Over the past five years, flight simulation hardware has undergone a quiet revolution. New players have brought modular, high-quality gear down to price points that were unthinkable a decade ago. This increase in choice lets pilots create cockpits that match how they actually fly. However, one crucial piece of the puzzle is still missing- the feel of flight itself. Can the Moza AB6 Force Feedback (FFB) joystick bridge that gap? Let’s find out.
Moza shocked the flight simulation market with the introduction of the AB6’s bigger brother, the AB9. While the company had a wealth of experience creating force feedback racing wheels, it was their first foray into the 3-dimensional world of flying. Relative to other force feedback solutions, the AB9 was priced accessibly.
However, the AB9’s price was still out of reach for most pilots. The AB6 aimed to solve that by bundling a base, grip, and desk mount together all in one, more affordable package. The immediate question was whether the AB6 would feel like a heavily pared-down version of the AB9. The answer is that the AB6 feels like a premium product for a different market.
Unboxing the AB6 feels premium. Each component arrived individually wrapped and set into custom-cut EVA foam, a high-end choice befitting premium camera gear. It’s hard to say whether this was intended to elevate the experience or protect the internals, but it leaves a premium impression. Moza also includes all the mounting hardware, the required tools, and a 72-watt power adapter.
The AB6 base itself continues that impression. The exterior is made of metal, while the fiber-reinforced plastic top cover feels rigid and well-supported. Thanks to the addition of rubberized buttons and two mini sliders cleverly spaced to avoid interfering with the stick, the AB6 offers more onboard controls than the AB9.
Connectivity on the AB6 is straightforward. It features a regular USB-Type A port, a proprietary 6-pin power connector, and 3 powered RJ45 ports to link other Moza products together. The bottom of the AB6 includes two different mounting patterns to accommodate both M4 and M6 hardware. The M4 mounting pattern matches the Thrustmaster Warthog “standard,” meaning wide compatibility with other mounting solutions.
The included desk mount, however, shows where Moza might’ve trimmed costs. The long vertical plate introduces a bit of flex, which shows up as a small Y-axis wobble once the stick is assembled.
The clamps themselves feature rubber padding for a better grip on the desk, but the tops of the tensioning screws do not. Even during aggressive pitch and roll inputs in DCS, the slight flex in the mount never affected control. The included hardware is solid, though the M4 screws that secure the joystick base to the mount shipped with minimal threadlock.
The MHG grip uses fiber-reinforced plastic over a structural metal tube, which is secured to the base with a threaded, metal M36 coupler. Before fully seating the grip, a corded mini-DIN connector must be plugged into the port inside the base.
Because the MHG grip’s connector is corded rather than board-mounted, the grip angle is infinitely adjustable. The grip plug and coupler system matches those used by Thrustmaster and Virpil, meaning easy cross-compatibility. Winwing and VKB grips can also be used, provided a separate adapter is purchased.
The only noticeable compromise on the MHG grip is in the backlit mode button on the top right, which feels hollower compared to the firmer, more precise hats and trigger. The spring-loaded red and gray buttons, however, felt crisp without being overly heavy to actuate.
For space sim enthusiasts and those with no rudder pedals, the MHG grip features a twist axis that is rather heavily sprung.
Overall, the quality of the MHG grip is in line with other similarly priced, non-FFB joysticks on the market today, which is impressive given the extra cost and complexity involved in a force feedback system.
Who is the Moza AB6 for?
With build quality established, the design choices Moza made reveal exactly who the AB6 is aimed at.
The included mount is the first clue. In the assembly guide and promotional materials circulated with the AB6, Moza instructs users to install the base at the lowest position, leaving no vertical headroom to adjust for an extension. This signals that the AB6 is intended for use without one.
Secondly, the AB6 is built on a 12-volt architecture instead of the AB9’s 36-volt system. In super-simplified terms, higher voltage allows faster current delivery to the motors. This matters most when using long extensions, which dramatically increase the force exerted on the base. For extension-free flying, the 12-volt system is more than capable of providing detailed force feedback.
Thirdly, the AB6 is sold as a bundle, whereas the AB9 is sold as only a base. Simmers that lean heavily into DCS are more likely to have invested in other hardware ecosystems like Thrustmaster, Virpil, VKB, or Winwing. For those who already own aftermarket grips, the AB9 presents a better value since every dollar goes towards the base itself.
All told, the AB6 is clearly positioned as a simmer’s first serious step into force feedback flight sticks. Yet, its build quality and performance make it a legitimate “end-game” stick for civilian fixed-wing simmers that dabble in combat and rotary wing flying.
Input Precision
The most objective measure of a flight stick’s quality is how precisely it translates hand movement into control input. Any stick can handle large movements, but the real test is in the fine corrections needed for trimming, tracking, and smooth approaches.
Moza claims the AB6 is equipped with 15-bit magnetic encoders for motion sensing, making it on par with or more precise than similarly priced non-FFB sticks on the market. This translates to 32,768 motion “steps” per axis, which is extraordinarily high. Most pilots won’t consciously perceive the difference, but it’s a plus for feeding precise input instructions to the motors.
In practice, the AB6’s precision quickly becomes apparent. I tested the AB6 across MSFS, DCS, and XP12 by operating the stick with no force feedback effects beyond a virtual centering “spring.” In this mode, Airbuses (which ironically lack force feedback in real life) are a JOY to fly with the AB6. I found distinct personalities in different developers’ interpretations of the Airbus fly-by-wire logic, and fingertip flying was satisfying. Flying offline, I found myself leaving the autopilot off longer after takeoff and disconnecting it earlier in the approach.
The Force Feedback Experience Part 1: Hardware
Flying a sim today is like hearing someone talk without seeing their face. Adding force feedback is like suddenly making the physical “expression” of the plane part of the experience.
Any concerns about torque limits and peak force quickly faded after a few hours of flying with the AB6. On the heaviest setting, the force is more than enough to make your arm sore after some intense air-to-air combat. It’s not monstrous, but more than sufficient.
My rough force measurements aligned with Moza’s published specs. Precise lab-grade numbers would require specialized tools, but nothing indicated the AB6 was underperforming.
The other concern was how well the AB6 handles heat. The outrunner motors fitted to the AB6 typically generate more heat than their inrunner counterparts, but even after extended aerobatics and air combat in DCS, the base was only warm to the touch. Heat had no noticeable impact on force output during testing.
Finally, I want to clear the air on plastic grips. Imagine trying to shake a broomstick with a Lego taped to the end of it versus a broomstick with a hammer at the end of it. The stick with a hammer has more inertia, meaning it takes more effort to make it change direction. As a result, vibrations (or in our case, force feedback) get dampened before they ever reach our hand. Since the AB6 is designed to be used without an extension, it has to communicate more details through finer movements. Therefore, a composite grip with lower inertia ends up as a better choice in the AB6’s case.
The Force Feedback Experience Part 2: Software and Flying Impressions
I wasn’t hit with an instant wow-moment as soon as I turned force-feedback on. Rather, the magic appeared more gradually and more convincingly.
I took a 172 out for some circuit work at my local airport in the sim- something I hardly ever do. After taking off and reaching pattern altitude, I recalled a memory of my CFI saying, “trim the pressure away.” So I did, and I was awestruck to feel the resistance on the stick progressively ease up.
On landing, I was caught off guard by a jolt as the wheels hit the ground. It left me curious whether the landing effect was dependent on touchdown rate. Some rather abusive test landings confirmed that to be the case.
Later on, I took a TBM out for an hour-long IFR flight. Initially, I thought the vibration effects were going to be a gimmick. When I raised the gear, I giggled like a little kid when I could feel the thunk of the nose wheel coming up. The biggest surprise came when I clicked on the autopilot and felt the stick move underneath my fingertips as the plane turned on course.
Finally, switching over to helicopters, it was a treat to feel the main rotor spinning up and shaking the cyclic around. However, some effects, like the effective translational lift simulation, could use refinement.
From helicopters to light pistons to heavy jets to fighters, one often unspoken benefit of force feedback is how much the feel of the AB6 can change between aircraft types. It’s like having several joysticks for the price of one.
With no springs inside the AB6, the motors are responsible for every bit of feel, which makes Moza’s software layer absolutely critical.
For a litany of complicated reasons, neither Microsoft nor X-Plane built its own native force feedback engine. To implement force feedback for MSFS and XP12, Moza baked the engine into the Moza Cockpit software. Cockpit takes data from either sim and translates it into motor commands. This is called telemetry-based force feedback.
On the other hand, DCS has a native force feedback engine, but the depth of FFB simulation varies widely depending on what an aircraft’s developer chose to simulate. To level out the field, Moza Cockpit gives you the option to leverage both the native FFB engine and telemetry-based effects to add depth to modules.
Since my colleague Jordan’s review of the Moza AB9, the quality of life in Moza Cockpit has improved, but the core user interface remains similar. The software gives you a ton of configurability, but the tradeoff is discoverability. It feels like a fully stocked kitchen where everything is available, but you have to find it first.
For helicopters, I’d love to see more access “under the hood” of the telemetry to play with different input variables, especially for bespoke autopilots and trim following scenarios.
Down the line, a user guide just for Moza Cockpit would be greatly appreciated to explain some of the more complex functionality buried within.
Force feedback is still an incredibly new technology, and the AB6 is a very new product. Optimizing the user experience and expanding the availability of dialed-in presets is ultimately a function of time, constant development, and community involvement.
While Moza Cockpit continues to evolve, Moza got the hardware side of things right with the AB6. The nuance, depth, and customization that force feedback adds to the simulator make it impossible for me to go back to a non-force feedback stick.
Livability
Taking a step back from the complicated world of force feedback, I wanted to talk about what the AB6 is like to actually live with in the home cockpit.
The AB6’s best livability feature is the desk mount. As I think would be the case with many others, my desk isn’t solely dedicated to flight simulation. Thanks to the desk mount, the AB6 takes up approximately 80x80mm of area on the desk, or roughly the size of a sticky note. It saves precious desk space and makes it easy to loosen up and slide off to the side when not in use.
However, the stock mount makes the AB6 awkward to use as a center stick. The tall base reduces knee clearance, pushes you farther from the desk than ideal, and the corners of the AB6 aren’t comfortable against your legs.
The MHG grip is easy to live with. You don’t need gigantic hands to reach all of the buttons and hat switches. Because the buttons sit on a forward-swept “shelf,” your seat doesn’t need to be set far back. The button layout also caters well to VR users since each hat switch has its own distinctive tactile feel.
Finally, the AB6 is surprisingly quiet thanks to the fanless design and nearly silent motors, which makes it a great choice for those who sim in noise-sensitive environments. All in all, I found Moza’s AB6 to be supremely easy to live with.
Conclusions
Moza has a rare opportunity to lead the consumer FFB space. USD 399 / GBP 399 / EUR 449 represents a substantial sum of hard-earned money for most folks, but it’s an incredible value compared to any other FFB option on the market. For some context, the AB6 comes in at roughly 56% of the price of a comparable AB9 build, assuming the same grip and Moza’s mounts.
Despite the value, the AB6 feels like a premium product that can stand up on its own. It’s well built, well packaged, and matches the precision of similarly priced non-force feedback joysticks.
Moza’s force feedback implementation, while not perfect, adds enough nuance and physical storytelling to make non-FFB sticks feel flat. It doesn’t replicate every detail of a real aircraft, but it adds enough nuance to fundamentally change the way you fly.
Because the AB6 can change “personalities” quickly to match a wide variety of aircraft types, it easily works as a one-stick solution for the majority of civilian flight simmers that dabble in DCS.
Ultimately, I can recommend the AB6 with one caveat. The hardware is strong, but the future hinges on software. As more players enter the market, the telemetry force feedback experience will be front-and-center. If Moza keeps improving the software, refining telemetry force feedback, and engaging the community, the AB6 could be the stick that finally brings force feedback into the mainstream.
