Moza MH16 Review

[Scott-S6]

I don't normally do reviews but there is a massive lack of info about this grip. Moza's website has very little information (and what it does have is incorrect) and the reviews I've seen are also lacking in useful detail. If you're considering buying one of these for use with a non-Moza base then you definitely want to read this!

 

What is the MH-16 - This is a viper/warthog style grip which has the viper's forward rake built in (unlike the TM). This is important for side stick ergonomics. It has an adjustable palm shelf and an expansion module with additional functions. It also promises "easy fit, plug and play" with third party bases. More on that to come...

 

Ordering & delivery - Moza's website is pretty messy. It promises lead times on new products which they seem to routinely miss (and feedback from racing sim guys suggests this has been normal for them with new products for a long time). You need to raise a support ticket to actually get your product shipped out. To be fair, they did ship exactly when support promised they would (albeit more than a month beyond the shipping time I'd been promised by the website). However, the website was not updated to show the order was shipped and to provide the tracking details until the day after delivery which is not helpful at all. Not the best start...

 

Packaging - The grip was well packaged. Dense, well cut foam with an insert piece to keep the grip in place. The grip was inside a soft plastic bag to prevent paint scuffs. Box was sturdy, fitted with plastic corner protectors and then put into another sturdy box. No complaints about the packaging, Moza know what they're doing here.

 

Before we get into details, lets talk price and comparisons for a bit. I'll be mostly be comparing to the TM Warthog/Viper (they're identical) as it's something that most of us have owned or at least used. There aren't many grips available with that built-in forward rake. Prices below are UK including shipping and tax:

• Moza MH-16 - £230
• TM Warthog/Viper - £135 (+90 for a steel 3D printed tailpipe with the forward rake)
• Virpil Alpha - £210
• Virpil Alpha Prime (CNC alu shell) - £310
• RS F16SGRHv2 - £440

 

Functions - This is something that is completely missing from Moza's website so worth detailing:

• Trim - 4 way with diagonals (you can push up-left to trigger the up function and left function, it is not an 8-way as described on the website) Despite a clear push click the push does not work.
• TMS - 4 way. Despite a clear push click the push does not work.
• DMS - 4 way. Despite a clear push click the push does not work.
• CMS - 4 way with push
• Trigger - 2position
• Buttons - 3 plus pinky paddle (which is a button, no analogue axis)
• Expansion castle - 4 way with push
• Expansion switch - 3pos latching. I was not able to verify it is an On-On-On or an On-Off-On due to the 3rd party base compatibility.

On 3rd party bases you get the following:

• Trim - 4 way and diagonals (you can push up-left to trigger the up function and left function, it is not an 8-way as described on the website)
• TMS - 4 way 
• DMS - 4 way 
• CMS - 4 way* 
• Trigger - 2position
• Buttons - 3 plus pinky paddle (which is a button, no analogue axis)
• Expansion castle - no function
• Expansion switch - no function

*on third party bases each directional push of the CMS triggers that direction AND push. There are two consequences of this, firstly push is not usable if you bind the directions because you will trigger it whenever you use a direction and secondly binding the directions is a pain in the butt. In DCS you have to bind the CMS directions by manually selecting them rather than actuating them on the stick. In other games where you don't have this option you'll be trying over and over to get the right function to be bound or editing config files. I took this up with Moza support and they consider this to be working as intended. What does Moza say about compatibility? "It effortlessly fits with most compatible bases, offering instant plug-and-play convenience." Moza have confirmed that they consider the bases that I tested with "compatible". Absolutely unacceptable in my opinion.

I tested the MH16 on a TM Warthog base, Virpil CM2 base and RealSimulator R3L base. All showed this same behavior. The Virpil has a bunch of options for stick compatibility and I worked through all of them - either the grip didn't function or it functioned as above. Fit to the Warthog and Virpil bases was good. Fully tightened (with a pin wrench) on the RS base the grip was able to twist which is absolutely no use on a force sensing base.

 

Build and Finish - The shell is diecast aluminium making it far lighter than the TM. The casting has been done well and there are obvious machining operations to ensure a good fit. The shell comes apart easily and fits back together properly. The tailpipe is either MIM or very well cast alu and the nut is machined alu. This is a  significant improvement over the notoriously weak cast zinc parts on the TM. Also, the tailpipe fits very snugly into the grip, which should reduce the fore-aft slop problem that the TM tends to develop, and the nut is a much better fit for the base threads. Internally, all of the wiring is socketed into the main board for ease of assembly/disassembly. The adjustable palm rest functions smoothly.

The hat switches are regular tactile switches in a plastic holder but they function well with a distinct tactile feedback and audible click. The push function on all hats is stiff enough to avoid accidental actuation. They're pretty good. The tactile feedback on the trigger is weak but present in both positions. The buttons, however, are soft with a very mushy tactile feedback at the very bottom of travel. The pinky paddle is well made and rigid with a very positive texture. 

The castle switch on the expansion module is ergonomically useless, require a complete break of your grip, even for those with large hands. If you've got short thumbs like me then it's easier to use the left hand to operate it.

 

Summary - I wanted to like the MH-16. The adjustable palm rest, the nicer materials and the top engraving were very appealing and I was intending to use it on my RS base. The lack of a properly functioning CMS and the poor buttons (and the poor fit to the RS base) means that's no good for me. But, will it work for you?

If you're flying center stick then the forward rake becomes a detriment. I would recommend going with any of the more upright grips available.

If you're flying side stick with a Moza base then you really do want that forward rake and all of the switches are working. However, if Moza get the Virpil Alpha fully supported as promised that is a better quality grip for less as long as you can live with three hat switches plus an analogue stick rather than four hat switches (if Moza do get the analogue stick supported I doubt they'll be offering the virtual button functionality that virpil offer to allow you to bind the analogue stick as a hat switch)

If you're flying side stick with any other base then I cannot recommend the MH-16 due to the CMS issues. A properly functioning CMS switch is important for the teen fighters and a bunch of other modules, plus the hassle of binding it, if you can tolerate not having a functional CMS push. An Alpha or a modded TM warthog is a better bet.

 

(note, the stand in the pics is a virpil product)

Edited January 6 by Scott-S6

[MAXsenna]

Thanks! I was never gonna get this grip in any case, but this was interesting!

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Dogmanbird]

Ditto with Max, and thank you for taking the time to write that 

[Canard]

On 11/29/2024 at 12:31 PM, Scott-S6 said:

• TMS - 4 way with push
• DMS - 4 way with push

Thx, great review. I have the MH16 but the ”with push” only works for me on the cms and the expansion castle. (Moza base). I have to look into this. 

[crispy12]

The push doesn't work on the TMS, DMS and trim hats. 

[Scott-S6]

On 1/5/2025 at 1:22 PM, crispy12 said:

The push doesn't work on the TMS, DMS and trim hats. 

When used on the Moza base? That's interesting.

Edited January 6 by Scott-S6

[crispy12]

17 hours ago, Scott-S6 said:

When used on the Moza base? That's interesting.

Yes, this is the Moza MH16 on the Moza base

I checked the Moza discord, and the reply from Moza was the real F16 doesn't have it, therefore their stick is a replica and doesnt have it either. Which is a pretty silly response considering this is not a replica stick but a mutlipurpose gaming stick

[Panzerlang]

So glad I cancelled my order for this.

[Scott-S6]

On 1/7/2025 at 2:41 PM, crispy12 said:

Yes, this is the Moza MH16 on the Moza base

I checked the Moza discord, and the reply from Moza was the real F16 doesn't have it, therefore their stick is a replica and doesnt have it either. Which is a pretty silly response considering this is not a replica stick but a mutlipurpose gaming stick

Even sillier considering you don't have functionality that the F16 has when you use it on a non-moza base.

[Dragon1-1]

Just to make sure, the hats are short throw, like on almost any other stick, not Winwing-style long throw? They look like the standard 4/5-direction tact switch setup.

Edited January 10 by Dragon1-1

[crispy12]

Sorry I am not familiar with the difference. To me the Winwing hat feels similar. Nothing special. 

[MIDWAY]

I received mine yesterday.  Unfortunately, I didn't see this review before I ordered mine.

I have mine mounted on a Thrustmaster AVA Base. I had the thrustmaster warthog as a stick before.

I can confirm that any CMS switches will also press the detent.  Very annoying to lose this. The additional buttons like the hat switch detents and the side mounted do not work.  Big disappointment.  Maybe somebody smarter can tell me how to get all that working.  I can't find anything as of right now.  

 

I do like how the MH16 is a lot lighter.  That significantly reduces/gets rid of the wobble which the original thrustmaster warthog had with any stick extension.  I fly much smoother now with no overdrive or wobble when centering.  

I like the switches as well.  Most have a good mouse like click to them after pushing past the light springs.  Much lighter than the original warthog, which were honestly a bit too much in my opinion and caused some induced motion into the axis ranges.