Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog MKII review and specs

What changes in the cockpit

In a fighter, hands on throttle and stick is the whole point: sensors, weapons, countermeasures and radios all live under your fingers so your eyes stay outside. Thrustmaster counts 36 buttons across grip and throttle, hats not included, and because both grips copy real aircraft, each switch sits where the real one does.

The MKII base runs a ball-bearing gimbal with 16-bit Hall effect sensors. Thrustmaster doesn't state the throttle's sensor type, so we keep that claim to the stick. The two throttle levers lock together or split to run each engine on its own.

Desk or home cockpit?

6.56 kg for the full bundle on the spec sheet. It works on a desk, but a set like this earns its money on a solid mount or in a cockpit where nothing slides when you pull.

Two things to plan. First, there's no twist axis, so rudder means pedals: Thrustmaster's TFRP at $129.99 or the TPR with Hall sensors at $599.99. Second, the base takes any Thrustmaster add-on grip through its 6-pin connector, so the stick you buy today isn't the only one it can wear.

Great if you…

• fly fighters and want licensed replicas of the Viper grip and the A-10C throttle
• want split throttles for twin-engine jets
• already own rudder pedals or have them in the budget

Skip it if…

• you fly airliners or GA: you'd pay for switches you never use
• you have no pedals and no plan for them. Without a twist axis, yaw has nowhere to go.
• you fly on Xbox or PlayStation: it's PC only

What Thrustmaster promises

Points taken from the official manufacturer spec sheet.

• 1:1 replicas of the F-16 Viper stick grip and the A-10C dual throttle, licensed by the U.S. Air Force
• Redesigned base with a ball-bearing gimbal and 16-bit Hall effect sensors
• Throttle levers can be locked together or split to run each engine separately

Compatibility and contents

Stated platforms: PC. Version: replaces HOTAS Warthog (original); full bundle: MKII base + Viper grip + A-10C dual throttle.

Price and availability

US price checked on October 29, 2026: $599.99. Linked merchant: Amazon. The price at the merchant is the one that applies.

Better fit elsewhere?

Its direct rival is the WINCTRL Orion2 HOTAS ViperAce at $599.46, $0.53 less: 16-bit Hall sensors on the stick base, an idle and afterburner detent rail, but one throttle lever instead of two. The Warthog MKII vs Orion2 head-to-head goes line by line.

Want twin throttles without the replica price? The Logitech X56 H.O.T.A.S. has two lockable levers for $249.99, $350 less. The full order is in the best HOTAS.

The verdict

The Warthog MKII is a specialist: licensed replica grips, Hall sensors on the base, split throttles, 36 buttons and a base that accepts other grips. $599.99 on October 29, 2026.

If you fly fighters and already know it, this is the set you build a cockpit around. Budget for pedals, then check today's price.

Amazon price, October 29, 2026 · Affiliate link