HORI Ace Combat 7 Hotas Flight Stick for PlayStation 4 - Officially Licensed By SIEA & Bandai Namco Entertainment

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.  So all these reviews are simply based on logistics and not the actual device. I pre-ordered back in December and, at launch date, I received an email that I might get the joystick sometime between mid January and mid February. Ultimately, I did get mine a couple days after launch which wasn't too bad. Yeah, sometimes launches don't go according to plan however that happens.Biggest problem for me is with the joystick itself in that there seems to be a lot of wiggle/dead space in the joystick. I have the same HOTAS controller for Ace Combat 6 and this wasn't the case. The joystick for AC6 was pretty firm. I know these newer ones have haptic feedback so I'm guessing this is why they're kind of loose but not sure. I contacted Hori who stated this is the way the stick is meant to be which is just odd. For $200 bucks you’d expect a little better. Actually you would’ve expected a lot better for that amount and I really wish these were like the AC6 sticks but this is not the case. I wound up returning both the sticks and game due to this. The game, I’m sure, is good however, without the sticks, it’s a no-go for me. The sticks make the game for me so playing Ace Combat with a regular controller just doesn’t cut it.

I really wanted to like the stick because the button layout, haptic feedback, and feel of it is excellent.Unfortunately, it is crippled by a large deadzone on the Y-axis that makes it impossible to fly your plane with any degree of precision.I also own the T.Flight HOTAS so I have compared side-by-side, and, unfortunately, I have no choice but to return the stick. Disappointing.

This is my third Hori Ace Combat Flight Stick. I've previously owned the PS2 and Xbox360 special bundles when they released for Ace Combat 5 and 6, respectively.Those that have owned the previous version will be glad to know they have not strayed far from the old molds. Throttle is still the same but now instead of the mini dpad joystick, there is a much larger one next to the left hand thumb. you can use this to select through the menu system. There is a button next to the dpad joystick which is L2+R2, for you to do the post-stall high G maneuvers. The little turn dials on the throttle are just for show and are non functional: JUST LIKE THE PS2 and Xbox360 version: no change. if you move the selector from 1->2->3 the throttle now changes to camera control. R3 button changes views (HUD/Cockpit/3rd person). The base of the throttle is a little longer and now includes the PS button to goto the PS home screen during game. In order to use the HOTAS as a controller, pull the Stick's red trigger button while pressing the PS button so the playstation registers this as a new controller. The Stick has an analog controller so you can move the camera around in whichever view you're in (cockpit/hud/3rd person). next to the thumb there is the R3+L3 to dump chaff/flares for missile evasion. The Dpad on the stick can only be used during menu selection. Trigger is guns, and circle is fire missiles. Triangle for next target, and square for special weapon change. The stick vibrates on afterburner, stalls, and explosions: the vibration is fairly strong and has a good feel to it. the touch pad on the base of the stick is nice and functions as radar change mode. on the top side of the stick, there is the share and options buttons.Opinion to the other reviewers on the grip about the hollowness: the bases on both the throttle and stick feel do feel light. that's because they dont have metal weights inside them like the old PS2 and Xbox360 versions had. That's actually not that big of a deal. once its placed on a desk, they are solid and the rubber feet prevent sliding. Suction cups are provided and i've used the suction cups successfully on glass/non-porous table tops and they dont move. so only if you plan on carrying this all the time, the hollowness is a non-issue. The other gripe i've seen is the 'sensitivity' or deadzone on the controller. YES. this will not be as precise as the dualshock controller, nor does it have the super sensitivity of a mouse. It does however provide the immersion that you want in a HOTAS system. Unless you're doing micromovements with the left analog stick on the dualshock controller, ALL THE TIME, the Hori system is fine for flying and lining up for ground strafe or air combat. It's about the same sensitivity as the Xbox360 stick and i dont see an issue. This works fine in VR as well, and really works well since now your head is now the camera angle and the HOTAS allows you to bank and follow where your head goes. It does getting used to memorize the buttons but after about 15 minutes, you know where everything is on both the Throttle and Stick. If you want to make a mount for this to a gaming chair, just reuse the slots for the suction cups. i intend on making it fit my Playseat Evolution.So why the 4 stars? the 1-2-3 slider on the throttle is too easily bumped into during flight and that turns throttle into camera control. which is super annoying. also, the box came with no instructions. Hori's website for the instruction from the QR code didn't work. No available mapping of the buttons native in the game, hopefully that will change with a software update since they support the other flight stick. the Distance of the cable that separates the throttle to the stick is only ~40 inches. if you plan on making this fit a gaming chair, some type of extender is needed and the connector seems like a phone-jack Rj11type connector. Prior version was a serial connector with over 60" and seemed much beefier. i'm afraid the cable might get snagged and rip out the phone connector to the base of the stick. They had over 10 years to prepare for AC7: they could have designed this wayyyyyy better.

My original review was a one star due to the whole shipping ordeal that everyone preordered experienced. I received the product yesterday and I used them last night. Overall quality is better than some controls twice the price, feels great and great fit to the hands. My only complaint is that I wish they were a tad heavier weight wise. Other than that, these controls are great. They really shine in VR mode! Completes the whole feeling of actually flying the aircraft!