How do I configure a joystick in MSFS 2020 or 2024?

Connect the joystick before launching Microsoft Flight Simulator, select it in the Controls menu, create a custom profile, and bind aileron, elevator, rudder and throttle to axis commands. Add essential buttons, remove duplicate axis bindings, check direction and full travel, then tune dead zones and sensitivity before flying.

How to configure a joystick in MSFS 2020 and 2024

The basic workflow is the same in both simulators, although Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 arranges its Controls screen differently from MSFS 2020.

1. Connect the joystick before starting MSFS. Plug it directly into a reliable USB port where possible. Connecting it after the simulator has loaded can leave the device absent from the Controls screen until MSFS is restarted.
2. Confirm that the platform recognises it. On Windows, press Windows key and R, enter joy.cpl, and inspect the device in Game Controllers. On Xbox Series X|S and, for MSFS 2024, PS5, the joystick must be supported by that console; a PC-only USB stick is not automatically console-compatible.
3. Open the Controls screen. In MSFS 2020, use Options > Controls Options. In MSFS 2024, open Settings > Controls. Select the joystick itself rather than the keyboard, mouse or gamepad shown alongside it.
4. Create a custom profile. Duplicate the supplied preset if one exists, give the copy a clear name, and edit that copy. This preserves a known starting point and prevents one aircraft-specific layout from disrupting another.
5. Inspect existing assignments. Use the assigned-controls filter and look for axes already mapped to a gamepad, throttle quadrant, pedals or another controller. Only one intended device should control each primary axis.
6. Bind the flight-control axes. Search for the axis command, start input scanning, and move only the intended control through a deliberate part of its travel. Do not bind a joystick axis to digital commands such as aileron left or elevator down.
7. Add essential buttons. Start with elevator trim, brakes, parking brake, flaps, landing gear and a cockpit-view control. Keep rarely used functions on the keyboard until the basic profile works correctly.
8. Save and test the profile. Use the displayed Apply or Save control where required, load a simple aircraft at a parking stand, and watch the cockpit controls while moving each axis slowly from stop to stop.

A mistake we see constantly is testing everything during take-off. Check the yoke or stick, rudder pedals, throttle and trim indication while stationary first; an incorrect elevator or throttle assignment is much easier to diagnose before the aircraft is moving.

Which joystick controls should I bind first?

Bind the four primary flight-control axes before adding convenience buttons.

For a simple joystick slider without a reverse detent, the 0–100% throttle axis is usually the clearer choice; assign reverse thrust separately if needed. Use engine-specific throttle axes only when the hardware has matching independent levers. Some complex aircraft also require throttle-detent calibration through their own cockpit tablet or configuration panel.

If the joystick and throttle are separate USB devices, each must be selected and mapped individually. Our guidance on configuring split HOTAS devices without crossed bindings covers that extra layer.

Why is my joystick not working correctly in MSFS?

Most joystick faults in Microsoft Flight Simulator come from the wrong command type, duplicate assignments, reversed axes or bad raw input.

• The joystick is not listed: reconnect it before launching MSFS, try another direct USB port, and confirm that Windows or the console recognises the device. Windows recognition does not guarantee console compatibility.
• An axis behaves like an on/off switch: it has probably been bound to a directional or incremental command. Remove that assignment and bind the corresponding command ending in Axis.
• The control moves backwards: enable the reverse-axis option for that assignment. Do not reverse it in both the device software and MSFS, or the two changes cancel each other.
• The aircraft drifts or veers: inspect the assigned-controls list for a second rudder, aileron or elevator binding. If no duplicate exists, check whether the axis is physically off-centre.
• The controls fight the pilot or move by themselves: test with the autopilot, AI piloting and control-assistance features disabled. Also disconnect or unbind unused gamepads and racing pedals.
• The throttle stops early or jumps into reverse: verify that the correct throttle-axis variant is assigned and that its full travel is visible. Complex add-on aircraft may need their own idle, climb or reverse detents calibrated separately.
• One button performs two actions: use the assigned-controls filter, press that button through input search if available, and remove the unwanted command.

Should I calibrate the joystick or change sensitivity?

Calibrate the joystick when its centre or full travel is wrong at platform level; change MSFS sensitivity when the raw input is correct but the aircraft feels too twitchy or develops minor centre drift.

On PC, check joy.cpl first. If the crosshair cannot reach its limits, jumps, or rests well away from centre, follow our Windows calibration and raw-axis checks before compensating inside the simulator.

Use the smallest dead zone that removes genuine centre noise. Sensitivity changes the response curve rather than repairing faulty hardware, while an excessive extremity dead zone can prevent full control or throttle travel. We explain the practical differences when tuning MSFS dead zones and response curves.

Should I use a separate profile for each aircraft?

One general joystick profile is enough for basic aeroplanes, but separate profiles are better when the control layout changes substantially.

Create another profile for helicopters, gliders, airliners with throttle detents, or aircraft needing individual engine controls. In MSFS 2024, check which device and control profile is active after changing aircraft; in MSFS 2020, our explanation of maintaining and switching aircraft-specific joystick profiles shows how to preserve a working base layout.