How do I set up a Honeycomb Alpha yoke in MSFS 2020 and 2024?

The original Honeycomb Alpha and standard Alpha Lite work with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 on Windows PC, but not Xbox. The Alpha XPC works with both simulators on PC and Xbox Series X|S. Connect it before launch; Windows normally detects it as a USB game controller, with no separate yoke driver required.

Which Honeycomb Alpha model works with my simulator?

The model name determines platform compatibility; changing bindings cannot make a PC-only Alpha work on Xbox.

The XPC is the Xbox-compatible version. The yoke itself connects in its supported Xbox configuration, while companion Honeycomb controls may require the appropriate Xbox connection hardware. The original PC Alpha cannot gain console support through a USB adaptor, firmware change or MSFS profile.

Alpha Lite has fewer physical controls than the full Alpha, so the pitch-and-roll setup is the same but some panel-switch instructions will not apply. Check the platform marking on the product label if the model name shown by the simulator is unclear.

How do I set up the Honeycomb Alpha in MSFS 2024?

MSFS 2024 uses separate device profiles for General Controls, Aircraft Controls and Camera Controls, and the active aircraft-control profile can differ between aircraft.

1. Connect the yoke before opening MSFS 2024. Use a direct USB port where possible, secure the yoke and leave enough cable slack for full pitch travel. Put the ignition and latching panel switches in their off positions so a held switch does not take over input search.
2. Open the current Controls screen. Go to Settings > Controls and select the Honeycomb device from the connected hardware row. An empty device profile does not mean the yoke has failed detection.
3. Create an editable aircraft profile. Use the profile selector under Aircraft Controls and open Manage Control Profiles. Duplicate a useful preset or create a new profile, then give it a clear name such as Alpha GA. General, aircraft and camera profiles are managed separately.
4. Inspect each physical input. Select Search by Input, move one axis or press one button once, and check what is already assigned. Move latching switches back off before scanning the next control.
5. Bind the two axes. Search by command name for Ailerons Axis and Elevator Axis. Activate the relevant binding field, move the yoke through its full travel and confirm the detected input. Do not choose the 0-to-100% versions.
6. Check direction and endpoints. Left yoke should produce left aileron, and pulling back should raise the elevator. Use Reverse Axis if necessary; do not invert an axis by distorting its sensitivity curve.
7. Map trim, buttons and panel switches. Use the recommendations below, then search by input again to expose duplicate or unexpected assignments.
8. Confirm the active profile for the aircraft. Save the changes and check that the new Aircraft Controls profile is selected for the aircraft being flown. A mapping that works in one aircraft but disappears in another often indicates a different aircraft-specific profile, not a hardware fault.
9. Test in a simple default aircraft. Verify pitch, roll, trim and every switch on the ground before configuring a complex add-on aircraft.

MSFS 2024 may recognise the Alpha as a USB device without supplying a complete preset. It also separates general, camera and aircraft assignments more clearly than MSFS 2020, so binding pitch in the wrong profile group will not control the aeroplane.

How do I configure the Alpha in MSFS 2020?

MSFS 2020 uses Options > Controls Options and the Preset Manager, rather than MSFS 2024's separate control-profile layout.

1. Connect the yoke before launch. Use a direct PC USB port where practical and place all latching switches in their off positions.
2. Select the Honeycomb device. Open Options > Controls Options and choose the Alpha from the device row.
3. Make an editable preset. Open Preset Manager and duplicate the default preset, or create a new one if no useful preset exists. Supplied presets may be read-only.
4. Review automatic assignments. Set the filter to Assigned, then use Search by Input on each axis, button and switch. Change the filter to All if the page appears blank.
5. Assign pitch and roll. Bind roll to Ailerons Axis and pitch to Elevator Axis. Move the yoke through full travel when scanning and verify that both indicators centre and reach their endpoints.
6. Set the direction. Enable Reverse Axis if cockpit movement is opposite to the physical yoke.
7. Apply and save. Test the preset in a default piston aircraft, then create additional aircraft-specific presets only when their switch logic requires them.

The Alpha supplies pitch and roll, but no throttle, rudder or toe-brake axes. When adding a throttle quadrant, our guide to pairing the Alpha and Bravo with separate device profiles explains how to prevent their assignments from overlapping.

Do I need to install a driver or Treiber?

No separate Honeycomb yoke driver is normally required on Windows because the Alpha presents its basic axes and buttons through the standard USB Human Interface Device system.

1. Open the Windows controller panel. Press Win+R, enter joy.cpl and select the Honeycomb device.
2. Open Properties. Move the yoke fully left, right, forward and back. Check that the axis indicators move smoothly and return near centre.
3. Test buttons and switches. Operate each control and verify that the corresponding button indicator changes. Latching switches may remain active until returned to the other position.

If the yoke works in joy.cpl, its Windows USB connection and basic controls are functioning. The remaining problem is normally the selected MSFS device, filter, binding or profile.

Official Honeycomb software may be relevant for a firmware update, a documented compatibility correction or advanced functions on companion hardware. It is not required for the Alpha's basic pitch, roll and button input in MSFS. Install firmware only when the package explicitly names your exact Alpha, Alpha XPC or Alpha Lite model; firmware for one model should never be tried on another.

Avoid generic driver-updater programs. They do not create Xbox compatibility and can replace working Windows components with unsuitable drivers.

Honeycomb Alpha button mapping: what should I assign?

Bind the centred pitch and roll axes first, then add trim and buttons while checking how each latching switch reports its physical state.

A centred yoke needs the normal negative-to-positive axis commands. The 0-to-100% variants are intended for controls whose full travel runs from one endpoint to the other; using them for pitch or roll can prevent correct centring or make one direction respond incorrectly.

For a latching switch, prefer a Set command that reads pressed and released states. If the hardware exposes each position as a separate input, use explicit On and Off assignments. Toggle commands can fall out of step when an aircraft loads with a different switch state; cycling the physical switch once may resynchronise it, but a position-aware binding is the better fix.

Before finishing, use Search by Input for both axes and every button on every connected controller. A mistake we see constantly is an old gamepad, throttle lever or yoke retaining a second pitch or roll assignment.

How should the Alpha be mapped for the ATR 72?

The ATR 72 uses the Alpha's normal Ailerons Axis, Elevator Axis and digital trim commands. No special pitch or roll driver is required.

The ATR's turbine starting, electrical and condition-lever logic does not correspond directly to a piston aircraft's magneto panel. Some cockpit systems may require aircraft-specific assignments, while others use custom events that standard MSFS bindings do not expose. Keep a separate ATR profile and leave an Alpha switch unassigned rather than forcing an unrelated magneto or battery command.

Do I need AxisAndOhs for the Alpha?

AxisAndOhs is not needed for basic Alpha detection, pitch, roll, trim or standard MSFS commands. It is an optional advanced mapping tool for aircraft-specific variables, scripts or custom events where the aircraft exposes a usable event.

It will not repair a yoke missing from joy.cpl, make a PC-only Alpha work on Xbox or guarantee access to every custom aircraft system. Establish a clean native MSFS profile before adding any external mapping layer, otherwise duplicate commands become harder to trace.

What sensitivity settings work best?

Start with a linear response and change only the setting that addresses a visible input or handling problem.

• Set positive and negative Sensitivity to zero initially.
• Use a zero Dead Zone unless the input indicator flickers while the yoke is untouched; then add only enough to stop the movement.
• Keep Neutral at zero when the yoke centres correctly.
• Leave Extremity Dead Zone at zero if the input reaches both endpoints.
• Keep reactivity near its default response. A large reduction adds lag that is especially noticeable during the flare.

If an aircraft is too lively around the centre, apply a small equal negative sensitivity adjustment to pitch or roll and retest. Do not use a large dead zone to hide a calibration or duplicate-binding fault. Our detailed MSFS 2020 yoke sensitivity procedure covers response curves, dead zones and endpoint checks.

Honeycomb Alpha not detected: what should I check?

First establish whether the operating system or Microsoft Flight Simulator is failing to see the yoke.

1. Close the simulator. Disconnect the Alpha, restart the PC or fully restart the Xbox, then reconnect the yoke before opening MSFS.
2. Remove USB variables. Try a direct USB port rather than an unpowered hub. If the model has a detachable cable, inspect both ends and use a known data-capable replacement of the correct type.
3. Test it in Windows. Run joy.cpl. If no device appears or none of its controls register, changing MSFS profiles will not help.
4. Check Device Manager safely. Look for a newly connected game controller or HID device and scan for hardware changes. Do not remove unrelated USB or HID entries.
5. Restart MSFS with the yoke connected. Select every hardware tile in the Controls screen and change the filter from Assigned to All. A recognised device with no preset can otherwise look empty.
6. Create a fresh editable profile. A damaged, read-only or aircraft-specific profile can prevent changes even though the hardware is present.
7. Use only model-specific firmware. If an official firmware update addresses the exact fault, follow its instructions without disconnecting power during the update.

Xbox does not provide joy.cpl and cannot install Windows drivers. Confirm that the yoke is the Alpha XPC, reconnect it in its supported console arrangement and test it without optional companion hardware. The original Alpha and standard PC Alpha Lite will not appear as supported Xbox yokes.

Why do the yoke or switches move by themselves?

Uncommanded movement usually comes from duplicate assignments, a latching switch bound to Toggle, or an assistance feature controlling the aircraft.

• Search by input on the Alpha, gamepad, pedals, throttle and any old yoke. Remove unwanted Ailerons Axis, Elevator Axis and trim assignments.
• Replace Toggle mappings on battery, avionics and light switches with state-aware Set or On/Off commands where available.
• Disable piloting assistance or AI control while testing. Assistance can move a cockpit control immediately after the Alpha sends its input.
• Check for accidental brake, rudder, throttle or camera assignments on the pitch and roll axes.
• Test switches in a default aircraft. Complex aircraft may ignore standard events or translate them through custom system logic.

If the yoke is physically still but the input bar moves in joy.cpl, investigate the USB connection or hardware calibration before changing the MSFS sensitivity curve.

“That option is not available” — why is a command missing?

A command can be absent or unavailable because the wrong control group, filter, profile, aircraft or input type is selected.

• The filter is hiding it: change Assigned to All and clear any text or input search.
• The wrong profile group is open: in MSFS 2024, pitch, roll and most cockpit functions belong under Aircraft Controls, not General or Camera Controls.
• The preset is read-only: duplicate the supplied preset through MSFS 2020's Preset Manager or MSFS 2024's control-profile management screen.
• The input type does not match: a button cannot be assigned as a true analogue axis, and an axis should not be bound to separate directional button commands.
• The selected aircraft does not expose that function: some turbine, airliner and add-on systems use custom events or have no standard MSFS binding.
• A different aircraft profile is active: MSFS 2024 can load another Aircraft Controls profile when the selected aircraft changes.

Ailerons Axis and Elevator Axis are standard commands. If they appear unavailable, select the Alpha itself, open Aircraft Controls, clear the search and show all commands. For a panel function with no suitable standard event, use an aircraft-specific profile or leave it unassigned.

Can I reuse an Alpha XPC, Alpha Lite or Saitek Pro Flight yoke profile?

No; profiles are tied to the controller's hardware identity and button numbering, so Honeycomb Alpha, Alpha XPC, Alpha Lite and Saitek Pro Flight yoke profiles are not interchangeable.

When replacing a Saitek yoke with the Alpha:

1. Connect both devices temporarily if possible, then select the Saitek device in the simulator's Controls screen.
2. Show its assigned commands and remove Ailerons Axis, Elevator Axis and any duplicated trim assignments, or select a blank Saitek preset.
3. Select the Honeycomb Alpha and build its profile using Search by Input rather than copying button numbers.
4. Check every other controller for duplicate pitch and roll axes before the first flight.
5. Retune sensitivity from a linear baseline. Saitek response settings should not be copied blindly because the two yokes have different travel, centring and sensor behaviour.

An unplugged Saitek yoke cannot send conflicting inputs, but its active profile will become relevant again whenever it is reconnected. If the older hardware will remain in use, our Saitek-specific MSFS 2020 setup notes explain its axis and calibration requirements.