Learn how to customise the MSFS 2024 cockpit: adjust your seat, save camera views, pop out displays, set lighting and fix failed saves.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, customise the cockpit by adjusting the pilot eyepoint and zoom, saving custom camera views, rebinding camera controls, setting panel lighting, and popping supported displays into separate windows. There is no universal cockpit editor; instruments, yokes and 3D panel geometry remain aircraft-specific.
What parts of the MSFS 2024 cockpit can you customise?
You can personalise how you sit, look at and operate the cockpit, but you cannot redesign its physical 3D model through the normal simulator menus.
| Element | How it is customised | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot position | Move the cockpit camera up, down, forward, backwards or sideways | Usually specific to the aircraft |
| View direction and zoom | Use Freelook, zoom and saved custom camera slots | A saved camera does not store switch positions |
| Camera controls | Assign actions to a keyboard, mouse, controller or flight-sim hardware | Bindings depend on the active control profile |
| Panel lighting | Use the aircraft's display, backlight, flood and dome-light controls | Controls differ between aircraft |
| Avionics windows | Pop out supported glass displays on PC | Most analogue gauges cannot be detached |
| Yokes and accessories | Use an aircraft's EFB, configuration menu or cockpit clickspot where provided | Not every aircraft supports hiding or changing them |
How do I set up a custom cockpit view?
The cleanest setup order is pilot position first, viewing angle second and zoom last.
- Enter the normal cockpit camera. Do not use Drone Camera, Slew or Character mode. If the entire aircraft moves, or you find yourself outside it, you are using the wrong mode.
- Set the pilot eyepoint. Search the Controls settings for cockpit translation and height actions, then move the camera until the glareshield, runway and primary instruments are framed naturally. Our guide explains how to move the pilot eyepoint rather than merely changing zoom.
- Set the viewing direction. Use Freelook to face the desired instrument, overhead panel or side window. Translation changes where your head is; Freelook changes where it points.
- Adjust zoom carefully. Very wide settings distort the panel edges, while excessive zoom removes peripheral cues. Choose a field of view that keeps important instruments readable without making the cockpit feel unnaturally compressed.
- Save the view to a camera slot. Search the control assignments for
Save Custom CameraandLoad Custom Camera. Exact defaults vary between PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and user-created profiles, so verify the active bindings rather than relying on a remembered shortcut. - Create only useful working views. A forward landing view, instrument close-up, overhead view and centre-pedestal view cover most aircraft. Detailed instructions for assigning the slots are in our guide to saving and recalling cockpit camera views.
A custom camera normally stores head position, direction and zoom. It does not save autopilot settings, display pages, lighting levels, EFB state or cockpit switch positions.
How do I change cockpit instruments and lighting?
Use the aircraft's own panel controls for instrument brightness and its configuration options for any supported equipment changes.
Glass displays often have separate brightness controls from the panel backlighting, while flood, integral and dome lights serve different purposes. Turning up the dome light is rarely the right fix for a dim display because it can wash out the rest of the cockpit. If labels or screens remain hard to read, follow our breakdown of the panel, display and avionics brightness controls.
Some aircraft let you hide a yoke, tablet mount, sun visor, pilot model or other object through an EFB option or clickable hotspot. That feature must be built into the aircraft; MSFS 2024 does not provide a global switch for every cockpit object.
On PC, supported glass-cockpit screens can also be placed in separate desktop windows and moved to another monitor. This does not rearrange the 3D panel, and extra display windows can reduce performance. See the steps for popping supported cockpit displays into separate windows.
Why will my cockpit customisation not save?
Most failed saves come from using the wrong camera command, loading a different aircraft variant or editing a control profile that is not active.
- The view resets immediately: make sure you used a save-slot action rather than the normal reset-camera command.
- The shortcut does nothing: check for duplicate assignments and confirm that the keyboard, controller or hardware profile shown in Controls is the one being used.
- The view works in one aircraft only: custom cockpit positions are aircraft-specific because every cockpit has different geometry and camera reference points.
- The camera pans instead of moving: leave or release Freelook, return to the cockpit camera, then use translation controls.
- A saved view is misplaced after an aircraft update: changes to the cockpit model or camera reference can shift an old viewpoint. Reposition and save that slot again.
- Switches and lights return to their defaults: camera slots save the view, not the aircraft state. State persistence depends on the aircraft rather than the camera system.
Can I move or replace gauges in the 3D cockpit?
Not through the standard MSFS 2024 interface. Moving gauges, replacing instruments or changing the panel mesh requires an aircraft package specifically designed for that layout, while protected or streamed aircraft content may not be editable at all.
Display pop-outs and custom views are the practical alternatives for a home cockpit. Avoid editing official aircraft files merely to reposition an instrument: simulator or aircraft updates can restore those files, break the modification or leave the aircraft unable to load correctly.