What joystick sensitivity should I use in MSFS 2020?

For a short-throw joystick in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, start with pitch and roll sensitivity at -40%, dead zone at 3%, neutral at 0%, extremity dead zone at 0% and reactivity at 100%. Keep throttle linear. These are baseline values; tune dead zone for hardware noise and sensitivity for control travel.

Recommended MSFS 2020 joystick sensitivity settings

These starting values suit typical desktop controls without sacrificing full control authority. Clean, long-travel hardware usually needs less curve and a smaller dead zone.

Sensitivity - and Sensitivity + control the two halves of a centred axis. Keep them equal for normal pitch, roll and rudder movement. Negative sensitivity softens response near the centre but, with the extremity setting unchanged, still permits full deflection.

Throttle position should normally correspond directly to lever position, so a linear 0% curve is preferable. Adjust a throttle curve only when a particular detent or power range is difficult to select; reverse thrust and detent problems are usually assignment or aircraft-calibration issues instead.

How do I change joystick sensitivity in MSFS 2020?

1. Open Controls Options: From the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 main menu, open Options, then Controls Options.
2. Select the joystick: Choose the correct device and use a custom control profile rather than altering a known-good profile without a backup.
3. Check the axis bindings: Pitch, roll and rudder should be assigned to their corresponding Axis commands, not digital left, right, up or down commands.
4. Open Sensitivity: Move each physical control and confirm that the on-screen indicator travels smoothly in the expected direction.
5. Enter the baseline values: Set both sides of each centred axis equally, then apply and save the profile.
6. Test in calm conditions: Use a familiar aircraft, trim it correctly and make small inputs before judging the curve. Verify that full physical movement still produces full on-screen travel.

For bindings, profile creation and device selection beyond the sensitivity page, follow our complete MSFS 2020 joystick and axis setup.

What do the sensitivity controls actually change?

• Sensitivity -/+: Shapes response on each side of the axis. More negative values provide finer movement near the centre but compress more response towards the ends.
• Dead Zone: Ignores movement around the centre. Use the smallest value that stops unwanted input; an excessive dead zone makes the aircraft feel unresponsive before it suddenly reacts.
• Neutral: Shifts the effective neutral point. Leave it at 0% for a correctly centred joystick and fix calibration or trim problems at their source.
• Extremity Dead Zone: Changes how the physical end of travel maps to the simulated endpoint. Leave it at 0% unless the hardware cannot reach full output or its final travel is unreliable.
• Reactivity: Controls how quickly the simulator follows an axis change. We recommend 100% initially; reducing it can smooth input, but it also introduces lag.

Do negative sensitivity values reduce control authority?

Negative sensitivity alone should not prevent full control deflection; it changes the curve between the centre and endpoint. If the cockpit control never reaches full travel, inspect the extremity setting, assignment and hardware calibration rather than making the centre more sensitive.

How do I fix twitchy, drifting or sluggish controls?

Match the adjustment to the symptom rather than changing every setting at once.

• The axis drifts while untouched: Test it outside the simulator with our Windows joystick testing and calibration procedure. If the signal only flickers slightly around centre, raise Dead Zone in 1% steps until it stops.
• The aircraft is twitchy near centre: Make Sensitivity -/+ more negative in 5-10% steps. Do not create a large dead zone, because that replaces twitchiness with a numb central area.
• The controls feel dead and then snap: The dead zone or negative sensitivity is too high. Reduce the dead zone first, then move sensitivity closer to 0%.
• Input feels delayed: Return Reactivity towards 100%. Low reactivity can hide abrupt hand movement, but the resulting lag makes precise corrections harder.
• The axis moves by itself or jumps to full deflection: Search by input for duplicate assignments. Gamepads, throttles and pedals are often bound to the same flight axis. Our steps for clearing conflicting MSFS controller bindings cover cases where a profile has become difficult to untangle.
• The simulator reacts opposite to the joystick: Use the axis inversion option. Sensitivity settings cannot correct a reversed assignment.

Also check piloting assists such as assisted rudder before blaming the response curve. Trim is another frequent culprit: a badly trimmed aircraft requires constant pressure, which can feel like poor joystick sensitivity even when the axis is behaving correctly.

Should every aircraft use the same joystick curve?

One general profile is enough when several aircraft respond well with the same hardware, but a second profile is useful when their control characteristics differ sharply. A short-throw stick may need a softer centre for light general aviation aircraft, while a longer yoke or an aircraft with managed flight controls may work better closer to linear.

Change profiles only after testing a stable, correctly trimmed aircraft. If pitch control is troublesome only during the flare, confirm approach speed and technique before masking the problem with an extreme curve; our approach, flare and touchdown walkthrough explains the corrections that sensitivity cannot fix.