MSFS 2024 and 2020 joystick setup: what are the steps?

Connect the joystick before launching Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or 2020, select it in the Controls screen, and create a custom profile. Bind the analogue aileron, elevator, rudder and throttle axes, remove duplicate inputs, set only the dead zone needed to stop drift, save, then test in a simple aircraft.

Joystick setup steps for MSFS 2024 and 2020

Configure one device at a time and get the primary flight axes working before assigning buttons.

1. Connect and test the joystick. Plug it into a stable USB port before starting Microsoft Flight Simulator. On Windows, press Windows key + R, enter joy.cpl, select the controller and open Properties. Confirm that every axis moves smoothly, centres correctly, reaches both ends and that the buttons register. Calibrate only if the centre or full travel is wrong; simulator bindings cannot repair a hardware or operating-system fault.
2. Open the correct Controls screen. In MSFS 2024, open Settings > Controls. In MSFS 2020, go to Options > Controls Options. Select the joystick from the connected-device tabs rather than editing the keyboard, mouse or gamepad. Menu wording can change slightly between simulator updates.
3. Create a custom profile. Duplicate the stock preset through Preset Manager in MSFS 2020 or use the equivalent profile controls in MSFS 2024. If the device has no useful preset, create a blank one. Give it a recognisable name and keep the original preset as a fallback.
4. Display the available commands. Change the filter from Assigned to All in MSFS 2020, or use the equivalent option for showing unassigned commands in MSFS 2024. Search by the core command name; labels can differ slightly between devices and simulator versions.
5. Bind the analogue axes. Select the assignment field and move the intended control when input scanning is offered. Use commands ending in Axis, not left, right, increase or decrease commands intended for keys and buttons.
6. Check direction and range. Move each control slowly from stop to stop while watching the input graph. Use Reverse Axis if the response runs backwards. Throttles and toe brakes commonly require this because different devices report their electrical ranges differently.
7. Remove conflicting inputs. Use Search by Input or the equivalent input-search function and move each axis. Clear camera, trim or digital-direction commands attached to it, then inspect the profiles for the gamepad, pedals, throttle and other connected controllers. Duplicate button assignments can be harmless; two live axes controlling the same surface usually are not.
8. Save and test. Use Apply & Save in MSFS 2020 or the equivalent confirmation in MSFS 2024. Load a simple light aircraft in calm conditions, check the cockpit controls while parked, and use an external view to confirm control-surface direction. Taxi slowly to test steering, brakes and throttle before taking off.

Which joystick axes should I assign?

Bind each continuous physical control to the corresponding analogue Axis command so the aircraft responds in proportion to your input.

A mistake we see constantly is assigning a physical lever to Throttle Increase and Throttle Decrease. Those are digital commands. Use numbered throttle axes only when separate physical levers control separate engines, and avoid binding combined and numbered throttle commands together unless the aircraft and hardware specifically require both.

The signed Throttle Axis can suit hardware with a below-idle or reverse region. For a conventional joystick lever that runs only from idle to full power, the 0-to-100% command is usually easier to configure. Calibrate aircraft-specific detents only after the underlying axis travels cleanly from end to end. Separate hardware is covered in our joystick and throttle-quadrant configuration guide.

Which joystick buttons should I assign first?

Assign only the controls needed regularly during take-off, approach and landing, then test them before adding less-used functions.

• Elevator trim up and down: place these where they can be reached without releasing the stick.
• Wheel brakes or parking brake: use a button for wheel brakes if you do not have analogue toe brakes.
• Flaps up and down: separate increase and decrease controls are usually clearer than a cycling command.
• Landing gear: useful for retractable aircraft but unnecessary on a basic trainer.
• Cockpit view reset and view switching: reserve the POV hat for looking around unless you use head tracking or VR.
• Autopilot disconnect: useful when flying aircraft equipped with an autopilot.

Keep the keyboard and mouse available for occasional cockpit functions. Mapping dozens of commands before the first flight makes conflicts much harder to isolate.

What sensitivity and dead-zone settings should I use?

Start with the default response, use the smallest dead zone that stops unwanted movement, and soften the centre only if the aircraft is demonstrably too twitchy.

• Dead zone: leave it close to zero on a stable joystick. If the graph flickers while the control is untouched, increase the dead zone gradually until the movement stops. Too much removes fine control around the centre.
• Sensitivity curve: a modest centre-softening curve, often represented by negative sensitivity, can help a short desktop stick during landing. Preserve smooth movement and full authority at both ends rather than copying settings intended for different hardware.
• Neutral: adjust this only for a demonstrated centre offset that hardware calibration cannot correct.
• Extremity dead zone: leave it unchanged unless verified physical travel reaches maximum output too early or cannot reach the expected endpoint.
• Reactivity: keep the default unless deliberate input smoothing is required. Lower values can filter abrupt or noisy movement, but excessive smoothing introduces lag that is particularly noticeable in helicopters and aerobatic aircraft.

Change one axis at a time and test it in the same aircraft and weather conditions. Airliners, helicopters and high-performance types can feel sensitive for reasons unrelated to the joystick; our response-curve, reactivity and drift-tuning guide covers the post-setup adjustments in more detail.

Why isn't my joystick working in MSFS?

A missing joystick indicates a hardware or platform-detection problem, while a listed but inactive device usually has an empty, incorrect or conflicting profile.

Why is the joystick missing from the device list?

Fix operating-system or console detection before changing simulator bindings.

• Close Microsoft Flight Simulator, reconnect the controller and relaunch the simulator.
• Connect directly to a stable USB port rather than an unpowered or unreliable hub, especially with illuminated HOTAS equipment or several control units.
• On Windows, check joy.cpl and, where applicable, the manufacturer's calibration or firmware utility. If neither detects the device, the fault is outside MSFS.
• Temporarily disable controller-remapping software that may be creating virtual devices or presenting the joystick under another identity.
• Inspect every device tab. A recognised controller may appear correctly but have a blank preset that requires manual assignments.

Why is the joystick listed but not responding?

A listed controller normally fails because the wrong profile is active, changes were not saved, a digital command was used for an axis or another device is overriding it.

• Confirm that the joystick is selected and its intended custom profile is active.
• Show all commands rather than only assigned ones; an empty search result may mean the required command has not been mapped.
• Use input search and remove unrelated commands returned for the problem axis.
• Replace aileron left/right or throttle increase/decrease bindings with the corresponding analogue Axis command if the control jumps to full deflection.
• Check the keyboard, gamepad, throttle and pedals for second aileron, elevator, rudder, brake or throttle assignments.
• Disable AI piloting, automatic rudder and take-off or landing assistance temporarily if the simulator appears to fight your input.

Why does the aircraft move when the joystick is centred?

Uncommanded roll, pitch or yaw usually comes from a noisy axis, gamepad drift, duplicate bindings or another controller sending input.

Check the stick, gamepad, pedals and throttle separately. Common conflicts include rudder assigned to both pedals and a twist grip, a drifting gamepad controlling the ailerons, and one axis bound to both an analogue command and digital left/right commands. Add a small dead zone only after ruling out those conflicts.

If inputs remain erratic, close remapping software, remove duplicate virtual devices and try another USB port. A profile containing numerous ghost or corrupted assignments is often quicker to rebuild than repair one command at a time.

Should I use one joystick profile for every aircraft?

One general profile is sufficient for aircraft with similar controls, while specialised hardware and control layouts justify separate profiles.

A basic single-engine profile can share roll, pitch, yaw and throttle assignments across many general-aviation aircraft. Create another profile for separate engine throttles, propeller or mixture levers, speed brakes, reversers, unusual trim controls, dedicated autopilot buttons or aircraft-specific detents.

Helicopters need distinct cyclic, collective and anti-torque assignments. MSFS also stores assignments for each listed device, so a separate stick, throttle quadrant and pedal set each needs its own profile. Advanced HOTAS equipment may appear as several devices; configure each tab individually and check the active profile on every unit when changing aircraft.

Can I use the same joystick setup on Xbox or PlayStation?

The same axis and conflict-checking principles apply on consoles, but the joystick must support the specific console; a USB connector alone does not make PC hardware compatible.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is available on PC and Xbox and was never released for PlayStation. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. Supported devices are configured through the simulator's Controls screen, although available hardware, buttons and profile options can differ by platform.