How do I calibrate a joystick in MSFS 2020?
To calibrate a joystick for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, first centre and calibrate it in Windows or the manufacturer’s utility, then use MSFS’s Controls Options sensitivity screen to set dead zones and response curves. MSFS adjusts how inputs are interpreted; it does not replace proper hardware calibration.
How do I calibrate a joystick on Windows for MSFS 2020?
Windows calibration should come before any sensitivity changes inside the simulator.
- Centre the controls: Place the stick and twist rudder at their physical centres. Centre any mechanical trim controls as well.
- Open the Windows controller panel: Press
Windows key + R, enterjoy.cpl, and press Enter. - Select the correct joystick: Choose it from the controller list, open Properties and inspect the Test tab. The crosshair and axis bars should move smoothly without jumping.
- Run calibration if available: Open the Settings tab and select Calibrate, then follow each prompt. If the joystick has its own calibration utility or built-in calibration sequence, use the manufacturer’s method instead.
- Test it again: Confirm that centred axes remain steady and that every axis reaches both ends of its indicated range.
Our detailed guide to testing joystick axes and running Windows calibration covers the controller panel in more depth.
This Windows procedure applies to PC. On Xbox, use the joystick’s hardware calibration method if it provides one, then make the remaining adjustments in MSFS 2020.
How should the axes and sensitivity be set in MSFS 2020?
Each physical control must be assigned to a continuous axis command before sensitivity adjustments will behave properly.
- Open the controls menu: In MSFS 2020, go to Options, then Controls Options, and select the joystick rather than the keyboard, mouse or gamepad.
- Check the main assignments: Bind the stick to the aileron and elevator axis commands. Assign twist or pedals to the rudder axis and the throttle lever to an appropriate throttle axis.
- Avoid digital commands: Do not bind an analogue stick axis to commands such as aileron left, aileron right, elevator up or elevator down. Those act like buttons and cause abrupt full-deflection movement.
- Remove duplicates: Check other connected controllers for competing aileron, elevator, rudder and throttle assignments.
- Open Sensitivity: Move each axis and inspect its graph, then save the changes to a custom controller profile if prompted.
If the device has not been configured yet, follow our complete joystick profile and axis-binding procedure before adjusting its response.
Which sensitivity and dead-zone settings should I use?
Start with a linear response and change only the setting needed to correct a specific problem; there is no universal curve for every joystick.
| Setting | Starting point | When to change it |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity − and + | 0% | Use modest negative sensitivity to soften an overly twitchy response near the centre. Large changes make the outer part of the axis much steeper. |
| Dead Zone | 0% | Raise it in small steps only until centre jitter or drift disappears. |
| Neutral | 0% | Shift this only when the axis midpoint genuinely needs moving. It is not a substitute for aircraft trim. |
| Extremity Dead Zone | 0% | Increase it slightly if a calibrated axis cannot quite produce full simulator input at the end of its travel. |
| Reactivity | 100% | Lower it only when input smoothing is needed; excessive reduction makes the controls feel delayed. |
Tune axes separately. A short-throw desktop stick may need softer aileron and elevator response, while a twist rudder often needs a slightly larger dead zone. Throttles should usually remain linear so their range and detents can be matched accurately.
How can I tell if joystick calibration is correct?
A correctly calibrated joystick remains steady when released, moves smoothly through its range and reaches full input in both directions.
- On the sensitivity graph, the input marker should remain near the centre without flickering.
- Moving the stick slowly should produce continuous movement rather than spikes or sudden reversals.
- Full physical travel should reach both ends of the graph.
- In a parked aircraft, the cockpit controls and external control surfaces should follow the joystick in the correct direction.
- The throttle should reach idle and full power without a large unused area at either end.
An aircraft that slowly rolls or yaws in flight is not conclusive evidence of bad calibration. Propeller torque, wind, fuel imbalance and incorrect trim can all produce that behaviour even when the input graph is perfectly centred.
Why does the joystick still drift or jump after calibration?
Persistent drift usually comes from hardware noise, duplicate bindings or an incorrect command rather than the sensitivity curve itself.
- The axis moves in
joy.cplwhile untouched: Recalibrate it, then add only enough dead zone to cover the remaining noise. Spikes across the whole range indicate a hardware problem that a centre dead zone cannot fix. - Windows is stable but MSFS is not: Another controller probably has the same axis assigned. Disconnect it temporarily or remove the duplicate assignment.
- The control snaps to full deflection: Replace left/right or up/down button bindings with the corresponding axis command.
- An axis works backwards: Enable the reverse-axis option for that assignment rather than distorting its sensitivity curve.
- The profile remains unpredictable: clear conflicting controller bindings and create a clean profile.
What if throttle detents do not match?
Throttle-detent alignment is often aircraft-specific and may still need adjustment after the joystick itself is calibrated.
If the aircraft provides its own cockpit, EFB or control-configuration calibration, use that after confirming full travel in Windows and MSFS. Otherwise, create a separate MSFS controller profile for that aircraft rather than bending the global throttle curve and disrupting every other aeroplane.