Turtle Beach delivers an all-in-one aircraft control package – and supports X-Box. «Velocity One» is so much fun in a flight simulator. Especially if you enjoy flying single-propeller aircraft in visual flight.
Update and take off
Not for jet lovers
I’d also like to mention the indicators, which are located on the control horn and whose job is to display error messages and warnings. So far, they haven’t worked. However, Turtle Beach says this issue will be solved with the next firmware update.
When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.
The manufacturer Turtle Beach has made a name for itself mainly with headsets and controllers. That’s why I was sceptical when this North-American company introduced its flight simulator controller. Could they pull it off? Let me tell you this for now: yes, they could. «Velocity One» is small but quite something. It’s jam-packed with features including two POV and two HAT switches, rudder control via the trigger buttons at the back of the control horn, a trim wheel, four thrust controls and three throttles. Nothing was left to chance. This is also reflected by the fact that matching stickers are included for the ten assignable buttons. In other words, you can label every imaginable configuration.
Xbox Series X, PC, Xbox One X, Xbox One S, Xbox Series S
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What strikes me immediately is how compact the system is. When assembled, the controller is no wider than a keyboard and mouse. Perfect for the cramped conditions in my working-from-home setup and my cluttered table covered with important documents. You can also separate the flight horn from thrust control. However, only the control horn can be screwed tight. You can do this with the included metal clamps and hexagon key. This will keep the horn firmly attached to your table top. The rest of the controller is made of plastic, but it all looks very sturdy. Unlike the competition by Logitech, the «Velocity One» is much less rickety. I used the Logitech controller in the first «Flight Simulator» stream last year.
The hexagon key and screws are tucked away under a cover.
The first time I start, the driver software updates itself. After that, I can get going with the «Flight Simulator». There are three preinstalled profiles. All you need to do is select them in the display and then again in the flight simulator. That’s all you need to get started. No lengthy configurations needed. The trim wheel in particular does exactly what it’s supposed to. Within a matter of seconds, my virtual plane is up in the air. Any fine-tuning works without any hiccoughs. Also worth mentioning are the trigger buttons, which are configured as the rudder by default. This means there’s no need for rudder pedals. In line with this, the brakes you’d normally operate with your feet if you were in a real cockpit or using another type of controller are located directly above the triggers on the buttons. Very smart indeed.
The trigger and bumper are borrowed from the X-Box controller.
Thrust is provided by either four thrust controls or pull levers, as often used in propeller machines. The pull levers are particularly fun and allow me to fully immerse myself in my Cessna 172. Visual flight with a single-engine propeller aircraft – that’s what this controller was made for. A stopwatch can be conveniently displayed on the screen to help you estimate the distances during your bush flights. With a printed flight plan and a map on your tablet, the illusion is perfect. This is helped by the yoke, which can be comfortably turned, pulled and pushed in all directions. Other reviews have criticised that the controls are sometimes too hard. I can’t confirm that.
Thrust, propeller and a mix of both can be controlled with vernier controls. I’m never going back from this.
What poses a real problem, however, are the four thrust controls, which offer too little resistance. On several occasions, I accidentally touched a controller, which then immediately veered upwards or downwards. Experience has taught me that this will tend to get worse over time as the mechanics wear out. I also noticed that although the sliders have a click at the lower end, this can’t be configured, for example to activate the reverse thrust. I’m not sure if this can be fixed with an update. For me, this makes the «Velocity One» only semi-ideal for controlling jets. Also because it «only» offers ten freely configurable keys. Autopilot or the on-board computer can’t be sensibly configured with it. In my case, the buttons with the various lights, parking brake, chassis and the master autopilot are quickly occupied.
There’s a fine line between genius and insanity: the perfect trim wheel on the left, the wayward thrust controllers on the right.
«Velocity One» is the perfect controller for people who have little space on their table but don’t want to cut corners. Everything you need to take off is packed into one compact device. Especially the trim wheel and the draw controls are a real added value, also the rudder control via the trigger keys is cleverly solved. Once you’re done flying, the controller is easy to disassemble and easy to stow away in your closet until the next flight. What isn’t amazing are the thrust controls, which are far too easy to alter. Another criticism is that the indicator lights don’t work yet. But if you’re less into jets and more into single-engine aircraft, you’ll be happy with this purchase. In any case, X-Box doesn’t offer any alternatives at the moment anyway. For PC, I’d rank this controller between the more expensive Honeycomb and the inexpensive Saitek System and that’s exactly what the «Velocity One» does perfectly.
