Gaming peripheral manufacturer Thrustmaster recently brought its Thrustmaster Civil Aviation (TCA) product range for flight simulators on Xbox after being previously available for PC. While also compatible with PCs, the Thrustmaster TCA Captain Pack X Airbus Edition has been designed for the Xbox Series X|S.

Costing €299.99 / $299.99 / £249.99, the kit comes with the following items:

• 1 x TCA Sidestick X Airbus Edition
• 1 x TCA Quadrant Airbus Edition + 2 x add-on modules: flaps and speed brake
• 4 x swappable joystick head button modules
• 1 x USB cable (Type-C to Type-A) + 2 x Thrustmaster SATA cables
• 4 x connectors + 1 x attachment rod
• 2 x stickers
• User manual, quick start guide, warranty information

Additional specs details are as follows:

Dimensions:

TCA Quadrant Airbus Edition (and TCA Quadrant Add-On)

• Height: 3.3 inches / 85 mm
• Width: 7.5 inches / 190 mm
• Depth: 9.3 inches / 235 mm

TCA Sidestick X Airbus Edition

• Height: 7.7 inches / 195 mm
• Width: 7.7 inches / 195 mm
• Depth: 8.9 inches / 225 mm

Weight

• TCA Sidestick X Airbus Edition: 787 g
• TCA Quadrant Airbus Edition (and TCA Quadrant Add-On): 2 x 530 g

Immediately striking with the TCA Captain Pack X Airbus Edition is the level of detail of its components pack. They bear the look and feel of the controls of Airbus airliners, with the TCA Sidestick X Airbus Edition even being a 1:1 scale replica inspired by the Airbus sidestick. The TCA Sidestick itself is ergonomic, with the controls easily accessible. In addition, it packs an ambidextrous design, enabling you to use it whether you are in the pilot and co-pilot seat. It allows further customisation thanks to its swappable joystick head button modules.

 

Further adding to the realism to this flight simulator hardware is the TCA Quadrant included in the package. The levers' resistance and audio feedback of the buttons and switches deliver a convincing experience (as much as I, as a non-pilot, would expect the hardware feel to be).

 

While the myriad of keys and buttons on the TCA Quadrant can be intimidating to newcomers like myself, using the kit is thankfully simple. Only the sidestick needs to be plugged into the Xbox or PC via the included USB cable, while the TCA Quadrant plugs into the USB port on the Sidestick itself. There is also an additional USB port for other modules within the TCA hardware ecosystem as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, the extra USB ports cannot be used to charge devices, which would be handy or even to serve as an extra port while one is already occupied by the Sidestick. 

Once connected, the kit can be used right away. This easy, plug-and-play configuration is really a highlight, especially for console convenience (you’ll need to install drivers for using on PC though).

Simply put, using the TCA Sidestick and TCA Quadrant to control flight simulators is a joy. The kit feels designed for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with ample keys to control the parameters of your aircraft that makes every session memorable. For sci-fi lovers, the TCA Captain Pack X Airbus Edition is also well adapted for games like Star Wars Squadrons; a title on PC that I initially found immersive in VR and with an Xbox controller and the gameplay was significantly revamped with the Sidestick. 

Of course, there’s a learning curve to the controls, especially if you’re starting out with such a device but the hardware adds that extra layer of immersiveness in flight sims that just can’t be replicated with a controller or keyboard/mouse. The controls are responsive, fluid and easily accessible. In addition, the stick bears Hall effect based magnetic sensors (akin to the increasingly popular GuiliKit controller) that, in addition to being more resistant to wear, delivers particularly smooth, precise controls.

While the $300 price tag of the Captain Pack might be steep, the Sidestick alone can serve as a starter. Thrustmaster prices its TCA Sidestick X Airbus Edition (without the Quadrant) at a suggested retail price of €119.99 / $119.99 / £99.99 and it will deliver on the quality control and immersion. But if you want to get more serious with your piloting skills, then the Sidestick and Quadrant bundle might be worth looking into.

However, there are some points to note before splurging on this accessory. Most strikingly is the plastic build of the TCA Sidestick and Quadrant. They don’t feel particularly cheap but not really premium either. While this adds to them being rather lightweight, some heft would add to an overall feel that’s reflective of the price. 

And while the sidestick is ergonomic, the comfort could have been enhanced with some rubberised grips. Now, I haven’t used an Airbus sidestick myself and these might bear a similar plastic, grip-free design but I dare say for gaming purposes, the hardware’s comfort could have been improved.

Another note is that the kit is not compatible with cloud versions of flight simulators. This is a bit of a downer as I was initially planning to try Microsoft Flight Simulator on the cloud through Xbox Game Pass but had to resort to downloading the full game instead. It is a minor inconvenience but one to bear in mind, especially as the TCA Captain Pack X Airbus Edition comes with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

When it comes down to it though, the Thrustmaster TCA Captain Pack X Airbus Edition is a niche kit for those looking for that extra layer of immersion for a specific subset of video games: flight simulators. For those needs, this bundle really helps put you in the seat of the captain with a convenient plug-and-play approach at a relatively competitive price, even considering Thrustmaster’s own HOTAS Warthog $550 kit.