Planning to play Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5? Here’s how it feels on DualSense, what the only supported flight stick is actually like, and which peripherals and hardware support are promised for the future.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 finally touching down on PS5 is a huge deal, but it also raises a practical question: how should you actually fly it on Sony’s console? Between the feature-packed DualSense and a very limited flight stick lineup at launch, your choice of controller matters almost as much as your choice of aircraft.
This guide breaks down how the game plays on a standard PS5 pad, the current state of flight sticks and HOTAS on PlayStation, and what future hardware support Asobo and Xbox Game Studios are already teasing.
Flying With DualSense: Surprisingly Capable, Subtly Clever
If you are coming from PC with a yoke and pedals, the idea of flying a complex airliner with a gamepad sounds painful. On PS5 it is better than you might expect.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 supports the full suite of DualSense tricks. The adaptive triggers change resistance based on aircraft configuration and context, so pulling back for a firm brake on rollout or squeezing the trigger for toe brakes in a crosswind landing feels physically distinct from feather-light trim or camera controls. As you accelerate down the runway you feel vibration ramp up under the wheels, then soften as you lift off and the sim transitions to aerodynamic cues like turbulence bumps and stall shudders.
The built-in speaker is more than a gimmick. Radio chatter, ATC acknowledgements and certain cockpit beeps can be routed there so you get a subtle layer of audio information without cluttering your main sound mix. It reinforces the sense that the controller is an extension of the cockpit, not just a generic pad.
In practice, flying with sticks and triggers is precise enough for most of the game’s activities. The analog range on the sticks lets you manage gentle rotation, coordinated turns and flare timing, and the default sensitivity curves keep small aircraft from feeling twitchy. You can dial this in further in the options menu if you prefer heavier or lighter control.
This setup is comfortable for low-and-slow sightseeing, mission-based jobs like aerial firefighting or cargo hauling and even shorter airliner hops. Where it starts to strain is in scenarios that demand lots of simultaneous inputs: flying IFR procedures in busy airspace, managing complex autopilot flows or hand-flying turbulent approaches while constantly working the camera and interacting with cockpit panels. You can do it, but your fingers will be busy.
For many new pilots, DualSense is the best way to learn the basics before investing in dedicated gear. It offers enough fidelity to understand the aircraft, supports all game features out of the box and keeps the barrier to entry low. Once you start craving a more physical connection to the aircraft, that is when peripherals come in.
The Only Supported Flight Stick On PS5 At Launch
At launch there is just one officially compatible flight stick for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5: the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS 4.
This stick-and-throttle combo has been around for a while on PlayStation and PC, and right now it is your only route into a true HOTAS layout on Sony’s console within the sim.
Thrustmaster positions the T.Flight HOTAS 4 as an entry-level stick, and that is accurate in both price and feel. It typically sits around the 100 dollar mark at retail, often dipping lower in promotions. For that price you get a plastic but solidly built base with a main stick and a separate throttle module, connected via a short cable. You can lock the two together as a single unit or split them to spread the controls out across your desk or coffee table.
Buttons are mapped sensibly out of the box for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The trigger and main buttons handle key flight controls, while secondary buttons and hat switches take care of views, trims and common functions. The rudder is handled through twist on the stick, which is convenient if you do not own pedals. In-game you can remap almost any control to align with your habits from other sims or to emphasize the features you use most.
Compared with DualSense, the big advantage of the T.Flight HOTAS 4 is the separation of throttle and stick. Having your left hand always on power and your right hand always on pitch and roll makes crosswind landings, smooth climbs and fine descent management feel much more natural. It also reduces hand fatigue on long flights, since you are not constantly holding trigger positions for thrust.
The downside is that you are trading Sony’s haptics and speaker integration for a plainer, older-school feel. The throttle action is smooth but not particularly heavy, and the stick does not have the same nuanced resistance you might find on high-end PC hardware. It is accurate enough for everything in the sim, though, and worlds better than trying to manage complex aircraft with just a pad if immersion and ergonomics are your priority.
One nice perk: this same HOTAS works in several other PS5-compatible flight games like Ace Combat 7, Star Wars: Squadrons and War Thunder, so it can anchor a small dedicated flight setup rather than being locked to a single title.
Other Sticks And Why They Do Not Work Yet
PlayStation already has a few popular flight-centric peripherals, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5 is picky about what it recognizes today.
The T.Flight HOTAS 4 is supported because it is officially licensed and its PlayStation profile has been integrated into the sim. Other sticks and throttles either appear to the system as unsupported devices, or lack the necessary profile in the game client at this stage. Even hardware that works flawlessly on PC or Xbox, such as newer HOTAS systems and yokes, cannot simply be plugged into a PS5 and expected to function here.
Asobo and Xbox Game Studios have been explicit that controller support on consoles has to evolve in lockstep with platform holder requirements, firmware, and game-side mappings. That is why the ecosystem feels constrained on day one, even though there is clearly appetite for more options within the PlayStation community.
If you already own a more advanced flight stick for another system, there is a temptation to hunt for adapters or workarounds. Beyond the usual compatibility risks, there is also a chance that future updates could break unofficial setups. For a game that is designed to be updated core-side for years, relying on unsupported configurations is a gamble.
What The Developers Are Promising For Future Hardware
The good news is that the current single-stick situation is not the long-term plan. Series head Jorg Neumann has publicly said that “quite a few controllers” are in development for PlayStation. That includes new devices and expanded support for already popular brands aimed directly at Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 players.
The approach mirrors what happened on Xbox. When the 2020 sim first hit that platform, support was sparse and limited to a small set of officially backed sticks. Over time, as the player base grew and manufacturers saw the demand, more specialized flight gear arrived with console profiles baked in. The same pattern is expected on PS5.
On top of that, PS VR2 support is planned for a later update. Once full VR arrives on PS5, the value of dedicated hardware goes up sharply. Gripping a physical throttle and stick while looking around a 3D cockpit is transformative, and manufacturers know this. Expect future announcements from both Microsoft and peripheral partners as VR integration gets closer.
You should also plan around ongoing software updates. New controller profiles and expanded button mapping should roll out over the life of the sim. That not only broadens the list of supported sticks, it may also improve how existing devices like the T.Flight HOTAS 4 feel in practice through refined sensitivities and better default bindings.
Which Controller Setup Is Right For You?
If you are just starting out, the DualSense is more than good enough to learn the fundamentals, tackle early missions and decide how deeply you want to invest in virtual aviation. It delivers clever use of haptics and audio, requires no setup beyond plugging in your PS5 and keeps the living room footprint small.
If you already know you are in this for the long haul, especially if you are drawn to bush flying, helicopter work, or precise approaches in complex weather, the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS 4 is the only reliable way today to get an authentic HOTAS layout in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5. It is not a high-end sim rig, but it dramatically upgrades immersion and control feel over a gamepad.
If you are a hardware enthusiast eyeing yokes, pedals and more exotic HOTAS systems, the smartest move is patience. With more PlayStation-compatible flight controllers already in development and PS VR2 integration on the horizon, the hardware ecosystem around Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5 should look very different a year from now.
Until then, the sim remains fully playable and deeply enjoyable with what is available. Start with the controller you have, learn the skies and keep an eye on official announcements before building the cockpit of your dreams in front of your TV.