I’m about to get an upgraded Throttle and Control stick system, going for a logi X56 HOTAS. There’s a few planes I really like, and I’m wondering if a sim pit would be worth it for more immersion and easier to fly. This wouldn’t be a decked out with working displays or a digital canopy, but a simplistic one with a VR headset system for sim.
If you have the space then being able to securely mount the HOTAS in a comfortable position without having to play around with taking desk mounts on and off to use the PC for other things is really nice. Also depends if you are doing it DIY on the cheap, if you need to real money into it you’d be better off spending it on a better HOTAS.
I fly since ages in a simpit, which was originally even eqipped with at least partially working swithes and buttons on the side consoles, patterned after the F/A-18E:
(Note: pic from 2018, way before VR and with FSX/VRS Superbug)
I still use it, but with most of the controls unassigned, as they are not implemented in WT. But great to have e.g. gear lever etc. available!
I use a Meta Quest 3 VR headset, and immersion-wise, I’m very happy with it!
One thing I’d like to point out specifically: Think about getting a Thrustmaster Warthog joystick/throttle combo: The Warthog-joystichk is detachable from the base, so it’s possible and quite easy to build an elongation adapter and mount the stick between your legs. Like this it moves and feels much more like a real flight stick!
I use the Saitek X56 Throttle (same as yours, just branded under Saitek), it’s a good set. I haven’t used the stick but it seems solid, I use my Logitech G940 for a stick, it’s a piece of junk but the force feedback works and it’s nice to have.
Yeah, I’m going after a Su-25 sim-pit, I own a 3D printer, and know how to do a bit of programming, so I’m thinking about making some of the main instruments work, like the RWR panel, weapon pylon selection panel, caution/hazard panel, and some the gauges and dials work (AOA, IAS, and a few others), so if I want to run a digital canopy in the future it works. Probably use it being run off of a background program made to read back what’s happening in War Thunder, like the airspeed, Mach, RWR ping, selected weapon, and AOA and display them on panel.
The wiring and placing part is the easy part, it’s figuring out how to make a program read back what’s happening in war thunder.
Other ones I might DIY as well may be the Su-24 and MiG-23/27’s
If yo use VR, then of course just input will be needed. Why even bother to have gauges and displays working?
Tough call that one, I don’t think you’ll have much luck with that. Microsoft Flightsims (with FSUIPC) and I think also DCS are much more open with their architecture regarding that. WT doesn’t even allow to freely assign some of the functionalities to desired inputs within the game. And input device logic is sometimes crazy and sloppy in WT (just look at a throttle axis, where you can actually configure a dead zone - only that the dead zone is in the center of the axis, which makes perfectly sense for joystick and rudder pedals, but certainly not for a throttle…)
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It’d practically be a “parasite” executable that attaches to WT and leeches the desired data as long as it isn’t encrypted.
Other possible option is a “screen reader” that collects the basic information that’s displayed on screen.
How do you climb in this thing? And do you use this AND VR?
I don’t have a pit but I do have a bunch of sim gear arranged around me but I am in VR so I have to use everything by touch so having everything where it should be isn’t needed, but having buttons that you can find easily by touch is.
Force Feedback is really handy in VR - currently I’m using a Logtiech G940 but one day I’ll need to replace that with something better (i’m pretty sure you can’t get them anywhere but ebay at this point).
But I also need to upgrade my headset and I’m really thinking about just buying the PSVR2 even though I don’t have a PS5. I’ll probably also need something better than my 2080…