Learn MSFS 2024 cockpit interaction with a mouse or controller, choose Legacy or Lock mode, and fix knobs, switches and levers that do not respond.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, point at a cockpit control and use your device’s primary interaction input to operate it. With a mouse, click, scroll or drag; with a controller, enter cursor mode, highlight the control, select it and adjust it. Choose Legacy or Lock interaction to match your input method.
How do I operate cockpit controls in MSFS 2024?
- Choose an interaction style. Find
Cockpit Interaction Systemin the simulator’s accessibility or assistance settings. The precise menu position can move between updates, so use the settings search if necessary. - Return control to the pointer. Release any mouse-look or Freelook input before trying to click an instrument. With a controller, activate cursor mode using the binding assigned in your active controller profile.
- Point at the control. Hover over a switch, knob, button or lever. When tooltips are enabled, MSFS identifies the control and may show its present value and available inputs.
- Operate it. Mouse users can normally click buttons and switches, turn knobs with the wheel, and drag levers. Controller users highlight the control, select it, then use the displayed increase, decrease or movement prompts.
- Release the control and check the result. Confirm that the switch moved or the associated instrument value changed. A control can animate without producing an immediate display response if the aircraft lacks electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic power.
Button labels depend on the platform and selected profile. Xbox pilots can check our reference for the default Xbox controller inputs; customised profiles may use different combinations.
Should I use Legacy or Lock interaction mode?
Legacy is usually faster with a mouse, while Lock is generally easier with a controller. Changing this setting alters how you manipulate the virtual cockpit; it does not replace bindings assigned to a joystick, throttle quadrant or keyboard.
| Mode | Best suited to | How it works | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy | Mouse users | Direct clicking, wheel rotation and click-drag manipulation | Small or overlapping clickspots can be awkward |
| Lock | Controllers and users who prefer prompts | Highlights a control, captures it after selection, then uses assigned adjustment inputs | Operating a simple control may require an extra selection or release action |
Use Legacy if you want conventional desktop-style interaction. Choose Lock when you need clear highlighting, controller prompts or more deliberate selection. VR uses its own pointer and motion-controller workflow, covered in our VR cockpit-interaction instructions.
How do I operate knobs, levers and touchscreens?
Different cockpit components use different clickspots, and complex rotary controls are the most common source of confusion.
- Push-buttons and ordinary switches: click them in Legacy mode or highlight and select them in Lock mode.
- Rotary knobs: use the mouse wheel in Legacy mode. In Lock mode, select the knob and follow the displayed increase and decrease prompts.
- Concentric knobs: the inner and outer rings have separate hitboxes. Move the pointer towards the centre or edge and check the tooltip before adjusting it.
- Levers: click and drag along the lever’s direction of travel, or select it and use the prompted movement controls. Throttles with idle, reverse or cutoff detents may require a separate detent action.
- Cockpit touchscreens: select the on-screen item as if it were a physical button. The display must be powered and bright enough to read.
For tiny knobs, zooming in and shifting the pilot viewpoint often exposes the correct hitbox. Do not keep dragging when the tooltip identifies the wrong ring or function; release it and reposition the pointer first.
Why are cockpit switches or knobs not responding?
Most failed cockpit interactions come from captured camera input, the wrong controller profile or an overlapping clickspot rather than a broken aircraft.
- Exit Freelook. A mouse button held for camera movement captures the pointer, preventing it from operating instruments.
- Check cursor mode. Controller users must have the cockpit cursor active, while mouse users should ensure the pointer is inside the simulator window rather than an EFB or menu layer.
- Try the other interaction mode. Switching temporarily between Legacy and Lock reveals whether the problem is the interaction method or the aircraft itself.
- Verify the active device profile. Confirm that primary interaction, cursor movement, selection and cancel inputs are assigned and not duplicated across devices.
- Inspect the clickspot. Concentric knobs, guarded switches and three-position selectors often have several adjacent targets.
- Check aircraft power and state. A dark screen may need battery, external power, avionics or display brightness rather than another click.
- Look for hardware interference. A noisy or duplicated throttle, mixture or propeller axis can immediately pull a virtual lever back after you move it.
- Recognise non-functional controls. Some aircraft model switches that are decorative or labelled
INOP; no interaction mode can activate an unimplemented system.
If the mouse highlights controls but cannot move them, our mouse-control troubleshooting steps cover focus problems, interaction modes and conflicting bindings in more detail.
Can cockpit interaction and hardware controls be used together?
Yes. Use physical axes and buttons for frequently operated controls, then use cockpit interaction for less common switches, radios and avionics.
Assign each axis only where needed and remove accidental duplicates, especially for throttles, brakes, mixture and propeller controls. Our PC control-profile setup guide explains how to select the correct device, find conflicts and save a custom configuration.