With simulation games on the rise, the need for better gameplay is essential. Can the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus take flight simulation gaming to the next level? Let’s find out as we jump right into it in our Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition review.
The ever so popular Thrustmaster company has yet again proved why they are one of the best in the market. Game components aren’t easily made, but Thrustmaster is reliable. They are masters when it comes to innovating such equipment.
With the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition, you’ll be flying to new heights in real time. Now let’s blast off to see what we got.
Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition Packaging
The Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition is packed in a large rectangle box. The product model is shown at the front along with the logo and the title.
On the left side of the package, you will see a diagram of the products. There are also descriptions for the diagram.
Flipping the box to its backside, you will find several descriptions. This is for the features of the product as well as its external and internal components. This helps you understand the device more.
Upon opening the box, you will be greeted with the cardboard mould which cases the products. Once the case is opened, you will discover the two main gaming components. These are the sidestick and the throttle quadrant.
They are both wrapped in plastic to keep them safe. You will also find the proper wires connected to the said gaming components.
After removing the cardboard mould, you will notice two instruction manuals. That is for the two main products, the sidestick and the throttle quadrant.
Learning about the functions of the respective devices can be tiring. Just make sure to take your time to understand how the product works.
With this, Thrustmaster does its job in taking care of their products. Indeed, safety always comes first.
Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition Review – Design and Functionality
Let’s now discuss its design and functions in this section of our Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition review.
The Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition is an ergonomic replica of the well-known Airbus throttle quadrant and sidestick. Its design may not be original, but it was made to simulate realistic landings and takeoffs. This takes simulation games to new heights.
Also, it has two main parts, the sidestick and the throttle quadrant. With that, let’s start with the TCA Sidestick.
Sidestick
The TCA Sidestick is dark and slender with that nostalgic light blue base. It has an ambidextrous sidestick with swappable modular parts.
Usually, the sidestick caters to right-handed players. But in this case, they designed it for both. This removes the wall for left-handed players having to adjust their playstyle.
Using magnetic technology it ensures excellence in precision by creating distance between the parts. It also comes with the built-in z-axis blocker.
This holds down the position of the sidestick to prevent it from unnecessary movements. It acts as the safety feature to keep your plane still when not holding the lever.
It has 12 buttons on the base, 4 on the stick and 1 virtual button on the throttle. With 8 new direction point of view hat switches, it was made to take aim.
With 4 independent axes and a twist rudder, it makes aerial maneuvering much more real. It can be controlled by rotating the sidestick handle.
Additionally, it was made with a built-in reverser mechanism. This is for those who only want to utilise the sidestick.
Although they come in a pair, you have the option to use the sidestick alone. Or if your computer has limited USB ports, you won’t necessarily need the throttle quadrant.
It also contains buttons at the base. This can be reassigned to fit the games playstyle. It can also be used when the TCA Throttle Quadrant is not in play.
Throttle Quadrant
For the TCA Throttle Quadrant, it has dual thrust levers and detents. It also comes with two engine analog sticks and the ignition start knob.
This allows players to be more careful when taking control of the aircraft. Likewise, it recreates the sense of takeoffs and landings.
It has 16 action buttons which also have full remapping customisation. This provides the player with more optimal utilities for improved gameplay as well as the realistic thrust reverser.
The throttle quadrant has optional add-ons to be bought separately, which can be attached to the sides.
The sidetick and the throttle quadrant are not enough to fully comprehend the experience of flying. But they’re able to simulate actual maneuvering capabilities required for flight.
With these, it brings your Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition to a complete set. Overall, the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition was made to fly. With both components working together, gaming has never felt so real.
Key Features of the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition
This time in our Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition review, we will be taking a look over the product’s key features.
Ergonomic
When we say ergonomic, we mean to minimise the amount of effort required to experience flight. The Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition was designed to do just that. It cuts the amount of physical effort but brings actual flight experience.
Therefore, you won’t need to find an actual aircraft just to fly. You can experience these with the help of these gaming components.
It was inspired by the flight controls of the classic Airbus airliners. It has a 1:1 scale replica. This is to mimic actual flight experience.
It caters to any flight simulator games. Whether it be Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane, it was licensed by Airbus for the full experience.
Surgical Precision
To be precise as possible is what Thrustmaster went for. When flying, it is important to know that every little detail plays a big role. That can be seen with the TCA Sidestick and Throttle Quadrant.
The sidestick and throttle quadrant are made to be compact and durable. With its magnetic sensors, it can accurately determine the movements of the sidestick.
It also has a pitch axis and roll axis for quick and direct responses. With these, it becomes child’s play. As the controllers succeed in imitating your every move, you won’t need to worry.
Realistic Flights
When you play any simulation game, the experience must always be as close to reality as possible. Thrustmaster takes very much care and attention when it comes to that.
They followed exactly how the Airbus sidestick and throttle quadrant are made and designed. Thrustmaster structured it to mirror the original with extensive authenticity; to recreate a lifelike feel when playing.
Their attention to detail is seen with the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition. As it parallels both controllers, it delivers a sense of seriousness when flying.
Plug and Play
No one wants to deal with extra software configurations. With that, the device easily connects to the computer, alleviating the stress of having to deal with them.
Most flight simulation games automatically recognise it. No more installations of software or drivers are needed for this to work.
Compatibility
The Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Edition is configured to work with Windows 8 and 10. It also works well with other Thrustmaster gaming accessories.
It runs smoothly with the T.A.R.G.E.T.(Thrustmaster Advanced pRogramming Graphical EdiTor) software.
This is the software used by most technical gamers so they can edit the layout of their controls. Players can even preset their controls for each aircraft to save their favourite settings.
Thrustmaster also has several add-ons like the TPR: Thrustmaster Pendular Rudder, T.Flight Rudder Pedals and TM Flying Clamp.
To wrap up, the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Edition permits players to not only feel but experience what it takes to fly.
Specifications
Moving forward on our Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Edition review, we will discuss the technical sides of the controllers.
The Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Edition comes with two key components. The sidestick and the throttle quadrant.
It is an ergonomic replica of the Airbus sidestick and throttle quadrant (A320 type). It has a similar weight, if not heavier, and the sizing is the same.
Sidestick
The sidestick is ambidextrous as well as modular. It has 4 interchangeable sidestick top button modules. This lets you decide among 4 different variations.
The spring coil inside in diameters is 0.1”/ 2.8 mm. It provides a steady vertical and fluid tension to keep it balanced and steady.
It contains 17 action buttons. This can be used in-game and remapped to your preferred layout.
It comes with a locking mechanism that lets you stop the sidestick handle’s rotation. This is to help manage your flight controls better.
Throttle Quadrant
The throttle quadrant has dual thrust levers. It also comes with 2 small analog sticks for the engine control and a knob for the ignition start.
It has values of 16,384 x 16,384 for its 14-bit resolution for accuracy in its roll axis and pitch axis.
The throttle quadrant features realistic detents: Climb, Flex, Idle, and TO/GA, as well as 8 buttons and 8 virtual ones on both axes.
Moving on, we’ll head on over to how the controllers fit our playstyle.
Hands-on with the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition
Our Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition review won’t be complete without running some tests to see how well it performs. So without further adieu, let’s begin.
When it first came, we were surprised by the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition. It was an easy plug and play.
There were no issues with the wires or the connections. The controller conveniently configured itself to the games.
Holding the sidestick and throttle quadrant made us feel comfortable. It’s as if we were truly commanding the aeroplane. It stayed firmly in place when moving the pieces and pressing the different buttons.
Unlike the mouse and keyboard, you could feel the tension of the gaming components. Upon flight, you could sense the pressure of the winds on the controllers. It felt like we’re really there up in the sky.
The thrusters only made the experience complete. When using them, you could grasp the force of the engines as you push them forward. Although you can’t feel the actual pressure on your body, it is resembled in the lever as you push.
The buttons on the controllers operated as they should. They were simple and felt easy on the fingers. The swappable sidestick buttons on top were painless to use. This made it comfortable for our left-handed players as well.
When swapping the modules on top of the sidestick, there were two positions to play. It was the Captain and First Officer.
You could be the captain of your own crew or the co-pilot of another airbus. When playing with friends, we could work together as co-pilots and enjoy flying.
The sidestick itself made it painless to maneuver around. Getting around in the game with the sidestick made us more aware. By simply clutching, it brought us into the right rhythm during play.
After a bunch of testing, we tried reconfiguring the layout of the controls. We tried many variations within the controls. It worked pleasantly with our diverse playstyles.
Although we had a splendid time with it, we believe it would have been greater with the additional setups in play.
In the end, Thrustmaster brought new life into flying. It removes the barrier of having to go to an actual plane just to experience flight. They bring the experience to your home.
Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition Review Summary
So what is the final verdict in recommending the Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition? We loved it, so it’s definitely a yes.
The Thrustmaster TCA Officer Pack Airbus Edition is ridiculously unbelievable. The idea of flight experience in your own home was unimaginable but likewise, thrilling.
They not only simulated but recreated what it takes to fly, taking gaming to a new perspective.
The controllers are nostalgic and offer favourable amounts of customisations. With each new take, you get to fly first hand. With this, take control and fly away.
We highly recommend this product to anyone willing to take flight. If you want to learn more about this product, click here.
