Honeycomb's Echo Aviation Controller XPC Brings Flight Sim Controls to Xbox

Honeycomb Aeronautical is bringing its wild flight sim gamepad to Xbox Series X|S. The Echo Aviation Controller XPC is a console-targeted version of the Echo Aviation Controller the company released last year for PC, and it's due out this fall.

The XPC looks nearly identical to the original — same dense layout of buttons, switches, knobs, throttle sliders, and rear rudder sliders inspired by real aircraft controls — but adds a prominent Xbox button up top. The face buttons use the standard ABXY layout, just relocated to the left side of the pad above the analog stick rather than the right. Instead of rear buttons, the controller uses hall effect rudder sliders that move in opposition to simulate actual rudder pedals. It also includes a TMR analog stick. Connectivity appears to be both wired and wireless, based on promo images Honeycomb shared — the original used a USB dongle rather than Bluetooth. Like its predecessor, the XPC will also work on PC, which could make it a more versatile pick than a pure Xbox peripheral. Slider caps are swappable for some customization. Pricing hasn't been announced; the original PC model retails for $150.

Honeycomb Aeronautical has carved out a niche making serious-leaning flight sim hardware — yokes, throttle quadrants, rudder pedals — aimed at sim enthusiasts who want more authenticity than a standard gamepad offers. The Echo line is the company's more accessible, gamepad-form-factor entry point into that space. Bringing it to Xbox makes sense given that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available on Xbox Series X|S and is one of the few console titles where a controller like this has an obvious home.

No firm release date beyond "fall" has been given, and pricing remains unconfirmed. Anyone curious about how the controls actually work can check Honeycomb's YouTube video for the original Echo, which walks through the throttle sliders and the full button layout in detail.