CONTROLS & HARDWARE / VISUAL FIELD GUIDE
Set up and rescue your bindings
Back up a working layout and isolate detection, binding and axis problems.
01
STEP 1 OF 7
Export your working controls
Keep a return point before changing assignments.
- 1
Export your working controls
Use Options > Keybindings > your device > Advanced Controls Customization > Control Profiles > Save Control Settings.
What you should seeA named control-profile XML is saved in the selected game's mappings folder.
RSI control-profile management, updated 17 February 2026; checked 14 October 2026That did not happen
Keep a separate copy of the export. A control profile is not a backup of every game preference.
What do these words mean?
- Mappings folder
- Inside the selected installation: USER\Client\0\Controls\Mappings. Export names follow layout_YourName_exported.xml.
Read the complete guide as text
The same published instructions in one readable view. Use the steps above for controls and practice panels.
Export your working controls
Keep a return point before changing assignments.
Export your working controls
Use Options > Keybindings > your device > Advanced Controls Customization > Control Profiles > Save Control Settings.
Expected result: A named control-profile XML is saved in the selected game's mappings folder.
If it did not work: Keep a separate copy of the export. A control profile is not a backup of every game preference.
- Mappings folder
- Inside the selected installation: USER\Client\0\Controls\Mappings. Export names follow layout_YourName_exported.xml.
Identify one physical input
A game binding cannot repair missing hardware input.
Identify one physical input
In the device's own supported tester, move one axis and identify which controller and axis respond.
Expected result: Only the intended input moves, with a stable rest position and usable range.
If it did not work: Resolve connection or calibration problems in the device instructions first. Some connected accessories appear as axes of their host controller.
Assign one input to the correct device
Use the device selector before capturing an assignment. These menu steps follow CIG support updated 17 February 2026, rechecked 21 October; no current-build hands-on test is claimed.
Choose the device page
Open Options > Keybindings. Select Joystick / HOTAS at the lower right, then Advanced Controls Customization at the lower left. Use the lower-right peripheral ticker to select the device you intend to edit.
Expected result: The selected device page matches the input you are about to assign.
If it did not work: For two sticks or a separate throttle, check the device identity from the earlier identification step before editing another page.
Capture one assignment
Scroll to the intended action and left-click it to inspect any existing assignment. Double-click to capture, then operate only the intended input.
Expected result: The action shows the captured key or button assignment.
If it did not work: If another input was captured, right-click the selected action to unbind it and repeat with the intended input.
Resolve a listed conflict
Review the listed actions using the same input. Select through the conflicts and accept or change the assignment deliberately.
Expected result: You know which actions share the input and which assignment you retained.
If it did not work: If switching between mouse and joystick produces odd responses, compare their similar action and action-mode assignments. Do not use Reset to defaults as a first repair.
Check one axis direction
Direction, range and device order are different problems.
Check one axis direction
Observe the action at rest, through a small movement and at the far end; change only its inversion if direction alone is wrong.
Expected result: The axis operates in the intended direction with a predictable neutral state.
If it did not work: If input jumps or never reaches neutral, inspect calibration and the chosen axis type. A non-centering throttle stays where you leave it.
Tune one response setting
A deadzone and a response curve solve different problems.
Tune one response setting
After calibration, adjust only the affected deadzone or curve and compare the same small movement again.
Expected result: You can explain what the change improved.
If it did not work: Avoid universal sensitivity recipes. A large deadzone removes small inputs; changing several settings hides which one helped.
- Deadzone
- A region of input that the game ignores, commonly used around a noisy center.
- Curve
- The relationship between physical movement and the game response.
Identify a changed device order
A correct axis can belong to the wrong side of a two-device layout.
Identify a changed device order
If device roles swapped, compare the detected device identities with your saved assignments before changing bindings.
Expected result: You know whether the issue is order or an individual action.
If it did not work: RSI documents device inspection and an explicit index swap in its profile guide. Do not swap guessed indices repeatedly.
- Inspect in the documented console
- i_DumpDeviceInformation identifies devices. The documented console key is backtick/tilde; keyboard layouts can differ.
- Only swap confirmed indices
- pp_resortdevices joystick 1 2 exchanges those two assignments. Use it only when those indices match the identified problem.
Review a profile import
A profile can contain different devices or older actions.
Review a profile import
When importing a compatible XML through Control Profiles, review each input group in the assignment dialog.
Expected result: Only the intended groups are replaced.
If it did not work: Choose None for a group you want to preserve. Inspect movement and mode actions before relying on an older profile.
Sources & guide information
Device-page and assignment steps checked against CIG support 21 Oct 2026; documented February menus, not a gameplay test.. Reference information, not a claim of current-patch playtesting.
RSI control-profile management, updated 17 February 2026; checked 14 October 2026RSI peripheral keybindings, updated 17 February 2026; checked 14 October 2026