The flight sim hardware market has definitely heated up over the last few years with new companies moving in to challenge sometimes decades old veterans in the field. One of them, WinWing, has just revealed production and purchase information on a new entry level joystick now available for pre-order. Let’s have a look at the Ursa Minor
Entry level with haptic feedback
WinWing have made a series of higher end sticks that have been competing with the likes of VIRPIL, VKB and Thrustmaster in recent years and to-date I haven’t talked much about them but I will have to change that as the company continues to expand its product portfolio. The latest is of particular interest as I think the entry level market has been a little underserviced in recent years. VKB’s Gladiator NXT EVO aside, there hasn’t really been much in the way of new products at the low end until now.
Touted as a new series of flight sticks, Ursa Minor is a joystick system equipped with X, Y and Z axis Hall effect sensors, a long travel axis for throttle control, a haptic feedback system, Soviet-style flightstick with multiple hat controls, a quick release maintenance system, glass fibre reinforced nylon gimbal, and adjustable dry clutch damper.
From the marketing materials, it looks like other variants are intended to come out later on with a side grip and an Airbus-inspired civilian airliner style grip too.
I’m also really interested to see how the haptic feedback system works as it would be the first time we’ve seen some sort of feedback on a stick in a long time. This isn’t the same as force feedback which is applied to the axis but rather appears to be a PlayStation or Xbox style vibration system located inside the grip. Very interesting!
Pricing and shipping
WinWing are saying that their new product has a retail price of $169.95 USD but are shipping at a value price starting at $110 USD plus a bit more for shipping. The price breakdown across the company’s multiple storefronts is as follows:
- Global Shipping: $110 USD https://winwingsim.com/view/goods-details.html?id=551
- US Site: $115.5 USD https://us.winwingsim.com/view/goods-details.html?id=551
- UK Site: £113.3 GBP https://uk.winwingsim.com/view/goods-details.html?id=551
- EU Site: €105.6 EUR https://eu.winwingsim.com/view/goods-details.html?id=551
- AU Site: $187 AUD https://au.winwingsim.com/view/goods-details.html?id=551
- CA Site: $162.8 CAD https://ca.winwingsim.com/view/goods-details.html?id=551
It appears that there is some wiggle room on the pricing with the following statement:
Note: The actual selling price at different regional sites may be adjusted due to exchange rates, and the final price will be based on the real-time price on the day. No free shipping and tax included for Global Shipping site.
Stormbirds 
Nice looking toy. I already use two flightsticks; a T16000 for choppers and warbirds and a Warthog for jets. (No pedals.) But if this thing has a twist axis, I’m consider getting it to replace my T16000. All those buttons are pretty enticing, and the vibration thing looks kinda cool.
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It does indeed have a Z-axis. It might be a good contender.
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About time a new entry-level (although the price is like entry level+ I guess) controller showed up. Hopefully it’s good as well.
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It’s great to see lower priced sticks that are still good quality. So many people have low budgets and buy low quality sticks.
The vibration could be great for stall and other effects. It’s pretty remarkable how much even simple vibration can help with immersion and useful haptic feedback.
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I did have Logitech that did have a rumble function, sorry but this vibration thing I’m not a fan of this, prefer to have the real FFB as we actual feel in racesims.
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Sure, but the price of that is 8 times as high.
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Thanks for the heads up..have preordered to replace my x52 stick,,ill continue to use the x52 throttle until they make an entry level too
Regards The Grizz 999
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Your X-52 lasted a good long time. I hope this fits your sim needs well!
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haptic – going to think it’s much like what they have done with the F-15 E and EX throttle grips which i really like – stuff like landing gear, bomb release, buffet etc
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I’ve been meaning to make myself more familiar with the WinWing lineup. I didn’t know they had done this on the higher end too… but it’s encouraging!
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I wish their global shipping wasn’t so expensive. In my country it’s more than $50. If you look at price without initial discount, this totals around $218, so almost the same as Orion 2 in countries with free shipping. Meanwhile, Galdiator NXT EVO baseline version is $165 incl. shipping, while being a well-proven design. So, more than $50 less.
I guess VKB still remains the only real entry-level option outside of the Global West. Not that it’s a bad option, but lack of effective competition is a bit sad.
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There are multiple pictures of its gimbal around that shows that the gimbal is a 1:1 copy of the VKB Gladiator series.
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I don’t think I could tell them apart from pictures. Has someone done a detailed breakdown of the physical models?
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