Controller Settings FAQ

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has newly designed UI for controller settings. In this FAQ, we will help you navigate through the new UI and how to set up your controllers. 

NOTE: Most of the common controllers will have profile set automatically. If this is not the case with your controller, you need to manually assign all functions to it. 

How to configure your controllers

First, you need to launch Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. It is not possible to configure your controllers outside of the simulator. After launching the simulator, navigate to settings in the top right corner and select "CONTROLS".

On the top left corner of the menu, you can see your selected aircraft. You can switch your selected aircraft by clicking on it with your mouse. This section allows you to select a plane for which you can then create custom controller profiles. You can find more about this later on this article.

On the left side, you will see all of your controllers that are connected to your PC and recognized by the simulator. You always need to select the controller from this list you wish to modify the bindings for, before making any changes to it. 

The Three Main Presets

Below the controller list, you can see "General Controls", "Aircraft Category Controls" and "Specific selected plane name controls" 

With each of the settings, you can select automatically created profiles or select a custom profile you have created by pressing the arrows to switch between different profiles. 

You can determine which commands are which from their label in the UI.

General controls: these keybinds apply to all aircraft in all scenarios.

Aircraft type controls: these keybinds apply anytime you are flying an aircraft that shares a common type (e.g. all airplanes, all helicopters, all gliders., etc)

Specific aircraft model controls (e.g. Cessna 172, Boeing 737 Max, Robinson R66): these keybinds apply only when flying that specific aircraft model and no others. For example, you can have different keybinds for a Guimbal Cabri G2 and Airbus H125 even though both are helicopters.

Each of these profiles can be duplicated, renamed, cleared or deleted by pressing the wheel next to the profile names.

Mapping Conflicts

If you are looking to determine if your mappings have any conflicts, look for a number next to it as shown below:

To see the specific commands the mapping conflicts with, click on the Gear icon.  On the screen that follows, you’ll see the other commands the button / key / switch is mapped to.

Filters

At the bottom of the page, you can see "Filters" option. Pressing this will change between None, Assigned and Essential and show the corresponding bindings for the selected controller. This is especially useful when you want to create your own profile from the automatically created profile and delete all unnecessary bindings. 

Searching Options

On the top middle of the screen, you can find magnifying glass that will allow you to search for any specific command you wish to bind to your controllers.

For example, you can search for "brake" or "autopilot" and this will show you all bindings that have the corresponding name on it. You can then easily map the desired function to your controller.

On the right side of the search bar, you can find "Search by input" box. This will allow you to check if button or axis on your controller is already mapped to a specific function. Press this button once and then press the button or move the axis on your controller. If you do not see any functions below, then the button or axis isn't mapped to anything. This is also a good way to check if you have any double mappings on your controller that could cause possible conflicts.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the controller inputs are separated in different categories. You can scroll through the categories and select each to see what subcategories and functions are available to be mapped for your controllers. If you only see mapped categories or partial categories, make sure your Filters is set to None.

With Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, you have more control over controller settings and you can map almost every single function that can be manipulated with the mouse in the cockpit to your controller.

For example, you can map your Airbus battery switches, fuel switches or autopilot functions to the buttons on your controller, as long as the controller is recognized by the simulator. 

On the right side of the screen, you can find detailed description of each of the features you can map by hovering over the feature with your mouse.

Below the description box, you can find "Hardware settings". Pressing this menu, will allow you to adjust the sensitivity of your controllers. Always make sure to first select the correct controller before adjusting any of these settings and also make sure you adjust the correct axis on your controller. 

Managing your controller profiles while flying

You can access the controller settings while flying from the pause menu and selecting "Settings" and selecting "Controls" or by activating the toolbar and selecting the controller image from the toolbar.