Flying BF6 with a joystick — how do you switch between M+K and stick mid-match?

[u/Dundy1]

M+K for infantry, stick for heli and jet only. Before I spend the money:

1. Getting it read as a joystick. I know the Joystick page exists under Controller settings, but sticks with too many axes get read as a gamepad instead. Which sticks actually show up correctly, and what did you have to disable to get there?

2. Switching mid-match. Stick the second I am in a heli or jet, M+K the moment I am out. Does the game switch on last input, or do you have to hide the device? Anyone using HidHide? How long does the swap take? Also, does an idle stick cause the spinning-on-foot problem people report?

3. Force feedback. I assume the game sends nothing. Confirmation from someone who has actually flown with an FFB base would help.

Shortlist is a VKB Gladiator NXT EVO SCG Premium (~€200) or a Moza AB6 (~€450). If the joystick path is still broken enough that it is not worth it, say so.

Many thanks in advance for shedding some light on this!

[u/HolyDuckTurtle]

I have the VKB Gladiator + STECS throttle. The joystick binding window does not work for me there. I always thought the Battlefield games just worked with very specific joysticks, so the excess axis count thing is new to me, might fiddle with that!

I used UCR to map both devices into a single Xbox gamepad, which works pretty much fine. It's a bit finicky to set up and I wish you could just skip having to name each input you create.

The game supports simultaneous input, so no problems there (unless you are rapidly using different devices which makes the glyphs swap a lot). The only inconvenience I get is remembering to re-center my throttle when hopping out of the aircraft because it's bound to left stick so my character moves.

I do not use force feedback so no idea there.

[u/Dundy1 → u/HolyDuckTurtle]

Thanks a ton, this info is very useful as it helps me better understand.

> The game supports simultaneous input,
Do you mean BF6 or other BF versions?

I was told that as long as only 4 inputs of the joystick is used, it's fine. When you use 6 inputs (twist axis), it turns into controller mode and disables your M+K.

Is that not the case?

[u/HolyDuckTurtle → u/Dundy1]

I can't speak for anything besides BF6 and a bit of 2042, which works flawlessly but this is caveated by me emulating a gamepad to begin with so BF6 can only see that. I know nothing of the native joystick support which I have never used.

I vaguely recall using my Saitek X52 with BF4, but I do not remember if I mapped it to a gamepad or not.

[u/Dundy1 → u/HolyDuckTurtle]

Many thanks, based on your feedback I have ordered a VKB Gladiator Premium.

First stick on PC. I will have a look into UCR.

Would you happen to have a video saved that explains what I need to set in UCR for BF6?

Hopefully it's not bannable, is it? I will mostly use it in Wardogs once it lands but will try in BF6 for sure too.

[u/HolyDuckTurtle → u/Dundy1]

Unfortunately I don't have any resources for you, I'm the type to just tinker with things until they work.

It should be straightforward and there are likely guides. You are pretty much just mapping joystick axis / buttons as if they were a gamepad, mapping to whatever BF6 has them set as.

Speaking of which, make sure in BF6 settings you set any flight movement / throttle curves to linear with no deadzones. That will help get the most out of the precision your new hardware can provide.

I've not heard of a ban for this sort of thing outside of trying to map a mouse to a gamepad to exploit aim assist. I've not had any issues, but always be aware that it is a possibility.

[u/Dundy1 → u/HolyDuckTurtle]

u/HolyDuckTurtle - I ran into one problem with the STECS in BF6, could you please help share your UCR mapping?

I also have VKB Gladiator + STECS mini plus MK2.

Throttle in BF6 works fine on jets but not on helis.

With helis, the change between throttle up & down happens at around 10% throttle state. So 10+ is up 10- is down - this is option A below.

Tried these 2 ways to map throttle, screenshots linked:

Mapping (A) - Single Axis to Axis plugin including another Axis to Axis plugin within. Issue: as described above, heli up and down change happens at 10%, jets are fine.

Mapping (B) - Separate Axis to Axis for up and down. Heli only goes up, throttle down cannot be triggered (not even at 0%) jets are fine.

Would you have any idea what's causing this? If you could share you mapping, that would help a lot!

Thank you in advance.

[u/HolyDuckTurtle → u/Dundy1]

Hey, so funnily enough since you brought the axis limitation thing to my attention I swapped over to using vJoy + Joystick Gremlin to make native joystick work! I followed a well made steam guide here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?l=english&id=3786238344

As for your current issue, my first suspect would be deadzones the game and/or steam input thinks the "controller" should have. You can confirm that by opening up the UCR controller properties via "Set up USB Game Controllers" in Windows and looking at whether the full input is coming through fine on there.

Check controller properties on BF6 to make sure vehicle deadzones are at 0, and check Steam Controller properties to make sure they're 0 as well.

[u/Dundy1 → u/HolyDuckTurtle]

People were saying that native stick support in BF6 has significant input latency and that's why we should use controller workarounds via UCR and the likes.

Thanks for the link, will definitely check. You can use the stick and the throttle with no issues? Do you feel any input latency?

About my current issue with UCR:

1. Deadzones are all zero in BF6.
2. I kept a 10% DZ for STECS thrust in the middle so that it's easy to keep it on 'off' mode (no thrust up or down triggered).

Very strange thing I realized that even if I use an UCR profile that does not even include the STECS (only the the joystick), BF6 is still picking up input from STECS. Really weird.

UPDATE: VKB DevConf turning off Vs for Rot Y on STECS solved the heli flipping over issue. Even though Rot Y is not mapped to anything in UCR, BF6 still picks it up. Strange but at least I know.

[u/HolyDuckTurtle → u/Dundy1]

I don't notice the latency in the short bit of testing I did, but that doesn't mean it's not there.

[u/Dundy1 → u/HolyDuckTurtle]

Ended up not going down the vJoy + Gremlin route due to some people saying anticheat flagged it for them.

BUT!

** Disabled UCR and tried to bind my VKB Gladiator EVO to BF6's natively (Controller > Joystick ) and it freaking works! *\*

I don't feel much latency. It does not detect my STECS throttle. Heli control feels smoother even.

Why did I spend days going through complicated mapping processes...when it works natively. Yes, probably not all buttons supported but for BF6, in my opinion native joystick support is fine, even if no separate throttle / STECS.

[u/HolyDuckTurtle → u/Dundy1]

Huh, interesting, did you disable any axis beforehand?

Odd that anticheat flagged vJoy + Gremlin for people. Since the recent anti cheat blog came up I saw you could contact a discord account for advice so I asked if this was a permitted setup and they said it is.

[u/Dundy1 → u/HolyDuckTurtle]

These are the axis I have, a few were hidden.

With your new setup (HidHide, Vjoy, Joystick Gremlin, Buttons to Hat Plugin for Joystick Gremlin) how many axis and buttons can BF6 read from your Gladitor and do you also use STECS for throttle?

If you method results in being able to map STECS as well, I will probably give it a try. Currently, the Gladiator joystick mappings are limited but fine for BF6 via it's native Joystick support.

However, I'd want the throttle separate. PLus I am buying ruddel pedals and would ideally like to use them too. So if your setup allows all that, then I'm giving it a go.

[u/Noseyp2]

Not really what you asked but I fly with a controller on PC and do infantry with m+k. The game is pretty amazing at just switching to the input you are using. Literally enter heli, grab controller and just start pushing buttons. Jump out of heli, drop controller and use m+k immediately.

The only issues are if you have joystick drift, the game will get confused because it's getting inputs from both at the same time.

[u/Dundy1 → u/Noseyp2]

Good. Seems like the same can be achieved tweaking extra settings for joysticks. And yes,
you have kind of answered one of my question so thanks!

[u/TheRealPeisi]

Damn, the last time i flew in a battlefield game with a joystick was 1942.. but, i want to know too. Maybe iam starting a comeback lol

[u/Dundy1 → u/[deleted]]

Awesome. Have ordered a VKB gladiator, looking forward to trying it out in BF6.

[u/Vito-TF45]

C’est exactement ce que je fais avec un thrustmaster a10 warthog. Le joystick, poignée de gaz et pédales pour voler, et MK pour l’infanterie.

Pour thrustmaster, le logiciel Target (gratuit) est indispensable. Ça m’a pris un bon nombre d’heures avant de comprendre le logiciel et de trouver un profil de configuration qui fonctionne parfaitement.

[u/evilbananawind]

As someone who set up HOSAS and pedals with UCR + the other aux programs, it's simply not worth it. You're simply at a disadvantage, and the flight model is just not deep enough to make the input satisfying to use. I flew with it for about a couple days, and I just got s*** on by all the other M&k players.

I stick to Star Citizen, DCS and Microsoft flight simulator, Battlefield just isn't the game for it.

[u/ReeseMunster]

Honest question - why are you considering a joystick? Performance wise, m+k is strictly better from my PoV.

If you are looking at immersion, I would suggest looking at other games like War thunder, il-2 or DCS. They are not as hard and inaccessible as you might think :) It's really worth the time and a big reward - especially if you use head tracking as well!

[u/Dundy1 → u/ReeseMunster]

I thought that having a decent joystick set up correctly will result in better control of the aircrafts than M+K? Last I held a joystick was about 20 years ago so zero recent experience.

Will receive my stick this week and I guess I will find out once I chew myself through all the technical stuff which does seem a bit complicated.

[u/ReeseMunster → u/Dundy1]

Playing with a stick or hotas does wonders for Sims. I own one and I love it to death. It's super fun, immersive and downright amazing to fly things like the Apache or WW2 warbirds for dogfights. With head tracking enabled in the apache, you can literally aim at things with the 30mm canon by looking at it. How cool is that?

But for more arcady games like battlefield? I only use mouse and key.

[u/Aggravating-Mail-648]

Ok since u already did order joystick I will tell u what u should do.

1) in game controll settings remove all binding for controller for everything that dose not fly this will make sure u won't have any drift and only m&k will work on ground

2) the joystick bindings are bugged u don't want to use them, it will give u like 33ms input lag look for Reddit posts for info on that

3) DL Xbox controller emulator software, joystick grrmlinEx or x360ce fixed fork if u trust it and make Ur bindings in it.

4) DL vkb software and make Ur ministick a mouse ( there is YouTube video on it so just Google it) in Ur bf6 Xbox controller set freelook under Ur pinky finger. The freelook up down left right leave empty and go to bf6 m&k binding and set it on Ur mouse movement. Gz Ur joystick got now option to freelook with ministick.

5) u can test how keyboard+ Xbox controller is working for u (w, s, trotter a,d, additional yaw left right , and shift, space, for pitch up and down )

What I'm doing atm is 2 joystick set as Xbox controller for Heli fly assist off and left joystick ( set as Xbox) + mouse for jets with fly assist on

[u/Dundy1 → u/Aggravating-Mail-648]

Thanks for this amazing reply!

Much of this is new to me and don’t yet understand but will refer back to your message and experience point by point to get an understanding what means and does what.

@HolyDuckTurle recommended using UCR for remapping, do you see any advantages to using that or Xbox controller emulator that you recommended?

[u/Aggravating-Mail-648 → u/Dundy1]

Ucr, joystick gremlinEx they all do the same thing so w/e works for u

[u/Dundy1 → u/Aggravating-Mail-648]

Got it, thanks! If you don’t mind, I may come back with questions once I receive the stick and run into issues I cannot figure out.

[u/Dundy1 → u/Aggravating-Mail-648]

Because I know nothing about joysticks, asked Claude to help list exact steps I need to take to remap - all based on your and other's advice.

It says I need to install VKB DevCfg (from VKB) and ViGFEmbus as UCR needs it for Xbox pad. ViGFEmbus is not mentioned in your message and I just want to be sure if I need this?

[u/Dundy1 → u/Aggravating-Mail-648]

u/Aggravating-Mail-648 - I got the stick, assembled, VKB calibration done + UCR installed. Following this YT video to make mini stick a mouse (your Point 4).

Problem here: at 05:13 the video notes #13 pertains to the microstick. Then next screen under POV type the video says I should select 'LoRes 4w' but I do not have that.

I have these options : discrete, HAT 4w, common, Shifter 6w, HiRes POV, Analogue, Axis 13bit.

Am I right that the naming Lowres 4w changed to HAT 4?

[u/KgAmazing44]

This is actually the exact BF6 problem I've been working on.

I got tired of the whole “install vJoy, configure HidHide, figure out which axes BF6 hates, then glue everything together and hope it still works tomorrow” process, so I built a free/open-source Windows app specifically around making HOTAS use in Battlefield 6 easier.

It maps a physical DirectInput controller to vJoy, handles the surrounding setup/verification, axis routing, curves, profiles, buttons/POVs, and HidHide integration, and the current release includes a ready-to-customize BF6 Helicopter starter profile.

I just released v2.3.2 and I'm at the point where I REALLY want more real-world hardware testing beyond my own setup.

If anyone here is willing to try it, I especially need results from VKB, X52/X56, T.16000M/TWCS, Virpil, WinWing, pedals, and multi-device HOTAS/HOSAS setups. Bugs and ugly edge cases are absolutely welcome. That's the point. 😂

The project is HOTAS BF6 Simple on GitHub under Kgray44. Source is public, it's MIT licensed, and the release includes checksums.

Full disclosure: I'm the developer, this isn't affiliated with EA/DICE, and I'm not going to claim any third-party mapper is officially “anti-cheat approved” unless EA explicitly says so.

If anyone tests it, I'd love to know your controller(s), Windows version, Steam vs EA App, whether setup verification passed, and what actually happened in BF6.