Funnily enough, I once considered attempting to gain a pilot's license when a course was offered during my time at University. In the end, I pursued a mobile development course instead and there are definitely some regrets still floating around. That's why when Thrustmaster sent me the T.Flight Full Kit X to review, it felt like a chance at redemption... kinda.
This sim-style controller and pedals are the perfect companion for Microsoft Flight Simulator but also work fantastic with games like Star Wars: Squadrons. However, is it a gamechanger worth owning or just a way to add short term interest to games that are fine just the way they are?
Soaring... Flying
Straight away, I have to commend just how intuitive the Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X truly is. Within moments of plugging it in and messing around in Microsoft Flight Sim, nothing felt unnatural and most controls could be predicted from the layout.
They're best used when sitting at a desk with a flat surface and boy did I find this out the hard way. When testing the product sat on a chair with it on my lap, while it wasn't heavy, it simply moved around too much to control properly.
This is a shame because when using it with the Xbox Series X, that's probably doing to be how to use it. That being said, I was happy enough to move my Xbox to my workspace so that I could give it the ideal conditions to impress me even further.
I'll admit that I've never found Flight Sim to be the most enticing game when playing with a controller or keyboard and mouse and now I know why. That's not how the game is meant to be played. The Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X is the perfect way to enjoy this game.
From my abject failures to eventual success, there was never a moment where I felt like I wasn't having fun. Frustration set in a few times but Iin all honesty, I knew straight away that my own mistakes were causing this but with the precision and accuracy that the Full Kit X offers, I would always succeed in the end.
I felt like I was taken on a learning experience without ever feeling like I was doing anything other than playing a game. Little mistakes would be corrected through the most minor changes in the way I handled the controller. I'm not exactly the most delicate person Thrustmaster has ensured that this controller can steadily adjust how I interact with it until success is achieved in-game.
Action Man
While the plan was to initially test the Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X with just Microsoft Flight Sim, plans quickly changed when I saw that Star Wars: Squadrons was a compatible game.
This was much more my kind of game and I was once again blown away by how naturally the controller felt. The button layout was on point and made for a comfortable experience and before I knew it, hours had passed.
For me, action games are certainly where an accessory or controller like this can come to life and really hook you. While it's unlikely that the product will take someone with zero interest in flying games and turn them into a fan, for those of you who may be like me and are looking for wars to improve how to interact with such games, this Thrustmaster product is perfect.
Before I get too far ahead of myself with praise for this product, I feel to need to point out how this probably isn't going to be something that interests hardcore flight sim players, at least not those who have a big budget at their disposal.
While the Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X does offer great value, it's likely missing key immersive features that you may be willing to pay a pretty penny for. It's just like the difference between a standard Xbox controller and the Elite. One gets you by and you'll have few complaints about and the other is 3x more expensive but gives you all the features you could possibly use and even a few you'll never even try out.
