A few weeks ago, it was announced that Star Wars Squadrons HOTAS support would be available for the PC version of the game. Today, the Community Manager of Motive Studios said on Discord that the HOTAS support will not be extending to the console version of the upcoming flight simulator.
HOTAS, short for Hand On Throttle And Stick, is one of the preferred methods for playing flight simulators, since it allows you to play the game like you were actually flying a plane (or in this case, starfighter). Flight sims on PC often include HOTAS support for their players.
However, it’s likely that the reason behind it is difficulty in getting such a control method to work on consoles. Game controllers already come with joysticks, making it easier to control a plane with that method rather than using arrow keys. Therefore, most people likely won’t care.
Of course, if you’re a hardcore flight sim player Star Wars Squadrons HOTAS support may still sting, especially if you can’t afford a PC that can run the game and are forced to play on console instead. Another option that also depends on ownership is that the game can also be played in VR.
Hopefully the decision is not a dealbreaker though. Squadrons is the second Star Wars game published by EA that will not have microtransactions in it in any way, shape, or form, with all of the cosmetic adjustments to the starfighters you’ll be flying being earned through gameplay.
Of course, at the same time the game still comes with crossplay for all of its platforms, so even if Star Wars Squadrons HOTAS support isn’t intended for the console version, if you get a PC later that can run the game you’ll be able to make the switch over without losing your progress.
Star Wars Squadrons releases on the Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 2 of this year.
