


If you already own a PC, Mac, or Xbox system and you aren’t planning on buying a new one, you can narrow down your yoke options based on which are compatible with your existing system. The first purchase consideration is system compatibility. How to Choose a Flight Simulator Yokeīefore we jump into our picks for the four best flight sim yokes, let’s talk about how we chose our favorite products and what factors you should consider as you narrow down which flight simulator yoke is right for you. If you don’t fly your aircraft with a joystick, it makes no sense to train with one because the muscle memory will not be there when you get into the cockpit. Serious pilots who are using a flight simulator for training and not gaming purposes will get the most value from their simulator time when they use controllers that closely approximate those found in their actual cockpit. This means that for training to have the most value, it should be done using gear and scenarios that mimic the real-world situations the training is meant to prepare you for. Military and law enforcement members use a “train as you fight” mentality. While the casual gamer who wants to try out a flight “game” can make do with a keyboard + mouse configuration and will certainly have a great time armed with no more than a joystick or gaming controller, anyone looking for a more realistic airplane piloting experience will want to ensure their controller of choice closely mimics that of the real aircraft. That’s not the end of the story of course. From a pure hardware and software compatibility standpoint, other options are available including even keyboard and mouse gameplay. The joystick vs yoke debate has been ongoing for years, proving that you do not need a yoke to play flight simulator. Do You Need a Yoke to Play Flight Simulator? Not sure where to start? Join us as we answer the most common flight simulator questions and share our current picks for the 4 best sim yokes for pilots in 2022. Home flight simulator setups can be as basic as the simulator software paired with your existing computer keyboard and mouse although serious flyers typically include dedicated hardware components like yokes, throttle quadrants, and rudder pedals in their simulator configurations. We can’t all be in real-world cockpits every day, so the next best option is a personal flight simulator.
