifestyle, this watering can joystick throttle combines a wired connection with a USB to deliver fast and reliable responses in critical gaming moments.

The Fancystick was conceptualised by former Bundeswehr (German Military Force) designer Martin T. and initially exists as a prototype.

The Fancystick's compatibility with PC platforms ensures that a wide range of gamers can enjoy the enhanced gameplay it offers.

The design of the gaming controller "FANCYSTICK" is registered with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), under registration number 015084674-0001. All rights reserved.
Source: FANCYTHATSHIT.COM

Whether you're navigating the skies in a flight simulator or engaging in space combat, the FANCYSTICK is your designer controller to an even more immersive gaming experience!

It's like being pulled through a time anomaly!

It's not uncommon for gamers to suffer from tendonitis in their fingers or wrists after intense gaming. The FANCYSTICK has anti-tendonitis handling.

Thanks to its large buttons on the joystick, the FANCYSTICK can also be used as a table lamp and can be mounted on a bicycle as a flashlight.