How do I set up a joystick in MSFS 2020 and 2024?

Connect the joystick before launching Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024, verify it at operating-system level on PC, then select it in the simulator's Controls screen. Create a custom profile, bind the analogue aileron, elevator, rudder and throttle axes, remove duplicate inputs, tune dead zones, save, and test it in a simple aircraft.

Joystick setup steps for MSFS 2020 and 2024

The safest method is to 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 the 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. If it fails here, use our procedure for checking every joystick axis and button in Windows; simulator bindings cannot repair an operating-system or hardware fault.
2. Open the correct Controls screen. In MSFS 2020, go to Options > Controls Options. In MSFS 2024, open Settings > Controls. Select the joystick from the connected-device tabs rather than editing the keyboard, mouse or gamepad by mistake.
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 retain the original profile as a fallback.
4. Find the analogue 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, select the binding field, move the intended axis and validate it. Labels can differ slightly between device profiles.
5. 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; do not replace an axis with an unrelated directional command.
6. Remove duplicate assignments. Use Search by Input or the input-search function and move each axis. Clear any camera, trim or digital-direction commands attached to it, then inspect the profiles for the gamepad, pedals, throttle and other connected controllers.
7. 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 analogue controls to commands containing Axis; similarly named left, right, up and down commands are designed for keys or buttons and usually produce instant full deflection.

Use numbered throttle axes only when separate physical levers control separate engines. Binding both combined and numbered throttle commands can make the cockpit levers fight each other.

The plain 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. Aircraft-specific detent calibration should be performed only after the underlying axis travels cleanly from end to end.

Which joystick buttons should I assign first?

Assign only frequently used controls after the axes work correctly; filling every button at once makes conflicts much harder to identify.

• Elevator trim up and down
• Wheel brakes or parking brake
• Flaps up and down
• Landing gear
• Cockpit view reset
• Cockpit and external view switching

Keep the keyboard and mouse available for less common cockpit functions until the core profile has been tested.

What sensitivity and dead-zone settings should I use?

Begin with the default response, use the smallest dead zone that holds the centred axis steady, and alter sensitivity only when the aircraft is demonstrably too twitchy around the centre.

• Dead zone: Leave it close to zero on a stable joystick. If the graph flickers while the control is untouched, raise the dead zone in small increments until the movement stops. An excessive value removes fine control near the centre.
• Sensitivity curve: A modest centre-softening curve, often represented by negative sensitivity, can help a short desktop stick during landing. Check the graph and preserve full authority at both ends rather than copying values intended for different hardware.
• Reverse Axis: Enable it when the input moves in the wrong direction. Advancing the throttle should increase power, and pulling the stick back should command nose-up elevator.
• Extremity dead zone: Leave it alone unless a correctly calibrated device cannot reach full output.
• Neutral adjustment: Use it only to correct a demonstrated centre offset, not to conceal poor calibration or a mechanical fault.
• Reactivity: Keep the default unless deliberate input smoothing is required. Lowering it can filter abrupt movement, but it also introduces lag that is especially noticeable in helicopters and aerobatic aircraft.

Test the curve in a basic aircraft before judging it; airliners, helicopters and high-performance types can feel sensitive for reasons unrelated to the joystick. Our detailed breakdown of MSFS 2020 sensitivity and dead-zone settings explains how to tune the sliders without sacrificing control travel.

Why isn't MSFS detecting my joystick?

If the joystick does not appear in the connected-device list, fix hardware detection before creating or changing control bindings.

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

Why is the joystick listed but not responding?

A listed joystick usually fails to control the aircraft because the wrong profile is active, an analogue control uses a digital command, changes were not saved, or another device is overriding the input.

• Confirm that the joystick is selected and that its intended custom profile is active.
• Show all commands rather than only assigned ones; an empty result may simply mean the required command has not been mapped.
• Use input search and remove unrelated commands returned for the problem axis.
• Replace directional bindings such as aileron left and right with the corresponding analogue Axis command if the control jumps straight 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 joystick axis bound to both an analogue command and digital left/right commands. Add a small dead zone only after ruling out those conflicts.

If a profile contains numerous ghost, unwanted or corrupted assignments, rebuilding it is often quicker than chasing each one. Follow our steps for clearing duplicate or corrupted MSFS controller bindings without disturbing the profiles for unrelated devices.

Should I use one joystick profile for every aircraft?

One general profile is sufficient for most basic fixed-wing aircraft, but specialised controls and aircraft-specific throttle arrangements justify separate profiles.

Create another profile for multi-engine throttles, propeller or mixture levers, speed brakes, reversers, unusual trim controls or dedicated autopilot buttons. Helicopters need distinct cyclic, collective and anti-torque assignments; our dedicated helicopter joystick and sensitivity setup covers that control arrangement.

MSFS 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 connected unit when changing aircraft.

A correct setup produces one smooth response from each physical axis, moves in the proper direction, reaches both endpoints and remains still when centred.

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

The same axis principles apply on consoles, but only hardware supported by the specific console version will be recognised; a USB connector alone does not make a PC joystick console-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.