So I'm getting Elite Dangerous, but I can't stop there! I have a little under $200 USD to spend on accessories to make this an experience worth while!
As I have absolutely no idea where to even begin I'd like some help from the community who have actually played the game to lend me a hand in this task because you would know whats good and what to watch out for :)
A HOTAS is almost a must for this game. While you can play with keyboard and mouse or gamepad, a half decent flight stick and throttle is so much better. I have the X-52 which I recommend but even the cheaper ones are worthwhile.
For head tracking I use this:
It's essentially free if you have a phone and it adds so much to the game. I find it difficult to play without head tracking now.
I've tried quit a few different HOTAS setups and different joy sticks including the X55 Rhino, various CH Products, and several cheap joysticks. I finally settled on 2 Thrustmaster T.16000M ambidextrous joysticks. Right hand for pitch, yaw, and roll. Left hand for thursters: vertical, horizontal, forward, and back. I find having a left hand joystick in space simulators with 6 DOF gives finer control of the thrusters. Best of all, those sticks are only about $50 a piece, so you can invest in head tracking with the rest of your budget.
I use a TrackIR 5 from Natural Point with a Trackhat Clip Plus attached to my wireless headset with Velcro so it's completely wireless. You can setup head tracking on cheap with a Playstation Eye camera and opentrack software. It's all on Trackhat.org's website. I bought the TrackIR 5, which was about $150, before I new anything about Trackhat.
I have a thrustmaster Hotas x. It's good for the cheap price it comes at
Flight Stick
Either a HOTAS set up, or possibly just use 2 sticks, I'd definitely go with the 2 cheap sticks route though