Something to look forward to: Thrustmaster recently announced a collaboration with Boeing on two peripherals---a flight yoke and a quadrant---in an attempt to create the most realistic flight control system yet for fans of flight simulators and games. It seems they aren't making any compromises on build quality or functionality to get as close as they can to a real Boeing cockpit.
Thrustmaster announced on November 9 the pre-order details and availability dates of the TCA Yoke Boeing Edition and TCA Quadrant Boeing Edition, which they plan to sell individually and bundled. The idea is to recreate the controls of a 787 as closely as possible in the comfort of someone's home. The peripherals will be compatible with both Xbox consoles and PC.
The yoke---the steering wheel for a plane---is a full-scale replica from a 787 Dreamliner with 100 percent metal internals. Its pendular system replicates the swing of a genuine floor-mounted Boeing control column on a desk or table. It features 18 action buttons, including official Xbox buttons, and a mini-stick controller for mapping options. It also includes a stand for a mobile device, among other features.
The quadrant, which includes the throttle controls, is also meant to replicate what one would find in an actual Boeing. It has 17 action buttons of its own, three axes, and four swappable levers for extensive per-game customization. However, Thrustmaster designed both peripherals to simulate airliners and private plans as opposed to fighter planes. Users can also pair both devices with Thrustmaster's separate pendular rudder and rudder pedals.
The TCA Yoke Pack Boeing Edition containing the yoke and quadrant is available for pre-order for $500, and the quadrant alone is $150. Both ship on December 23. Pre-orders for the yoke start February 10 and ships March 10. It goes for $400 by itself, so the bundled option saves you $50 and gets you the controller earlier.
It's worth noting that while Thrustmaster said that as of November 9, pre-orders are available worldwide, its website only has the buy option available for European regions. Fortunately, US customers can pre-order the bundle and the quadrant from Newegg right now.