Sometimes you get a pitch in your inbox that you just can’t not write about. I got one of those this morning; it’s the new Honeycomb Echo Aviation Controller, a flight sim gamepad that’s due for purchase sometime next month, Honeycomb announced today.
Let me be clear: I have no idea if this is a good controller or worth buying at all. It’s just that, once I saw the picture of this thing, I stopped reading the press release I’d been emailed, sent the email to my editors at IGN and said “I’m convinced that the people need to see this Pee Wee Herman-ass controller.” And you do, trust me. In fact, here it is:
Let’s talk about just what we’re looking at, here. This is a gamepad-shaped controller with the noble goal of letting you sit with your arms limply resting in your lap, yet with all of the switches, levers, buttons, and sticks you need to command a digital jet airliner. Most familiar to non-flight sim gamers will be the analog stick – using anti-drift hall-effect sensors, of course – for “full elevator and aileron input,” so that you can DO A BARREL ROLL! (Aileron roll if you like, but I choose to believe this 10-year-old PBS explainer about why Starfox’s Peppy did nothing wrong.)
You’ll also find four independently assignable thrust levers with exchangeable caps “for GA or commercial aircraft,” according to Honeycomb’s website. Levers on the bottom let you control things like flaps and landing gear, and a set of buttons near the top work for “camera, checklist, and toolbar functions.” There are also paddles on the back of the controller that Honeycomb says in its announcement “move in opposition” to give “realistic yaw control without external pedals.” Finally, it’s wireless with up to 15 hours of battery, but also works when wired via its USB-C charging port.
Honeycomb isn’t the only one releasing controllers like this. There’s also the Meridian GMT X-Ray, for which I couldn’t find a release date or price, and the delightfully-named Yawman Arrow, which you can order now for $199. Like those, the Echo Aviation gamepad is ostensibly for the sim fan about town who wants a compact way to play Microsoft Flight Simulator with fewer compromises than even the best PC controllers require.
But I’d argue it’s also definitely for me, a total layman when it comes to these games, and not just because I want a less space-hogging way to get into flight simulation. It’s also because I just want to have it and hold it. To pick it up and, as a troll-ish bit, hand it to my friend as we start up a game of Smash Bros. I should note here that although the version Honeycomb is announcing today is for PCs and Macs, a YouTube trailer for the controller says it’s coming to consoles in 2026, as well.
Whichever camp you fall into, you won’t have to wait long to get your fix. The Echo Aviation Controller will be available mid-December for $150, a spendy gamepad price that for once feels reasonable and not like a gratuitous flex.
