Description
The RealSimGear G500 Avionics Panel brings dedicated glass cockpit controls to your flight simulator, turning routine avionics management into a satisfyingly hands-on experience. Its high-brightness capacitive touchscreen makes navigating flight information and supported avionics functions wonderfully direct, while backlit rubber buttons with tactile feedback give your fingers something more substantial than another mouse click. Designed primarily for X-Plane 11 and 12, the panel also offers limited touchscreen functionality in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Add its dedicated power supply and USB connectivity, and you have a compelling addition to a serious instrument-flying setup.
What Sets the RealSimGear G500 Avionics Panel apart?
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High-Brightness Capacitive Touchscreen for Direct Avionics Interaction The G500 Avionics Panel features a high-brightness capacitive touchscreen, allowing pilots to interact directly with supported flight information and avionics interfaces. Rather than relying entirely on mouse movements across a main simulator monitor, the panel provides a dedicated physical location for cockpit tasks. This is particularly useful during instrument procedures, when attention is divided between navigation, aircraft control, and flight planning. The touchscreen also makes the hardware adaptable to compatible avionics interfaces beyond its primary G500 application.
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Backlit Rubber Buttons with Satisfying Tactile Feedback Physical buttons remain valuable in a cockpit, particularly when a touchscreen alone would require too much visual attention. The G500 combines backlit rubber buttons with a tactile feel, giving pilots distinct physical controls alongside its display. The illumination helps locate the buttons in darker simulator environments, while the rubber construction provides a softer contact surface. For pilots regularly working through avionics procedures, this combination offers a welcome alternative to clicking virtual buttons with a mouse.
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Dedicated X-Plane Integration for G500 Avionics The G500 is particularly suited to X-Plane 11 and 12, where dedicated integration supports compatible aircraft and avionics configurations. This makes it appealing to pilots who want a more specialized instrument panel rather than a generic secondary touchscreen. Full G500 functionality requires an additional software purchase, an important consideration when planning the complete setup. The panel also supports RealityXP GTN and GNS avionics configurations, providing useful flexibility for pilots who fly aircraft with different navigation equipment.
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Additional Touchscreen Uses Beyond the G500 Interface Although designed around G500-style avionics, the panel can serve other touchscreen functions in supported Windows flight simulation environments. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 offers a good example: the hardware can operate as a generic touchscreen for compatible G3X or G3000 interfaces, even though dedicated G500 integration is unavailable. This gives the display some flexibility when switching simulators. However, its physical buttons and aircraft-specific functions should not be assumed to work identically across every software platform.
Pros and Cons
| Pros |
Cons |
| High-brightness capacitive touchscreen supports direct avionics interface interaction. |
Full X-Plane G500 functionality requires an additional software purchase. |
| Backlit rubber buttons provide distinct tactile control surfaces. |
Microsoft Flight Simulator lacks dedicated G500 avionics integration. |
| Dedicated X-Plane integration supports compatible aircraft avionics configurations. |
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| RealityXP GTN and GNS support expands configuration options. |
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Specifications
| Specification |
Value |
| Product Name |
RealSimGear G500 Avionics Panel |
| Product Type |
Flight Simulator Avionics Touchscreen Panel |
| Display Type |
Capacitive touchscreen |
| Display Brightness |
High brightness |
| Button Type |
Backlit rubber buttons |
| Button Feedback |
Tactile |
| Computer Connection |
USB |
| Power Supply Input |
110–240 V |
| Power Supply Output |
12 V, 2 A |
| Supported Operating System |
Microsoft Windows |
| X-Plane Compatibility |
X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator Compatibility |
Limited touchscreen functionality in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 |
| Additional Avionics Compatibility |
RealityXP GTN and GNS |
| G500 Software Requirement |
Additional software purchase required for full G500 functionality in X-Plane |
| macOS Compatibility |
Not supported |
| Included Accessories |
USB cable and power pack |
RealSimGear G500 Avionics Panel Compatibility
| Hardware or Connection |
Compatibility |
| Windows PC |
Supported |
| USB Connection |
Supported using the included USB cable |
| External Power Supply |
Included 110–240 V input, 12 V 2 A output power pack |
| Capacitive Touch Input |
Supported with compatible Windows touchscreen interfaces |
| Backlit Physical Buttons |
Supported where compatible software integration provides control functions |
| Other PC Flight Controls |
Can operate alongside separately connected yokes, throttles, and rudder pedals |
| Custom Flight Simulator Cockpits |
Suitable where the panel can be physically accommodated |
| macOS Computers |
Not supported due to driver and display handling limitations |
| Xbox |
Not supported as a dedicated avionics peripheral |
| PlayStation |
Not supported as a dedicated avionics peripheral |
The RealSimGear G500 Avionics Panel is designed for Windows-based flight simulation computers and connects through USB using the included cable. It also uses an external 12 V, 2 A power supply, with the included power pack accepting 110–240 V input. The capacitive touchscreen provides direct interaction with supported avionics interfaces, while the backlit physical buttons require appropriate software integration for their intended functions. The panel is not compatible with macOS because of driver and display handling limitations.
The G500 can be incorporated into a broader home cockpit alongside separately connected yokes, throttle quadrants, rudder pedals, and other PC peripherals. It is particularly useful when the simulator and aircraft provide a compatible avionics interface for the dedicated display. The touchscreen can also serve more general Windows-based simulator functions, although this does not guarantee that every physical button will work outside supported integrations. The panel is not intended for direct Xbox or PlayStation use, and console systems do not provide the required Windows software environment.
| Platform or Flight Simulator |
Compatibility |
| Microsoft Windows PC |
Supported |
| X-Plane 11 |
Dedicated integration available for compatible aircraft and avionics |
| X-Plane 12 |
Dedicated integration available for compatible aircraft and avionics |
| Full G500 Functionality in X-Plane |
Requires additional compatible software purchased separately |
| RealityXP GTN |
Supported with appropriate avionics configuration |
| RealityXP GNS |
Supported with appropriate avionics configuration |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 |
Limited support as a generic touchscreen device |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator G3X Interfaces |
Touchscreen interaction possible with suitable configuration |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator G3000 Interfaces |
Touchscreen interaction possible with suitable configuration |
| Dedicated G500 Functionality in MSFS 2020 |
Not supported |
| macOS |
Not supported |
| Xbox |
Not supported |
| PlayStation |
Not supported |
The RealSimGear G500 Avionics Panel is best suited to X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12, where dedicated integration is available for supported aircraft and avionics. Full G500 functionality requires an additional software purchase, while RealityXP GTN and GNS compatibility offers further configuration possibilities. In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, support is limited to generic touchscreen operation with suitable interfaces such as the G3X or G3000, rather than dedicated G500 functionality. The panel is designed for Windows PCs and is not compatible with macOS, Xbox, or PlayStation.
