Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches with two officially licensed flight sticks, HORI’s Ace Combat 8 Flight Stick for PS5, PS4 and PC and Thrustmaster’s T.Flight HOTAS NEO Ace Combat 8 Edition for PlayStation, Xbox and PC, and DayOne’s launch review reports that other HOTAS setups are not recognized yet. To set one up, plug it in by USB before you launch the game, then pick the Standard or Expert flight control mode, which Bandai Namco says you can choose whenever you load into the cockpit.
This guide covers which devices work on each platform, how to connect them, what Standard and Expert change, and what to try if your stick is ignored. It covers the launch version, including the Deluxe Edition’s early access from our launch trailer news.
Which Flight Sticks Ace Combat 8 Supports
Bandai Namco has not published a supported device list. The Steam store page lists full controller support plus DualShock and DualSense support, and nothing about flight sticks. The two licensed devices come from the peripheral makers:
| Device | Platforms | Key features, per the manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| HORI Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Flight Stick (SPF-034) | PS5, PS4, Windows PC | Hall effect stick, throttle and brake levers on both sides, dedicated High-G button, 8 assignable buttons, $129.99 |
| Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS NEO Ace Combat 8 Edition | PS5, PS4 and PC version; separate Xbox and PC version | Detachable throttle, 7 axes, 16 action buttons, High-G Turns button, dual rudder system, vibration, $149.99 |
Thrustmaster promises plug-and-play setup with “mapping optimized for the game,” and says vibration works only on PS5 and PC. HORI lists its stick for PS5, PS4 and Windows PC only, so the Thrustmaster Xbox and PC edition is the licensed option on Xbox Series X|S.
Other sticks are the problem. DayOne’s reviewer writes that the game “refused to recognise my X52 Pro” and “doesn’t support any other HOTAS setups at launch.” Bandai Namco has not commented, so treat an older stick as unsupported for now.
How to Connect Your Stick
- Plug in before launching. Both licensed sticks connect by USB (Thrustmaster includes a USB-C cable), and HORI notes its stick is not wireless.
- On the Thrustmaster Xbox and PC edition, set the mode. DayOne says you hold the View button for five seconds, then use the stick’s directional button to switch; a green light means PC and a white light means Xbox.
- Pick your control mode in game (see below).
- On PC, give Windows a moment. DayOne’s PC took a while to recognize the Thrustmaster at first. If yours does not show up, try another USB port and check Thrustmaster’s or HORI’s support pages for firmware updates.
Standard vs Expert Controls
Bandai Namco’s official difficulty and controls post describes the two flight control modes:
- Standard: “you turn by pushing the left stick to the left or right,” which Bandai Namco says may feel natural to anyone used to first or third-person games.
- Expert: you “roll your craft to the left or right with the left stick, then turn by pitching up and down,” which “enables a wider range of aerial maneuvers and more precise aircraft control.”
Expert is the natural pairing for a flight stick, because it matches how a real stick behaves: sideways rolls the jet and pulling back pitches it. Reviewers lean the same way. Hardcore Gamer calls Expert “truer to the Ace Combat experience,” and CGMagazine chose it for full control of roll and pitch. Difficulty is separate: Rookie, Pilot (the default), Veteran and Elite can be changed at any time, per the same post.
What the Buttons Do
DayOne describes the Thrustmaster’s in-game layout: the trigger fires the machine gun with the special weapon switch above it, the front has target select and missile buttons, and one mini-stick looks around the cockpit while the other replaces the D-pad. The throttle carries the face buttons, a rudder paddle for yaw, and buttons for the radar and landing gear.
That D-pad replacement matters, because Bandai Namco’s Japanese site puts wingman orders (Forward Attack, Dispersed Attack, Special Weapon permission and Cover) on the D-pad. Two trophies depend on those orders, as our trophy list explains.
HORI’s High-G button works like this, per HORI: “Simply hold the button and pull back the control stick to instantly execute a ‘High-G Turn.'” Both makers let you assign functions on the device, but DayOne reports the game itself offers no way to remap flight stick controls at launch.
If You Would Rather Use a Controller
A gamepad is the default for every platform, and many Steam forum players argue it suits the game’s arcade pace better anyway. Our guides to pairing a PS5 controller and connecting an Xbox controller to PC cover the setup. Whatever you fly with, pick a jet that forgives mistakes early, as our best early plane guide explains, and find every other topic on our Ace Combat 8 hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ace Combat 8 support HOTAS? It supports the licensed Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS NEO Ace Combat 8 Edition, which DayOne tested, and HORI’s licensed stick is built around the game’s High-G turn. DayOne reports that other HOTAS setups, such as the X52 Pro, are not recognized at launch.
Which flight stick works on Xbox Series X|S? The Xbox and PC version of the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS NEO Ace Combat 8 Edition. HORI’s stick is for PS5, PS4 and PC only.
Can you remap flight stick buttons in the game? Not at launch, per DayOne. HORI’s stick lets you assign functions to its 8 customizable buttons on the device itself.
Should you use Standard or Expert with a flight stick? Expert, since it maps roll and pitch the way a real stick works. Bandai Namco says Expert allows a wider range of maneuvers.
Can you link two HORI sticks together? HORI says two units connect with a modular cable to act as one device, but it frames twin-stick play around “a variety of simulator titles,” and Bandai Namco has not said how Ace Combat 8 handles it.