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Honeycomb Echo Aviation Controller XPC Brings Flight Sim Controls to Xbox

The handheld unit packs cockpit throttles, rudder paddles, and a 16-bit TMR stick for $179.99 ahead of its November release date.

By Player Two

The Games Desk · (2 hours ago)

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Honeycomb Echo Aviation Controller XPC handheld flight sim gamepad with throttle sliders and rudder controls
Honeycomb Echo Aviation Controller XPC handheld flight sim gamepad with throttle sliders and rudder controlsPhoto via Notebookcheck

Honeycomb has stamped a $179.99 price and a November 20 release date on its Echo Aviation Controller XPC. The handheld gamepad gives Microsoft Flight Simulator enthusiasts on Xbox and PC a tailored flight deck in miniature, avoiding the desk-cluttering footprint of full-sized aviation gear.

Buyers in the United States can reserve hardware right away on Honeycomb's website. The process does not require any upfront deposit. Once shipments are prepped, the company sends an email invite with a 48-hour checkout window before releasing that unit to the next customer in line. For now, reservations are restricted strictly to US postal addresses. Wider international delivery begins rolling out on November 20. In Europe, Honeycomb’s online storefront already lists the hardware for €179.99.

Instead of making pilots buy multiple standalone pieces, the XPC compresses the primary elements of Honeycomb’s Alpha yoke, Bravo throttle quadrant, and Charlie rudder pedals into one controller you hold between both hands.

Pitch and roll inputs operate through a 16-bit TMR thumbstick. That marks a hardware revision from the earlier PC-only Echo edition, which used a 16-bit Hall-effect stick instead. Yaw control sits on the underside, where rear paddles with self-centering Hall-effect sensors remain mechanically linked to simulate physical rudder operation without pedals under your desk.

Cockpit Levers in a Handheld Frame

The central face features four detented sliding levers built for throttles, flaps, and airbrakes. You can swap their caps between airliner and general aviation profiles depending on what you fly. Surrounding the sliders, Honeycomb added a textured manual trim wheel, dedicated toggle levers for your landing gear and parking brake, another flap switch, and an eight-direction point-of-view hat switch for looking around outside the cockpit.

The gamepad operates wirelessly or over a wired USB cable. Honeycomb rates internal battery endurance at up to 15 hours on a single charge over USB-C.

That puts it in an unusual spot in the market. Flight sim gear on consoles usually means either wrestling with a basic standard controller or mounting massive desktop flight sticks with sprawling wire runs. The older PC-only version remains listed at €149.99 on the European storefront, though Honeycomb shows it out of stock as attention turns to the November 20 rollout.

Echo Aviation Controller XPC on our upcoming launches listEvery phone and gadget on the way, with confirmed and expected datesOpen →

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How this story was made

Written by the Hitechreports desk from the reporting credited above, with facts attributed to their original publishers. We do not test devices ourselves; anything about performance, battery life or cameras comes from the outlets that did. Prices are as reported at the time of writing. Editorial policy · Report an error

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