Xbox controller/mouse mapping to use full autopilot in the Airbus A320neo

A320neo “full autopilot” on Xbox controller + mouse

Gerhard, on Xbox you can absolutely run the A320neo’s autopilot “fully,” but the big reality is that most of the Airbus automation is done on the FCU and MCDU with the mouse (or the in-sim cursor), not via tons of controller bindings. The controller is best used for “core flight” + a few key AP actions.

My practical setup (works well with mouse for the cockpit panels)

1) Keep the Xbox controller focused on flying + a few AP essentials

• Sticks/triggers: your normal pitch/roll/yaw/throttle (whatever you’re already comfortable with)
• One button for Autopilot Master (AP1 on Airbus, but in bindings it’s typically just “Autopilot On/Off” / “AP Master”)
• One button for Auto Throttle (often shows as “Auto Throttle Arm” / “Auto Throttle On/Off”)
• One button for Heading Hold / Heading mode (optional, but handy if you want a quick “get stable” button)
• One button for Altitude Hold (optional)
• One button for Approach mode (useful for ILS)
• One button for Flight Director toggle (optional, but can help when hand flying departures)

That’s usually enough to cover 95% of “I need the airplane to do a thing right now” without turning the controller into a keyboard.

2) Use the mouse for Airbus-specific “real” operation
The A320’s “full” automation flow is typically:

• Mouse: set speed/heading/altitude/VS (FCU knobs and push/pull actions)
• Mouse: manage the MCDU (flight plan, PERF pages, INIT, etc.)
• Controller button: AP on/off if needed quickly

On Xbox especially, mapping push/pull logic of the Airbus knobs to controller buttons can be more hassle than it’s worth. Clicking the knobs is faster and less error-prone.

3) Make sure you’re not fighting assistance options
If you’re seeing the airplane not behaving “Airbus-like” when you try to use automation, it’s often because some assists are partially flying the aircraft.

• Turn off (or at least reduce) piloting assists that can conflict with AP/AT behavior.
• Also check you don’t have duplicate bindings (e.g., two devices both sending elevator trim, throttle, etc.).

4) One small but important Airbus tip
If you’re trying to “use full autopilot” like the real thing, the biggest win is: do the mode selections on the FCU with the mouse and let the automation do the rest. A lot of folks try to brute-force it with generic “ALT hold / HDG hold” bindings and then wonder why it doesn’t match Airbus logic.

A couple targeted questions so I can suggest a tighter mapping

• Which A320neo are you using on Xbox (the default Airbus, or another variant available in your install)?
• Are you using a keyboard as well, or strictly Xbox controller + mouse?
• What’s your main pain point right now: selecting managed vs selected modes on the FCU (push/pull), entering the MCDU, or just not having enough buttons for AP/AT/APP, etc.?

If you tell me those three, I can suggest a clean “minimal buttons, maximum Airbus automation” layout that fits how you actually fly (IFR airliner vs casual).