The recently released Microsoft Flight Simulator is a game that is best enjoyed with a dedicated flightstick, but finding one of these controllers is actually a challenge. None of Amazon.com’s best-selling PC flight sticks are available for purchase from Monday, August 24th – they are either listed as unavailable, used only, or are planned to be back in stock in the coming months.
It is impossible to know if this current deficit is directly caused by the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Flycatchers and sticks are a relatively niche product to begin with, and, even prior to the game’s official release, folk op Twitter were complaining about shortages. Meanwhile, many other gaming accessories such as Nintendo’s Fit Fit have also sold out this year thanks to a combination of increased demand as people stay more at home, and producing challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, however, Microsoft Flight Simulator is the biggest release of Sim Sim in years, and it’s also relatively affordable thanks to the inclusion in Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. Plus, in a few months time, Star Wars: Squadrons is due for release, which means that anyone who buys a flying stick now will have a second game with a big budget to use it by October 2nd.
While flight sticks are becoming harder to find at the likes of Amazon.com and Best Buy, there seem to be some other online retailers where they are still available. Dell, for example, has a relatively affordable Thrustmaster combination flight deck and throttle controller in stock, and you have more options when you’re ready to buy second-hand. Otherwise, you might have to resort to using a regular gamepad when exploring Microsoft’s massively procedurally generated world.
