Microsoft Flight Simulator is a sleeper hit, at least in that it has a niche but dedicated following on PC. Still, it broadened its appeal somewhat when the game spread to Xbox consoles with the MSFS 2020 reboot and its successor, MSFS 2024, hit Game Pass. I always tried to push my gaming friends towards simulators, but expensive peripherals and ultra-realistic sensibilities turned some of them off.
Don't get me wrong, you can reach the absolute zenith of immersion with some of the best flight sticks that I've tested over the years when you set aside a premium-grade budget, but that doesn't mean affordability is impossible. My in-person meeting with Honeycomb Aeronautical earlier this year certainly made that especially clear when I tested samples of its latest joysticks and yokes.
