Earlier this year my colleague, Ben Wilson, reviewed a pretty interesting controller for Flight Simulator enthusiasts from Honeycomb. It's since been made available in an Xbox variant, too, but it looks like it won't be the only flight stick controller on the block.

Teased today is the Project X-Ray Flight Deck Wireless Controller, designed by Meridian GMT and built by PowerA.

I mean, just look at it. I've recently written about how as a Microsoft Flight Simulator novice I'm already looking to get a flight stick, in part because there's so much to do that isn't too friendly to controller buttons. Project X-Ray laughs at that. And me.

I'll admit I'm not familiar with Meridian GMT, but having a nose around the company's X profile, it looks like the idea of a flight controller that fits within the frame of a regular Xbox controller has been on their mind for over a year.

There's not much else to know about Project X-Ray beyond the teaser video posted to X and a render on the sign-up page. There's no idea on price or release date, and presumably it'll have a different name when it comes to market.

But what can we tell from what we see so far? Well, like the Honeycomb Echo, its purpose is to put dedicated flight controls into a controller. Having Xbox support out of the gate is huge, meaning that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 players on console won't be left hanging.

It manages to squeeze all of the controls I've been struggling with onto a single controller. There's obviously a throttle lever, but also flaps, landing gear, a rotary trim knob, lights/radio buttons, and in place of a D-pad, dedicated autopilot controls. There's no view of the back, though, so there could still be more to come.

I love this, though. I want it to be a whole category filled with choice. The Meridian GMT desire to use a regular Xbox controller form factor is especially noteworthy. Something everyone's already familiar and comfortable with holding, while adding the main essential physical controls for flight.

If you're interested, you can sign up right now on PowerA's website, but this one is being filed high in the "one to watch out for" column.

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Richard Devine is the Managing Editor at Windows Central, where he combines a deep love for the open-source community with expert-level technical coverage. Whether he’s hunting for the next big project on GitHub, fine-tuning a WSL workflow, or breaking down the latest meta in Call of Duty, Forza, and The Division 2, Richard focuses on making complex tech accessible to every kind of user. If it’s happening in the world of Windows or PC gaming, he’s probably already knee-deep in the code (or the lobbies). Follow him on X and Mastodon.