Aces of Thunder Controls: HOTAS, VR and Gamepad Setup Guide

Yes—Aces of Thunder supports HOTAS, gamepads, and VR control schemes, and you can play on PC without a VR headset. On PC, the Steam listing identifies HOTAS as fully supported and lists VR as optional with OpenXR support. Gaijin’s official game copy also describes VR controllers, a virtual HOTAS, hardware simulation rigs, and gamepads. On PS5, the game supports standard controller remapping and PS VR2 content. The right setup depends on whether you want physical flight axes, motion-based cockpit interaction, or the simplest plug-and-play option.

This guide explains what each control method can do, how to configure it without relying on an unverified device preset, which axes matter for realistic engine management, and how to troubleshoot menus, bindings, sensitivity, and recent input changes.

Does Aces of Thunder support HOTAS and VR?

It supports both. HOTAS is an officially supported category, while VR is an optional display and control choice rather than a requirement for PC play. You can therefore fly with a physical stick and throttle in a conventional monitor setup, use VR controllers and the virtual cockpit controls, or combine a VR headset with a physical sim rig.

The official Aces of Thunder website describes the intended range directly: “Put on your HMD, take your VR controllers and grab virtual HOTAS (or use your hardware sim rig or gamepad) and join the fight!” That wording identifies four practical paths—VR controllers, virtual HOTAS, a hardware rig, and a gamepad—but it does not mean every joystick model, operating mode, or console combination behaves identically.

Control and display are separate decisions

On Windows PC, the game listing identifies OpenXR support and marks the VR headset as optional. You can choose a non-VR display while using HOTAS or a gamepad, or use VR with motion controllers, physical HOTAS, or another supported input arrangement. On PS5, the VR experience is tied to PS VR2, while the standard DualSense controller remains the normal non-VR option.

What is not established

There is no published, device-by-device compatibility matrix covering every stick, throttle, pedal set, USB mode, or platform. HOTAS support confirms the control category, not universal compatibility for a particular model. Check the current game and manufacturer compatibility information before buying hardware, especially for console use.

Which control method should you choose?

Choose according to the physical controls and cockpit interaction you want, not a supposed universal “best” layout. The following comparison uses only capabilities identified for Aces of Thunder.

Approach	What is supported	Best fit	Important trade-off
HOTAS or physical simulator rig	Steam lists HOTAS as fully supported; the official site mentions a hardware sim rig.	Players who want a dedicated stick, throttle, and physical axes.	Individual model and platform compatibility still needs checking.
Gamepad	Official game copy lists gamepads; PlayStation lists remapping, stick sensitivity, and inversion settings.	Players who want minimal hardware and quick setup.	Analogue sticks provide fewer dedicated axes than a full rig.
VR controllers and virtual HOTAS	The official site describes VR controllers and a virtual HOTAS; PC VR uses OpenXR.	Players who want to reach into the cockpit and manipulate virtual controls.	Motion-based interaction is different from the consistency of physical switches and axes.
Mouse, keyboard, or standard controller for VR menus	UploadVR reported that these inputs could navigate VR menus as of 17 March 2026.	HOTAS users who do not want to use motion controllers just to select menus.	The report described behavior in most scenarios at that date; patches can change it.

If manual engine control is your priority, favor a device with assignable analogue axes. If you mainly want to fly and avoid extra hardware, a gamepad is the least complicated route. If cockpit presence matters most, VR controllers provide the interaction model that a monitor and physical stick cannot reproduce.

What do I need on PC and PS5?

The game is presented for Windows PC and PS5. Your display mode and input hardware should be planned separately for each platform.

Windows PC

Non-VR: use a gamepad, HOTAS, or another recognized input device with a monitor.
VR: use a compatible headset through the game’s OpenXR path. VR controllers, a physical HOTAS, or a combination can be used depending on how you want to interact with the cockpit.
HOTAS-only VR menus: a March 17, 2026 report from UploadVR said mouse, keyboard, and standard controllers could operate menu navigation in VR. Keep one of those devices connected if your current build does not let the HOTAS select every menu item.

PS5

Standard play: the PlayStation listing describes advanced controller remapping, stick-sensitivity controls, and inversion settings.
VR: PS VR2 provides the PS5 VR experience described in the PlayStation listing.
External HOTAS: do not assume that a PC-oriented HOTAS works on PS5. Verify both the game’s current support and the console mode specified by the device maker.

Before changing bindings, identify whether you are using a monitor or headset, then identify the device the game should read. This prevents troubleshooting a control problem that is actually a platform or display-mode mismatch.

How do I set up a HOTAS?

Use the in-game Controls menu, select a suitable controls template or preset if one is offered, and then bind the axes and buttons on the connected device. The exact preset names and menu order can change, so treat the labels visible in your current build as authoritative rather than relying on an old screenshot.

Connect and verify the hardware first. Plug in the stick and throttle before launching the game, and confirm that the operating system recognizes them in the mode recommended by the manufacturer. If the unit has a console/PC switch, select the mode required by your platform.
Open the Controls menu. Choose the device or control scheme that corresponds to your setup. If several templates appear, start with the one intended for a flight stick or HOTAS, then inspect every assignment before flying.
Bind the primary flight axes. Assign pitch, roll, yaw, and throttle to the physical axes you can reach comfortably. Move one control at a time and watch the in-game response so a reversed or duplicated axis is obvious.
Bind essential buttons. Put weapons, brakes, landing gear, view controls, and any safety-critical action on buttons that do not require you to release the stick. Add auxiliary controls only after the main flight controls behave correctly.
Check center and travel. With the stick released, confirm that the aircraft does not roll or pitch by itself. Move each axis through its full range and look for a smooth response instead of a jump at one end.
Adjust sensitivity and inversion. PlayStation explicitly lists these types of adjustments, and the same concepts are useful when tuning a connected flight device. Invert only the axis whose direction feels wrong; changing every axis at once makes diagnosis harder.
Test in a practice or test-flight setting. Verify pitch, roll, yaw, throttle, brakes, and weapons before entering a match. Make one change at a time and save the working arrangement so a later experiment can be undone.

Do not assume a named HOTAS preset maps every button correctly. A preset can be a starting point; the final layout should be checked against your aircraft, handedness, and whether Manual Engine Control is enabled.

What should a first HOTAS layout prioritize?

Stick: pitch and roll on the main axes, with yaw on the stick twist or a separate rudder axis if available.
Throttle: a continuously reachable throttle axis, plus a convenient button for any frequently used throttle mode.
Immediate actions: weapons, brakes, landing gear, and view controls within reach without taking your hand off the flight controls.
Engine-management controls: separate axes or buttons only when you are ready to use Manual Engine Control; otherwise leave advanced functions unassigned until you understand their effect.

How do I configure a gamepad?

A gamepad is a supported, hardware-light option. Start with the game’s controller mapping, then tune stick sensitivity and inversion rather than searching for one universal layout. The PlayStation listing specifically identifies advanced remapping and these response adjustments.

Open the controller section of the Controls menu and inspect the current assignments.
Confirm which stick controls pitch and roll, and which input controls yaw or rudder. Move each stick slowly while watching the aircraft preview or test-flight response.
Set sensitivity low enough for precise corrections but high enough to reach full travel without an uncomfortable stick movement. Change one axis at a time.
Use inversion only when the aircraft moves opposite to your expectation. Test the result in a practice environment before entering a match.
Place weapons, brakes, landing gear, view changes, and other frequent actions on reachable face buttons, shoulder buttons, or triggers.

A gamepad can fly the aircraft without requiring a HOTAS, but it does not provide the same number of dedicated physical axes. If you later enable Manual Engine Control, you may need to combine analogue inputs with buttons or relative controls.

How do VR controllers and the virtual HOTAS work?

VR controllers let you interact with the cockpit as a physical space. The official description refers to grabbing a virtual HOTAS, so the virtual controls are distinct from a real stick and throttle sitting on your desk.

VR with motion controllers

Put on the headset, launch the game through the supported VR path, and use the controller prompts shown in your current cockpit. Reach for the virtual stick, throttle, and other levers as directed by the interface. Because this is motion-based input, keep your seating position and controller tracking consistent; a change in real-world position can make a virtual control feel offset.

VR with a physical HOTAS

A physical HOTAS can provide the flight axes while the headset supplies the cockpit view. This is useful when you want stable, repeatable throttle and stick movement but do not want to manipulate virtual levers for every adjustment. You may still need a mouse, keyboard, or standard controller for menu navigation, depending on the current build.

Can I play VR without VR controllers?

You can use a physical HOTAS for flight, and UploadVR reported on March 17, 2026 that mouse, keyboard, and standard controllers were enabled for VR menu navigation in most scenarios. That report is a dated implementation note, not a permanent guarantee: if a menu does not respond to your HOTAS, keep a conventional input device available and check whether a patch changed the behavior.

What is Manual Engine Control, and do I need it?

Manual Engine Control (MEC) is optional. You can begin with simpler flight controls, then add MEC when you want direct management of engine-related settings that vary by aircraft.

The MEC guide covers throttle, propeller pitch or RPM, mixture, radiators, and other aircraft-dependent controls. Assignable physical axes are recommended for fine adjustment because they let you make small, continuous changes instead of repeated digital button presses. In VR, some cockpit levers can be manipulated directly when manual engine control is enabled.

Which MEC inputs should receive axes?

Throttle: use the dedicated throttle axis if your rig has one.
Propeller pitch or RPM: assign a separate axis when the aircraft exposes that control.
Mixture: an axis is useful for gradual adjustment rather than abrupt changes.
Radiators: assign only when the aircraft and your control scheme expose a radiator function.

Aircraft do not all expose the same engine controls. Bind only the functions shown for the aircraft you fly, and label or memorize the controls before adding more. The MEC guide also describes relative control, which makes keyboard adjustments incremental; this can be useful when you lack spare analogue axes.

How should I tune sensitivity, inversion, and dead zones?

Tune one axis at a time in a practice or test-flight setting. The goal is a neutral center, predictable response, and full travel without accidental input.

Release the control and verify that the aircraft remains neutral. If it moves, inspect calibration, dead-zone, and duplicate bindings before changing sensitivity.
Move the axis a small amount around center. If the aircraft reacts too sharply, reduce sensitivity or add only enough dead zone to mask hardware drift.
Move to full travel. If the aircraft never reaches the expected maximum, check that the correct physical axis—not a throttle button or combined axis—is assigned.
Test direction. Invert only the affected axis when the response is consistently reversed.
Repeat the test after enabling MEC. Engine axes can feel different from flight axes, and a setting that is comfortable for pitch may be unsuitable for mixture or radiator control.

Save or record a working arrangement before experimenting with advanced curves. A clear baseline makes it easier to recover from a control change that feels worse in combat.

What changed in the recent control updates?

Control behavior is patch-sensitive. Two 2026 update notes are particularly relevant when a binding appears to be missing or a peripheral starts affecting menus.

September 14, 2026 update

The update added separate actions for a collimator sight, cockpit lights, and canopy open and close. It also noted fixes for some control-binding and spatial-input issues. If you previously used one generic canopy action or could not assign a cockpit function, revisit the Controls menu after updating.

September 30, 2026 update

The update notes say that VelocityOne Rudder pedals no longer affect UI navigation. This is a specific UI behavior fix, not a blanket compatibility statement for every rudder pedal set. If another pedal device moves menu focus, inspect its bindings and disconnect it temporarily to isolate the cause.

How do I troubleshoot missing or incorrect inputs?

The game does not see the HOTAS

Close the game, connect the device, and relaunch so the input is present during device detection.
Check the hardware’s PC or console mode and confirm that the platform supports that mode.
Disconnect duplicate controllers temporarily. Multiple devices can make it unclear which axis is being assigned.
Return to the Controls menu and bind an axis manually instead of assuming a preset recognized the device.

An axis is reversed, stuck, or drifting

Use the inversion setting for a consistently reversed direction.
Check center position and add a modest dead zone only if the hardware reports movement at rest.
Move the control through its full range while watching the in-game response; a partial range usually indicates the wrong axis or a device-mode issue.

Buttons work in flight but not in menus

Flight bindings and menu navigation are not necessarily identical. In VR, use a mouse, keyboard, or standard controller as a fallback, reflecting the menu-input behavior reported on March 17, 2026. After an update, recheck the new auxiliary actions and any controls that previously shared a button.

VR cockpit controls feel offset

Recenter the headset and controllers according to your platform’s VR procedure, then check your seated position and tracking area. If you are using a physical HOTAS, keep the real controls in the same position each session so the virtual cockpit and your hands do not disagree.

Which hardware should I buy?

Buy hardware for a specific use case, and verify compatibility before paying. A HOTAS flight stick and throttle is optional equipment, not a requirement for Aces of Thunder; its benefit is a dedicated stick, a reachable throttle, and more physical axes for flight and engine management.

HOTAS

Choose a model with separate stick and throttle axes if you want to experiment with MEC. Confirm that the manufacturer lists support for your platform and that the game accepts the device in the required operating mode. A manual for a device such as the T.Flight HOTAS 4 can describe PS5 and PS4 joystick recognition while still directing users to the manufacturer’s current game-compatibility list; that documentation alone does not confirm Aces of Thunder compatibility.

Rudder pedals

Pedals are useful when you want a dedicated yaw axis or already fly with a full simulator rig. The September 30, 2026 note about VelocityOne Rudder pedals concerns their effect on UI navigation and should not be read as confirmation that all pedal models are supported.

VR headset and mounts

A compatible VR headset is needed for PC VR, and PS VR2 is the relevant headset path on PS5. A desk mount can keep a physical HOTAS stable, but it is optional; add one only if your controls move during use or your seating position makes the stick and throttle uncomfortable.

Recommended starting setups

Simple non-VR setup

Use a gamepad, keep the default flight controls until you understand the aircraft, then tune sensitivity and inversion. Add custom bindings for weapons, brakes, landing gear, and views before attempting MEC.

Physical HOTAS setup

Use a monitor, bind pitch, roll, yaw, and throttle first, and test each axis in practice. Add MEC axes only for the aircraft functions you intend to manage, then place auxiliary actions such as cockpit lights, collimator sight, and canopy controls on reachable buttons.

VR cockpit setup

Use VR controllers and the virtual HOTAS when physical interaction is the priority. If you prefer physical flight controls, keep the HOTAS for aircraft movement and a mouse, keyboard, or standard controller nearby for menus if the current build requires it.

What is the practical verdict?

Aces of Thunder is flexible enough to start with a gamepad, move to HOTAS, or play in VR without committing to one control philosophy. HOTAS is the strongest fit for players who value physical axes and detailed engine management; gamepad is the lowest-hardware path; VR controllers are the most immersive cockpit option. Because support is category-based rather than a device-by-device guarantee, confirm your exact model and platform, bind the essential axes manually, and test every change before a serious sortie.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play Aces of Thunder on PC without owning a VR headset?

Yes. The PC listing treats VR as optional, so a monitor-based setup with a gamepad or HOTAS is supported. You only need a headset when you choose the VR display and cockpit-interaction mode.

Do I need a throttle quadrant for Manual Engine Control?

No. MEC can use buttons or relative controls, and the guide describes incremental keyboard adjustments. A dedicated throttle and extra analogue axes simply make fine changes easier when the aircraft exposes throttle, propeller, mixture, or radiator controls.

Will one HOTAS profile work for every aircraft?

The primary flight axes can remain consistent, but aircraft-dependent engine functions differ. Review MEC assignments for each aircraft and avoid binding controls that the current aircraft does not expose.

Why does my HOTAS work in flight but not in VR menus?

Menu navigation may use a different input path from aircraft controls. A March 17, 2026 report said mouse, keyboard, and standard controllers could navigate VR menus in most scenarios, so keep one of those devices available and recheck behavior after patches.