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One-minute evaluation
Thrustmaster is arguably on the high of its sport with regards to flight sticks, so it’s maybe not all that shocking that the corporate is now making a play for area sim gear.
The Sol-R vary has a cute identify, however don’t let that idiot you – it is a critical stick (or pair thereof) for anybody who spends loads of time within the hour-devouring black mass of titles like Elite Harmful.
In the event you’re not enjoying an entire lot of area video games, it may not attraction, and the taller and extra built-in nature of the Thrustmaster F/A-18 Tremendous Hornet would nonetheless be our choose for one of the best flight stick. Nonetheless, if what you’re enjoying has an entire host of fiddly toggles, mapping these to the Sol-R’s array of switches, buttons, and dials looks like magic.
Forward of the launch, it’s price noting that issues aren’t fairly dialed in, so in the meanwhile, you possibly can count on to spend loads of time tweaking buttons and mapping, but when that’s what you’re in search of in your subsequent voyage, it is a great spot to begin for underneath $200/£200 – at the very least form of.
I used to be despatched the Duo pack which incorporates each Sol-R sticks for the right-hand and left-hand, which can value you significantly extra ($389.99 or £299.99). Nonetheless, with every packing loads of inputs, even a single stick could possibly be ultimate in your setup.
Worth and availability
- Checklist worth: $199.99 / £159.99, or $389.99 / £299.99 for the Duo
- Accessible worldwide
- Pre-orders open March 19, obtainable April 16
Whereas every stick within the Sol-R vary will run you $199.99 / £159.99, they’re significantly cheaper than rivals just like the Saitek Professional Flight, however slightly greater than Thrustmaster’s personal T.Flight Hotas One.
You’ll be able to preorder from March 19, they usually’ll begin transport on April 16, 2025. Whereas no throttle is included, you should use the Thrust sliders on the entrance of the bottom.
That pricing makes it slightly greater than the T-Flight Hotas One, which stays Thrustmaster’s entry-level mannequin however doesn’t embrace as many buttons, switches, or LED lighting. In truth, it’s round the same worth to Turtle Seaside’s VelocityOne which is comparatively comparable when it comes to characteristic set.
Specs
Worth | $199.99 / £159.99, or $389.99 / £299.99 for the Duo |
Dimensions | 9.72 x 7.71 x 7.71in / 247 x 196 x 196mm |
Weight | 2.86lbs / 1.3kg |
Platforms | Wi-fi (2.4GHz and Bluetooth), Wired (USB Sort-C) |
Throttle included? | PC, Steam Deck, Nintendo Swap, Android, iOS |
Buttons | N/A |
Design and options
- Loads of customizable inputs
- Flexibility of two sticks
- Good lighting
Whereas I used to be despatched the Sol-R stick’s ‘Duo’ configuration which incorporates two of the sticks and bases to be used on the similar time, anybody shopping for a single one is unlikely to really feel short-changed.
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Every stick screws on simply however securely to the bottom, however even earlier than doing that, it’s price taking within the base itself. Every one has eight buttons, two dials, a thrust slider (with accompanying lighting), and 1 / 4 of switches.
Transferring to the stick, there’s a delicate button close to the bottom, and a predominant set off at thumb relaxation peak, with an extra one past that. Then there are two hat switches, two extra buttons, and a thumbstick, all of which mix to make menu navigation a lot, a lot easier.
Talking of which, you possibly can really use the F/A-18C Hornet grip or the Viper Grip on the bottom, providing you with loads of flexibility together with your setup.
The blue lighting across the base and high of the stick is a pleasant contact, too, including to the futuristic, area journey really feel.
There’s a lovely resistance to the dials and thrust slider, however I do want the stick didn’t fairly wobble a lot. The included stabilizers click on on with ease and do an amazing job of minimizing the best way the bottom tends to roll to every aspect, nevertheless it’s nonetheless not fairly excellent in these intense dogfights.
These dials aren’t simply inputs, both. They’re really used as modifiers, so you possibly can set off completely different results for any button, set off, or swap relying on which place they’re in. That makes 44 customizable inputs per stick.
In the event you’re a left-handed pilot and also you’re not trying to put money into each sticks, there’s excellent news — you possibly can swap the included ergonomic helps over to make the Sol-R ambidextrous. And, for those who’re in search of the Z axes, you will discover that by twisting the grip.
It’s additionally price noting that I’ve comparatively massive fingers, however the Sol-R matches in them properly in each fingers, with the thumb relaxation completely situated.
Efficiency
- Maps as ‘Generic stick’
- Rewards tinkerers
- T.A.R.G.E.T. obtain remains to be very a lot only for drivers
I needed to place the Sol-R to the check with considered one of my favourite video games in Elite Harmful. Whereas I did check with extra conventional flight sims, Elite is a sport that’s about exploring area in your individual means, which means it’s a good way to check out every little thing from dogfighting to area cargo hauling.
It’s additionally the sort of sport that the Sol-R was constructed for, with an entire host of controls to tweak and map — and therein lies the rub.
As a result of the Sol-R, at the very least in its pre-launch stage, is recognized in suitable video games as a ‘Generic Joystick’, you possibly can count on to do numerous customization to get it excellent in your sport of selection. Elite acknowledged each sticks, for instance, however I needed to manually map every button.
That could be one thing that’ll be ironed out at launch, however on the plus aspect, it does provide you with scope to tweak as you see match. In my testing, I received to a extremely great place the place the thrust slider adjusted my velocity, whereas the number of buttons switched energy to varied programs on my digital ship.
The hat swap and scroll wheel allowed me to examine in-game messages and I may use the toggle switches for touchdown gear. Is that the sort of factor I’d have painstakingly completed if the setup defaulted to a “adequate” button mapping format? It’s laborious to say.
For flight sims, it performs admirably, too. The sheer variety of buttons is sort of a clean canvas for the likes of Microsoft Flight Simulator so you possibly can set a button in your altimeter, anti-ice and extra, and the actual fact the Sol-R seems as a generic stick means you possibly can tailor it identical to some other.
I additionally performed Star Wars Squadrons, however the sport doesn’t really want many inputs so it was really extra satisfying with a single stick. Pulling off tight turns and loops did serve to spotlight that wobbliness of the bottom, although.
Thrustmaster’s T.A.R.G.E.T. software program remains to be fairly rudimentary, and whilst you can obtain presets, that wasn’t obtainable for the Sol-R forward of launch — however I’m curious to see how gamers alter to the instruments on supply. T.A.R.G.E.T. actually simply acts to get your drivers put in in any other case, and to its credit score, it’s a easy, centralized hub for every little thing Thrustmaster.
In contrast to the T.Flight HOTAS One, the Sol-R 1 is unfortunately PC solely — so that you gained’t have the ability to apply it to your PS5 or Xbox console.
Ought to I purchase the Thrustmaster Sol-R?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally take into account
Nonetheless not offered on the Thrustmaster Sol-R 1? Right here’s the way it compares to 2 comparable merchandise.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Thrustmaster Sol-R | Turtle Seaside VelocityOne | Thrustmaster T Flight Hotas One |
Dimensions | 9.72 x 7.71 x 7.71in / 247 x 196 x 196mm | 6.46 x 8.54 x 9.07in / 164 x 217 x 230mm | 10.43 x 10.39 x 9.53 in / 265 x 264 x 242mm |
Weight | 2.86lbs / 1.3kg | 1.81lbs / 821g | 5.73lbs / 2.06kg |
Platforms | PC | PC / Xbox | PC / Xbox |
Buttons | 21, plus thumbwheel | 27 | 14 |
Axes | 6 | 8 | 5 |
Throttle | No (however there’s a slider) | No | Sure |
How I examined the Thrustmaster Sol-R
- Examined over a interval of weeks
- Used on a gaming PC with an RTX 4070 Ti
- Examined utilizing Elite Harmful, Star Wars Squadrons, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
I spent the vast majority of my time (round 15 hours testing) with Elite Harmful, just because it has such an unlimited array of issues that may be triggered by the Sol-R inputs.
I additionally had a blast blowing away TIE Fighters in Star Wars Squadrons, and in addition taking up some transatlantic flights in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 — nevertheless it feels greatest for an open-ended expertise like Elite Harmful the place you possibly can have interaction with an array of programs with the large variety of enter choices.
I examined on my gaming PC rig the place I just lately examined the F/A-18 stick and Viper TQS mission pack, in addition to the T.Flight HOTAS One.
First reviewed March 2025
