MSFS Setup
Guide · Decision Reviewed 2026-10-12

Choose a yoke or joystick from the aircraft you fly most.

MSFS Setup · Methodology · Checked 2026-10-12

Start with the control shape that matches the aircraft you most want to fly. A yoke and a joystick are different main controls; a HOTAS adds a separate throttle to a joystick.

Short answer Start with the control shape that matches the aircraft you most want to fly. A yoke is a natural fit if you want yoke-style controls; a joystick gives you a stick across different aircraft. HOTAS adds a separate throttle to a joystick, so decide whether you want that second control too.

Choose by aircraft and preference

Microsoft’s Beginner’s Guide to Peripherals treats yoke versus joystick as a matter of aircraft and personal preference. It uses the Cessna 172 and Boeing 787 as examples for yoke users and describes a joystick as flexible across aircraft. Use those examples as a starting point, then choose the control that feels familiar to you.

Choose a yoke

If yoke-style controls are the point

Pick this route when the yoke-equipped aircraft you fly most are the reason you want dedicated hardware. Compare exact yokes in the Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo versus VelocityOne Yoke guide.

Choose a joystick

If you want one stick across aircraft

A joystick is the flexible starting point in Microsoft’s guide. If you want a separate throttle as well, read the first HOTAS buying guide. For one PC joystick, see the Extreme 3D Pro guide.

Separate throttle is a second decision

A HOTAS is a joystick with a separate throttle. Choose it when you want those controls split between your hands; a joystick can also be used without a separate throttle. The HOTAS decision is about that second control, while yoke versus joystick is about the main control shape.

Microsoft’s hardware setup guide recommends weighing budget, available space, immersion, and simulation needs. Those constraints can narrow the choice, but they do not establish a universal winner.

Sources and method

Checked October 12, 2026. This recommendation follows Microsoft’s Beginner’s Guide to Peripherals and Choosing your Hardware Setup. We have not tested these control types. The decision depends on the aircraft you fly and the control shape you prefer.

For specific yoke models, compare the Logitech G Pro, Honeycomb Alpha and VelocityOne Flight.

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