The company’s first flight yoke controller does not support landing and is expensive, but it is still interesting.
Just when you think your wallet is safe this holiday season, Turtle Beach broke into the flight simulation scene with VelocityOne Flight, a multifunctional USB Xbox and PC compatible stand for fans such as Microsoft Flight Simulator.It is equipped with everything you need to start flying like a real pilot, as well as immersive, lifelike yoke and throttle controls.The $380 yoke may seem a bit expensive, especially for beginners, but you can get a lot of features in it.Despite some complaints, this is an amazing first-generation system from Turtle Beach, and I have a great time in Microsoft Flight Simulator.In addition, VelocityOne Flight is the only one-piece stand for Xbox and PC, at least for now.
Turtle Beach has done a lot of things right.The company prides itself on providing everything you might need to quickly set up and get into the cockpit with as little friction as possible.It includes a very useful quick start guide for beginners in flight simulation and more advanced flyers who want to create custom status indicator panels.Thank goodness, because there are a lot of fully programmable controls.
The yoke also has a throttle quadrant with vernier controls for single-engine propeller aircraft, a very beautiful trim wheel, 10 programmable buttons, and modular dual-stick throttles for large jet aircraft.It requires zero configuration out of the box and comes with three onboard flight presets.
I really like the installation design of Turtle Beach, it can easily install and remove the flying yoke-perfect for those who still need to use a desk to work.The mounting system is hidden in a compartment on the top of the yoke shell.Just lift the panel to reveal the two bolts, and after connecting them to any desk less than 2.5 inches (64 mm) thick, use the included hex tool to tighten them.Make sure not to overtighten it, the rubber pad on the clamp can hold it in place well.If the mounting bracket is not enough, it contains two adhesive pads that can be fixed on the surface of the table, but this is a permanent solution, of course I would not recommend this method to most people.
And my evaluation of Turtle Beach is too numerous to mention because it contains a foldable poster, which is both a quick start guide and instructions for every action that the yoke can perform on an airplane.Even if you are a firm avoidance command, it is worth staying with you.
You can download the software from the Windows Store for firmware updates to enable more peculiar functions in the future.Search for “Turtle Beach Control Center”.
The yoke provides 180 degrees of left and right rotation, and the spring provides smooth resistance during the entire turn.But there is a center brake—the obvious soft click you feel, which tells you that a control device, such as a dial, has reached its original position—it prevents small, precise movements.Here it shows that the flying yoke has rotated back to the center, and when you turn the yoke completely to one side and release it, you will really notice it.This is by no means a deal breaker, but it may upset some enthusiasts.
The aluminum shaft of the yoke controls the pitch (elevator shaft) of the aircraft.You can push or pull the yoke about 2.5 inches (64 mm) in either direction along the axis. This usually feels smooth, but you may notice a bit of bumps right out of the box—I did.Turtle Beach said that after about 20 hours of use, the jitter should disappear.
Two POV hat D-pads provide eight views to look around you, and the two buttons on both sides of the hat can reset your view or switch the third person view.There are also two four-way hat switches, which are used to control the aileron and rudder trim by default.The yoke handle has two triggers to control the rudder, which feels similar to an Xbox controller, and above them are controller-like bumpers that are used to independently control the brakes on the left and right sides of the aircraft.
The front and center are full-color flight management displays, which really helps this yoke stand out from the competition, although I think its utilization rate is very low.It allows you to quickly switch between flight profile presets (especially useful on Xbox) or use its built-in timer.
There is also an excellent training mode that can indicate which operation the control is bound to when it senses the input.This is especially useful for new pilots who are just getting used to the equipment and figuring out which button controls what-it certainly helps to jump over one of the biggest entry barriers for flight simulation novices.
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In addition, the only real use of FMD is an observatory-nothing special, just a clock and a timer, but for the more serious enthusiasts who want to time their turns, their methods, fuel tank exchanges, etc. Said very useful.You know, players who want to think of this as actually flying.
The status indicator panel behind the yoke provides various real-time information.From parking brake to flap status, as well as main warning and low fuel warning, everything is filled with default SIP.Turtle Beach even includes additional panels with stickers, so you can create your own panels.(The full implementation of this will be released in a firmware update, possibly at the end of February.)
On the left side of the yoke housing is a 3.5 mm combo audio jack that can be used with any analog headset.
Last but not least, the throttle quadrant.Surprisingly, the best part of this quadrant is the cursor control, which has good smooth sliding and just right push and pull resistance.They are definitely a treat in the throttle quadrant, and they are also a popular feature in the analog world.I also really like the integrated fine-tuning wheel, which has just the right resistance and provides extremely precise pitch adjustment (lift axis).
On the other hand, the resistance of the dual-stick throttle control was less than I expected, and it was a bit too easy to move.There is also a huge brake at the bottom of the throttle, which prevents me from using the throttle to reverse thrust in the jet.It seems to be just the neutral zone of the throttle.I hope Turtle Beach will add more features through future updates.
You can bind 10 buttons to control anything, and they have stickers that can be attached to the buttons, so you always know what you are doing before you press a button.
My only important criticism of VelocityOne Flight is that there is too much play where the yoke fits the shaft: I think it feels better to be more stable along the shaft.Combining it with the center brake results in a feeling of a considerable dead zone in the middle, which can be exacerbated when flying with one hand.
But other than that, this is a good entry-level yoke, especially for newer analog pilots if they are not bothered by the price.
Post time: Dec-27-2021
