Set up MobiFlight with MSFS 2024 on PC: install the WASM module, connect a board, map controls and displays, and fix connection faults.
To set up MobiFlight with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, install MobiFlight Connector on the same Windows PC, allow it to install or update the MobiFlight WASM module, connect and flash a supported controller board, map each input or output, then load a flight and confirm that the simulator, module and board all show connected.
What does MobiFlight need for MSFS 2024?
MobiFlight with MSFS 2024 requires the Windows PC edition, MobiFlight Connector, its in-simulator WASM module and a supported controller board if you are building physical controls. It cannot run with the Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5 editions because those consoles do not run the Connector application or expose generic serial hardware to it.
The desktop Connector and the WASM module perform different jobs. Connector manages your hardware and configuration; the module provides access to aircraft events and variables that standard SimConnect cannot expose directly.
A separate legacy SimConnect installation is not normally required for MSFS 2024. If the simulator connection remains offline, use our SimConnect connection and repair checks rather than installing random runtime packages.
How do I install and connect MobiFlight?
- Install MobiFlight Connector: Close MSFS 2024, install a Connector release that supports it, and start the application once. Use matching Connector and WASM module versions rather than retaining an older module from another installation.
- Install the MSFS module: Allow Connector to place or update the MobiFlight WASM module in the active MSFS 2024 Community folder. If automatic detection fails, identify the Community folder actually used by the simulator instead of copying the module into several possible package folders.
- Connect the controller board: Use a known data-capable USB cable and, for the first setup, connect directly to the PC rather than through a hub. Accept the MobiFlight firmware prompt only after confirming that the correct board is selected. Flashing replaces any sketch already stored on that board.
- Define the attached hardware: Add the buttons, switches, encoders, LEDs, displays or servos connected to each pin, give them unambiguous names, and upload the hardware configuration to the board. This physical device definition is separate from the aircraft profile.
- Create input mappings: Add a configuration item for each control, select its physical input, then assign the appropriate MSFS event or MobiFlight preset. Map both press and release states where a maintained switch needs separate on and off commands.
- Create output mappings: Select the simulator variable or preset that supplies the value, apply any required comparison or transformation, and assign the result to the LED, display or servo. Test the raw simulator value before adding formatting logic.
- Start the simulator: Load an aircraft into the cockpit, then run the MobiFlight configuration. Confirm that the indicators for MSFS, the WASM module and the controller board all report a connection.
- Save an aircraft-specific profile: Use a clear name for the configuration file, such as the aircraft type and panel version. Back up the
.mccfile after the controls and outputs work correctly.
Do I need FSUIPC or SimConnect for MobiFlight?
MobiFlight uses SimConnect for its basic simulator connection and the WASM module for deeper aircraft-specific access; FSUIPC is optional rather than a requirement.
| Method | Best use | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Native MSFS bindings | Yoke, pedals, throttle axes and ordinary joystick buttons | Usually the simplest choice for flight-control axes. Our PC control binding guide explains how to create profiles and remove duplicate assignments. |
| MobiFlight presets and WASM | Encoders, annunciators, radio panels, displays and aircraft-specific switches | Choose a preset for the exact aircraft when a generic simulator event does not operate the intended system. |
| FSUIPC offsets | Existing offset-based panels or configurations that specifically require FSUIPC | Do not add it merely to make MobiFlight connect. If an established profile requires offsets, follow our FSUIPC installation and offset setup. |
We recommend leaving primary flight axes in MSFS unless the hardware or aircraft requires different processing. Never assign the same physical control in both MSFS and MobiFlight; one movement can otherwise produce two commands or an apparently random reversal.
Why is MobiFlight not connecting to MSFS 2024?
Most MobiFlight connection failures come from an inactive WASM package, the wrong Community folder, mismatched module versions or a USB board that Windows has not recognised correctly.
| Symptom | Likely fix |
|---|---|
| Simulator connection stays offline | Load fully into an aircraft, confirm that MSFS and Connector are running in the same Windows session, then restart Connector. Check SimConnect only if the connection still fails. |
| MSFS connects but the WASM module does not | Close the simulator, update or reinstall the module in the active Community folder, and remove obsolete duplicate copies. The module will not load when MSFS is running in Safe Mode with Community packages disabled. |
| The controller board disappears | Try another data-capable cable or direct USB port, close any Arduino IDE or serial monitor using the same port, and verify that the board has MobiFlight firmware. |
| The input indicator changes but the aircraft does nothing | Make sure the configuration is running, the row is active and the chosen event matches that aircraft. Complex add-ons often ignore generic events and require an aircraft-specific preset. |
| A button causes two actions | Remove the duplicate MSFS binding and check for a second MobiFlight configuration row using the same input. Also inspect any virtual controller or remapping software. |
| An output remains blank or frozen | Inspect the unmodified source value first. Some variables update only when the relevant electrical bus, avionics or aircraft system is powered. |
How should switches, encoders and displays be configured?
Reliable MobiFlight profiles use explicit commands, small testable steps and separate configurations for aircraft whose systems behave differently.
- Maintained switches: Prefer distinct on and off presets over a toggle command. A toggle can leave the physical switch opposite to the virtual cockpit after loading a flight or operating the control with the mouse.
- Three-position switches: Configure each active position deliberately and account for the centre or released state. Do not assume that two pins automatically represent all three positions.
- Rotary encoders: Assign clockwise and anticlockwise inputs separately. Begin with single-step changes before enabling acceleration, because fast increments can skip radio or autopilot values.
- Displays and LEDs: Verify the raw value before adding padding, decimal placement or comparison rules. Add electrical-power logic only after the basic output follows the simulator correctly.
- Aircraft presets: Keep different profiles for aircraft that expose different events or local variables. An aircraft update can alter those internal variables even though the physical panel has not changed.
The mistake we see most often is testing the complete panel at once. Bring up one button and one output first, prove that SimConnect and WASM communication work, then add the remaining devices in small groups.