Honeycomb’s Echo Aviation Controller XPC Lands on Xbox Series X|S Later This Year

Remember the Honeycomb Aeronautical Echo Aviation Controller—the PC flight sim gamepad that arrived last year with a very “real aircraft” approach to inputs? Honeycomb is now expanding that idea with a new model: the Echo Aviation Controller XPC, built for players who use Xbox Series X|S. The company says it’s headed to “wannabe pilots” later this year.

Visually, the XPC looks closely related to the original Echo Aviation Controller, including the same general layout of tactile, flight-control-inspired hardware. The most obvious change is a large Xbox button placed along the top edge of the pad. Honeycomb positions the hardware as more than just a novelty: it’s meant to provide the kinds of controls flight sims expect, including pitch, roll, yaw, throttle, trim, and core aircraft systems.

Why the XPC feels different from typical Xbox pads

Honeycomb’s pitch here is that the controller doesn’t really replace a standard Xbox controller so much as it replaces the “feel” of a flight setup. While it does include a TMR analog stick, it swaps out the usual rear-button approach for a pair of sliding hall-effect rudder sliders.

Those rudder inputs are designed to behave like actual rudder pedals: the two sliders move against each other, so when one rises, the other falls. On the front, the face buttons still follow the familiar Xbox ABXY labeling, but they’ve been arranged on the left side of the controller, positioned above the analog stick rather than on the right. If you’re imagining it as a replacement for everything, the layout suggests otherwise—this is a tool for sims first, not a universal pad for every genre.

Honeycomb Echo Aviation Controller XPC Xbox controller

That “flight-first” philosophy also shows up in the way Honeycomb describes customization. Like the prior Echo model, the XPC will let users swap out slider caps, so you can tune how the throttle and control surfaces feel in day-to-day play.

Compatibility and connectivity: what players should care about

Honeycomb indicates the Echo Aviation Controller XPC will support both wireless and wired play, based on the promotional images shared when the announcement was made. That matters because the earlier controller handled wireless via a USB dongle rather than Bluetooth, and players often care about which connection type leads to fewer hiccups or less setup friction.

Even though the controller is aimed at Xbox Series X|S, Honeycomb also says it will work on PC. For flight sim players already building a multi-platform setup, that cross-compatibility could be the deciding factor—one purchase potentially covering both your console and your PC cockpit.

What the launch window means, and what’s still unknown

To get a sense of how the controls work in practice, Honeycomb has a video showcasing the original controller. It’s described as a good walkthrough of the adjustable throttle sliders and how the many inputs are intended to function.

The original Echo Aviation Controller launched at a price of $150. For the Echo Aviation Controller XPC, the press materials do not include a confirmed cost. Honeycomb is targeting a release in the fall, but until the price is revealed, it’s hard to judge where the XPC lands against other flight sim accessories and controller options.

Key takeaways for console flight sim fans

• The Echo Aviation Controller XPC is designed for Xbox Series X|S players who want more flight-sim-style controls than a conventional gamepad.
• It keeps a familiar Xbox ABXY face-button labeling, but places the buttons on the left side above the analog stick.
• Instead of rear buttons, it uses opposing hall-effect rudder sliders intended to mimic real rudder pedals.
• Honeycomb says it will be usable wirelessly or wired, and it should also work on PC despite being built for Xbox.
• Customization includes swapping slider caps, continuing the approach used on the original model.
• Release is planned for later this year (fall timeframe), but pricing for the XPC hasn’t been announced yet.

Wes is a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they call him) who has covered technology, gaming, and entertainment steadily since 2020 at Gizmodo, Tom’s Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and most recently, The Verge. Inside of him there are two wolves: one that thinks it wouldn’t be so bad to start collecting game consoles again, and the other who also thinks this, but more strongly.