Set up a TCA Airbus throttle quadrant in MSFS 2024 on Xbox, with the required hardware path, correct engine axes, detents and detection fixes.
To set up a Thrustmaster TCA Airbus throttle quadrant in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on Xbox, connect it through an Xbox-compatible TCA Sidestick X, put the stick in Xbox mode, and use the detected TCA preset under Settings > Controls. A PC-only standalone quadrant will not work by direct USB connection.
Which TCA Airbus hardware works on Xbox?
Xbox requires the quadrant to be routed through the licensed TCA Sidestick X hardware included with the Captain Pack X or sold separately. The console does not turn the standard quadrant into an Xbox device merely because it uses USB.
| Hardware combination | Xbox result | Required connection |
|---|---|---|
| TCA Captain Pack X Airbus Edition | Supported | Quadrant into Sidestick X, then Sidestick X into Xbox |
| TCA Quadrant Airbus Edition plus TCA Sidestick X | Supported | Use the Sidestick X as the Xbox-compatible host |
| TCA quadrant connected directly to Xbox | Not supported | No control setting can fix this connection |
| TCA quadrant plus original non-X sidestick | Not supported as an Xbox setup | An Xbox-compatible Sidestick X is required |
A generic USB hub or adaptor does not add Xbox compatibility. If you own only the standalone quadrant, the missing part is compatible host hardware rather than an MSFS assignment.
How do you connect and configure the quadrant?
- Check the sidestick model. Confirm that it is the TCA Sidestick X Airbus Edition, not the original PC-only TCA sidestick.
- Connect the quadrant to the sidestick. Plug the quadrant's USB lead into the appropriate ecosystem or USB connection on the Sidestick X. Do not connect the quadrant separately to another Xbox USB socket.
- Select Xbox mode. Set the sidestick's platform selector to Xbox before connecting it to the console.
- Connect the Sidestick X to Xbox. Use a direct console USB connection where possible. Start Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 after the controls are connected.
- Open the control settings. Go to
Settings > Controlsand locate the TCA device. The quadrant may appear as part of the Sidestick X rather than as a separate controller. - Start with the supplied preset. Test the levers before changing assignments. If you need alterations, duplicate or create a profile so the original preset remains available.
- Check each lever separately. Moving the left lever should operate Engine 1 and the right lever Engine 2. Watch the input indicators as well as the cockpit levers.
- Remove duplicate assignments. Keep the Xbox controller available for menus, but clear any throttle bindings that make it compete with the TCA quadrant.
Our broader TCA profile and control-mapping workflow for MSFS 2024 covers profile creation and the less obvious duplicate assignments.
Which throttle-axis bindings should you use?
For a twin-engine Airbus, bind the two levers as separate engine axes rather than assigning both to one generic throttle control.
- Left lever:
Throttle 1 Axis (0 to 100%) - Right lever:
Throttle 2 Axis (0 to 100%)
The precise labels can vary with the active control list, but the key distinction is Engine 1 versus Engine 2. If both cockpit throttles move together, one lever has probably been assigned to an all-engines throttle axis.
Use the 0-to-100% axes when reverse is handled by buttons, commands or the aircraft's own throttle configuration. Use a full-range axis only when the aircraft supports calibrating reverse within that same axis. Do not combine a full reverse axis with hold-or-toggle reverse commands, because the two methods can fight each other. We explain the choice in our guide to assigning reverse thrust without conflicting inputs.
How do you align the Airbus throttle detents?
The hardware detents and the simulated IDLE, CL, FLEX/MCT and TOGA positions must be calibrated after the quadrant is recognised. Where the aircraft provides its own throttle-calibration page, use that in preference to forcing every detent through a generic sensitivity curve.
Calibrate Engine 1 and Engine 2 independently. A common mistake is to adjust only one lever, leaving the other between detents or producing an asymmetric-thrust warning. Our separate-axis and Airbus detent calibration steps cover this stage in detail.
Leave the engine-master switches and any add-on flap or speed-brake modules on their default assignments initially. Their behaviour can differ between aircraft, whereas the two throttle axes should work consistently.
Why is the TCA quadrant not detected on Xbox?
A missing Xbox-compatible Sidestick X, the wrong platform mode or an incorrect cable route causes most detection failures.
- No device appears: verify that the quadrant is connected through a Sidestick X and that the selector was set to Xbox before connection.
- Sidestick works but quadrant does not: reseat the quadrant-to-sidestick connection, restart the simulator with the full set already connected and avoid an unpowered third-party hub.
- Only one engine responds: check that both per-engine axes are assigned and that neither lever is mapped to the generic all-throttles axis.
- Throttle moves backwards: reverse the affected axis once in the control binding. Do not invert it in both MSFS and the aircraft's calibration page.
- Levers jump between detents: add only a small neutral or dead zone around the affected position, then recalibrate the aircraft. Large dead zones reduce usable travel.
- Controls worked before an edit: return to the default TCA preset or make a fresh profile; a corrupted or heavily duplicated profile is often quicker to replace than repair.
If recognition remains intermittent, check the device firmware using the manufacturer's Windows utility. Firmware cannot normally be updated by the Xbox itself, but there is no need to update a working unit solely to alter an MSFS binding.