How do I set joystick controls and sensitivity in MSFS 2020?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, open Options > Controls Options, select your joystick or flight stick, duplicate its preset, and assign Ailerons Axis, Elevator Axis, Rudder Axis and the appropriate throttle axis. Start sensitivity at a linear response, add only enough dead zone to stop drift, verify direction and full travel, then apply and save.

There is no Controls Options button in MSFS 2020 - where is it?

From the MSFS 2020 Welcome screen, select Options > Controls Options. During a flight, open the pause menu first and select Options from there. If there is no control option on the in-flight toolbar, that is normal: controller assignments are not edited through that toolbar.

The simulator should display each connected controller as a separate device tile. Select the joystick tile before looking for assignments or sensitivity settings. Keyboard, mouse, gamepad, pedals and a separate throttle quadrant each have their own tile and preset.

If the joystick tile is missing entirely, close MSFS, reconnect the device and confirm that the computer recognises it before restarting the simulator. Try another USB port if detection is intermittent. On Xbox, the flight stick must be compatible with the console; a PC-only USB joystick will not appear simply because it can be plugged in.

These instructions apply to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on PC and Xbox. MSFS 2020 was never released for PlayStation. A PlayStation user is running Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, which has a different controller interface.

How do I assign the Ailerons Axis and other MSFS 2020 controls?

Bind proportional hardware movements to commands ending in Axis, then remove duplicate assignments from every other connected controller.

1. Connect all of your hardware before launching MSFS. The joystick, throttle quadrant and rudder pedals will normally appear as separate devices, so each must be configured individually.
2. Create a custom preset. Select the joystick, open Preset Manager and duplicate the default preset. If the device has no useful default, create a new preset and give it a clear name. This protects the factory profile and gives you a known configuration to edit.
3. Set the filter to All. The Assigned filter hides controls that have not yet been mapped. This is one of the main reasons an MSFS 2020 user cannot find an aileron, elevator or throttle axis.
4. Assign pitch and roll. Search for Ailerons Axis and move the stick left and right, then search for Elevator Axis and move it forwards and backwards. If input scanning is available, move only the intended control so a noisy throttle or twist axis is not detected instead.
5. Assign yaw if the joystick supports it. Map a twist grip or rudder pedals to Rudder Axis. Do not map both unless you deliberately want both devices to control the rudder.
6. Choose the correct throttle command. Use a general throttle axis for one lever controlling all engines, or numbered throttle axes for independent engine levers. A Throttle Axis (0 to 100%) command is normally suitable when reverse thrust is activated separately rather than included in the lever's physical travel.
7. Check each direction. Moving the stick right must command right roll, pulling it back must command nose-up elevator, and advancing the throttle must increase power. Enable Reverse Axis for an assignment that operates backwards.
8. Remove conflicts and save. Inspect the gamepad, mouse, pedals, throttle and other devices for duplicate pitch, roll, yaw or throttle axes. Select Apply & Save, then confirm that the custom preset remains active.

Do not assign an analogue stick to commands such as Aileron Left, Elevator Up or Throttle Increase. Those are digital controls intended for buttons or keys, so the simulated control jumps or moves incrementally instead of following the stick's position.

One throttle lever can intentionally control both numbered engine axes on a twin-engine aircraft. If you use that arrangement, remove the general throttle assignment so the commands do not compete. Simmers with separate hardware can use our joystick and throttle quadrant mapping process for engine-axis choices, calibration and duplicate-input checks.

What MSFS 2020 joystick sensitivity settings should I use?

Begin with a linear response, zero dead zone and 100% reactivity, then change one value at a time to correct a specific problem. Short desktop flight sticks often need a gentler centre response, while long sticks and full-size yokes usually need little curve.

These are starting ranges, not universal presets. Hardware sensor quality, stick length, extensions and the aircraft's control response all affect the result. Our control-specific sensitivity ranges and tuning method cover pitch, roll, rudder and throttle adjustments in more detail.

I cannot find the Sensitivity button - what is missing?

Select the joystick or flight stick tile first. Sensitivity controls and axis graphs apply to analogue controller inputs, so selecting the keyboard, mouse or a button-only device may not show the settings you expect.

If the joystick is listed but its axes are not, return to the assignment screen, set the filter to All and confirm that the physical control is mapped to an Axis command. A directional button assignment does not become an analogue axis by changing sensitivity.

What do the sensitivity controls change?

• Sensitivity - and Sensitivity + shape the negative and positive halves of the axis. Negative values soften small movements near the centre but make the remaining response steeper towards the ends. Positive values make the centre more aggressive.
• Dead Zone ignores a small area around the centre. Increase it in small steps until an unwanted input stops. Excessive dead zone creates a noticeable gap before the aircraft responds.
• Neutral shifts the neutral point of the curve. Leave it at zero for a correctly calibrated, self-centring stick rather than using it to hide an off-centre sensor.
• Extremity Dead Zone makes maximum simulated input occur before the hardware reaches its physical stop. Use a small amount only when a calibrated axis still falls short of full travel.
• Reactivity controls how quickly the simulated input follows the hardware. Lower values add smoothing and delay; 100% is the clean starting point for direct control.

For a centred pitch, roll or rudder axis, set the negative and positive sensitivity values equally. Adjust the two halves independently only when testing shows a real asymmetry that hardware calibration cannot correct.

How should I test a sensitivity curve?

Watch the input graph while moving the joystick slowly through its entire range. The marker should remain steady at the centre, move smoothly in both directions and reach both endpoints without sudden jumps.

Test the aircraft in stable, trimmed flight and make small pitch and roll corrections. A take-off is a poor sensitivity test because crosswind, trim, torque and propeller effects can make a correctly configured aircraft feel unusually lively. Change one axis at a time so you know which adjustment helped.

Why does the joystick drift, reverse or fight my inputs?

Drift, reversed movement and controls that fight each other usually indicate calibration trouble, an incorrect command or duplicate bindings rather than a bad sensitivity curve.

• The graph moves while the stick is untouched: calibrate the hardware through its supported system or manufacturer tool, then add the smallest dead zone that produces a steady centre. Our hardware calibration and axis-testing checks help separate a sensor problem from an MSFS setting.
• The aircraft moves but the graph is steady: check trim, wind, engine effects, fuel balance and piloting assistance. Do not add dead zone to hide normal aircraft behaviour.
• An axis works backwards: use Reverse Axis. A sensitivity curve cannot correctly invert a control.
• The control jumps or moves at a fixed rate: replace directional or incremental commands with the corresponding Axis command.
• The control snaps back or moves without the joystick: inspect every connected device for duplicate assignments. Default gamepad and joystick presets commonly bind the same pitch, roll or rudder controls.
• The graph does not reach full travel: calibrate first. If the endpoint remains only slightly short, add a small extremity dead zone rather than distorting the main sensitivity curve.
• The graph responds but the aircraft does not: disengage the autopilot and check assistance settings. Fly-by-wire protections can also limit the aircraft's response even though MSFS is receiving the joystick input correctly.

Should I create separate joystick profiles for different aircraft?

For a basic flight stick, one profile is often enough; for airliners, helicopters or aircraft with throttle detents, separate named profiles prevent specialised assignments from disrupting a general-aviation setup.

Keep a clean general profile, duplicate it before making aircraft-specific changes and check which preset is active before each flight. Presets belong to individual devices, so a joystick, throttle and pedal set may each need a matching named profile. Our guide to duplicating, naming and switching controller profiles explains how to preserve these configurations.

When an add-on aircraft provides its own throttle-detent calibration, keep the MSFS throttle response linear and set idle, climb, flex or take-off detents inside the aircraft's calibration tool. Using Neutral or a heavy sensitivity curve to force detent positions can make the usable zones unnecessarily narrow.