Brunner FFB-G Joystick Review

The effects coming out of the Brunner FFB-G stick base are genuinely very, very good. But Brunner have made some design choices with it that I reckon will rule a lot of people out — and the answer to "who is this for" is more specific than any other stick base I've reviewed.

So before we get to why the feel is so good, we need to talk about who should buy this and who should look somewhere else.

Brunner sent the FFB-G base for review and this one is going back to them at the end of the review period.

---

The Real Price: Read This First

Two caveats up front, and the first one is a big one.

It's called the FFB-G joystick and there is no stick. You just get the base.

The base is $460 USD plus shipping and taxes, though at that price it will likely fall under the tax threshold in most places — worth checking for where you are. Add a grip like the one I'm using and you're talking another $100 or so.

So the real price for a working setup is more like $560 USD. There's also an optional accessory Brunner call duck feet at around $30 USD, which I'll come back to.

---

Who the Brunner FFB-G Is Actually For

This is the most important section of the review, so it's going near the top.

Look elsewhere if:

• You have a physical cockpit or a dedicated desk with mounts and fly a bit of everything — jets, warbirds, GA, commercial. Something like a MOZA AB9 is probably a better shout, unless you specifically want a small form factor sitting on top of the desk.
• You fly warbirds or fighter jets, or anything that needs real weight behind the stick. The power output here just isn't going to be enough.
• You want to run a stick extension. There isn't enough power to drive one properly and it'll feel overly light.
• You're a DCS flyer. Two problems right now — it isn't supported yet, though I believe that's coming, and there isn't enough resistance for that style of flying. If you specifically want DCS on a desk, it does still look like a decent option.

This is for you if:

• You're strictly Airbus. I genuinely think this is the one. With a bit of profile tinkering and an Airbus grip on top you'll get something exceptional. This is the flying the FFB-G was built for.
• You fly small GA — something like an SR22 or a Vision Jet. It's lovely. Just know the MOZA AB9 is nipping at its heels, with the catch that you're not throwing an AB9 on a desk and pulling it off again easily.
• You want genuine force feedback quality in a small desktop form factor.

---

The Power Question: 2.2 Nm

Pitch and roll peak force is 2.2 Newton metres, and this number is the backbone of the whole "rules you out" argument.

By today's standards that sounds weak on paper, and it does feel a touch under what the likes of a MOZA AB6 gives you. But — and this is the interesting part — it's infinitely smoother and more responsive at the same time. We also have to remember this is designed to sit on a desk.

So the power number tells you who this isn't for. It does not tell you how it feels, and those two things are genuinely different here.

---

Brunner FFB-G vs MOZA AB6

Some of you are already asking why I haven't leaned harder on the MOZA AB6 comparison. It's MOZA's lower tier force feedback stick, it's cheaper by about $150, and it has a bit more power.

Here's where they're different.

Regardless of the power numbers, the Brunner FFB-G puts out force feedback that is way smoother, way more responsive and absolutely silent compared to the AB6. As much value as the AB6 packs in, it can't match this on pure feel.

On top of that, the AB6 sitting on a desk is just too big.

So on paper these two look like they're chasing the same buyer. I don't think they are.

---

The Desk Setup Problem & the Fix

The unique thing about this base is the size. It more or less fits in the palm of my hand and it's designed to sit on your desk. I love that idea, but there are two things you need to hear before buying.

First, the base wants to move on you a little and it can push over fairly easily. It's not the force acting on the stick — it's when you reach the angle limit, where it can lift a little if you're not gentle.

Brunner's solution is that optional set of duck feet at around $30 USD. I have never used the duck feet, so I can't tell you with any certainty whether they stabilise it enough. My time with it has been the base sitting straight on the desk, then mounted to a plate with a suction cup, and finally mounted to the MOZA steel desk mount. Based on the lifting I felt at the edge of travel, looking at the duck feet on the website, I think it's probably the right kind of fix — I just haven't tested it that way. I'm also in two minds about whether they should have been included rather than sold as an optional extra.

Second, think about your throttle placement. With the stick up on the desk you can end up with an unbalanced, twisted feel between your stick and your throttle depending on where the throttle is mounted.

There's a fix for this and it works an absolute treat — the MOZA flight sim base mount or desk adapter plate. It works because Brunner used the same traditional mounting hole pattern as Thrustmaster, so the MOZA plate has the right pattern for the FFB-G. Using it pulls the stick outwards more in line with the throttle if you have it clamp mounted to the end of the desk.

Check out the Moza Table Clamp

---

Grip Compatibility

You can fit any grip with the standard five pin mini-DIN connector, which opens up a lot of possibilities.

I'm using the MOZA Airbus grip, which is a right handed grip mounted on the left — it still kind of works. Pair the FFB-G with a MOZA MA3X stick and I think you have an absolute dream Airbus setup.

One thing worth considering when choosing a grip: weight. Because of the lower power output you may want to keep the stick weight down. Something like the MOZA grip I've got attached is perfect for that.

---

The Effects and SimUX Software

This base runs on the new SimUX software, which Brunner have updated a few times since I last covered it.

The important features on offer: airspeed versus deflection, engine vibration, natural weight, spring, damper, landing effects, turbulence, and runway texture, plus a few others. You can run any combination on or off and most of them can be tuned to taste. SimUX is simple and intuitive, profiles can be tied to specific aircraft, and you get editable axis curves. It's a well thought out piece of software.

One issue I noticed, and I think it's a software problem. When calibrating the axis it looks like one side of the joystick has less range than the other. It doesn't feel like that in the hand, but I had to split the range in the software to achieve full deflection on both the pitch and roll axes.

---

How the Effects Actually Land

The smoothness and accuracy of this stick base is exceptional. The effects come through as nicely as any Brunner product I've touched.

The highlights for me are the engine vibration and the airspeed versus deflection. Brunner are the best in the business at this, full stop. I've called this out before — there's a resonance effect you can dial into the engine vibration that I am absolutely in love with.

The list of effects is what you'd expect, and the way they're applied is typical Brunner, which is brilliant.

---

Build Quality

The finish on this base is some of the best I've ever seen on any flight sim product. It's beautiful, it's heavy, it's solid, and it's dead silent in operation. Full metal build with those traditional Thrustmaster mounting points, and fins on the side which I assume are for passive cooling. Overall it's very nice to hold and to look at.

One thing I wasn't a fan of. Each axis gives 16 degrees of travel, so 32 degrees all in. But the end of travel on the elevator axis feels dampened, while the end of the aileron axis doesn't — it's a hard metallic stop, and you can hear the difference too.

---

Final Verdict

The Brunner FFB-G joystick base wins on being a genuine desktop force feedback option. It's great for light aircraft flown with a stick on a desk or in a cockpit, it's superb for the Airbus and anything that needs accurate smooth input, and the build quality is honestly some of the best I've seen.

On the other side, it is not for everyone and I've tried to be dead clear about that. The 2.2 Nm won't satisfy warbird or fighter pilots, extensions are out, and DCS isn't there yet.

But if you're the simmer it's built for, I don't think you'll find anything that feels this good at this price that can be mounted in this way.

---