Configuration guide for War Thunder with MOZA Flight hardware. Covers control setup for all game modes including Simulator Battles.

Simulator Battles Recommended: MOZA Flight hardware provides the most immersive experience in War Thunder's Simulator Battles mode, where full aircraft control and force feedback are utilized. In Arcade and Realistic modes, some force feedback features are limited by the game engine.

Initial Setup

  1. In MOZA Cockpit, select the War Thunder preset (if available) or start from a blank preset
  2. Launch War Thunder and go to Controls → Full-Real Controls (required for MOZA Flight hardware)
  3. Select Joystick as your primary input device
  4. Bind axes: pitch, roll, yaw (rudder pedals), throttle
  5. Bind weapon controls: fire cannons, fire machine guns, drop bombs, launch rockets
  6. Bind view controls: head movement or POV hat for looking around

Control Mode Selection

War Thunder has three control modes. MOZA Flight hardware requires Full-Real Controls for proper axis and force feedback functionality. Mouse Aim and Simplified modes do not support analog joystick input.

Recommended Bindings

Pitch / RollMain stick axes
YawRudder pedal axis or stick twist
ThrottleMTQ throttle axis
Fire Cannons / Machine GunsTwo-stage trigger or separate buttons
Drop Bomb / Fire RocketSeparate button — do not share with guns
FlapsFlaps Up / Flaps Down toggle
Look AroundPOV hat or head tracking

Force Feedback Notes

War Thunder's force feedback support varies by game mode and aircraft. In Simulator Battles, stick forces reflect control surface loading. Configure in MOZA Cockpit with moderate spring centering (50–60%) and low vibration. War Thunder does not provide telemetry force feedback — MOZA Cockpit uses the game's standard force feedback API.

Troubleshooting

MOZA base not recognized in War Thunder

Ensure you have selected Full-Real Controls mode. In the Controls menu, use the Joystick device dropdown to select your MOZA base. If still not visible, restart War Thunder with the base already connected and powered on. Verify the device appears in Windows Game Controllers first.

Stick feels heavy or unresponsive in Arcade mode

Arcade mode applies its own input processing that can conflict with MOZA Cockpit force feedback. Switch to Simulator Battles for the best force feedback experience. In MOZA Cockpit, reduce the Spring Centering setting if using Arcade or Realistic modes.