AI "Pilot" Engages in Cursor Mode and Messes Up Flight

Bug Reporting Hub Aircraft & Systems
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ISSUE DESCRIPTION

Description of the issue: When you fly any aircraft by hand (autopilot is not engaged) with the Xbox controller / gamepad, and engage Cursor Mode, an AI pilot takes over control and completely messes up the flight. This can be anything from full throttle to no throttle at all, random direction changes, etc.

In MSFS 2020, there was an assistance setting to turn AI piloting OFF in Cursor Mode. MSFS 2024 does NOT have such a setting, and the AI pilot turns on every time you engage Cursor Mode and makes unacceptable maneuvers. This makes the simulator unflyable on Xbox, because you can’t operate any instruments without the AI pilot messing up the flight.

This bug applies to both Career Mode and Free Flight (and I assume every other game mode).

[PC Only] Did you remove all your community mods/add-ons? If yes, are you still experiencing the issue? N/A

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

How often does this occur for you (Example: Just once, every time on sim load, intermittently)?

Every time.

REPRODUCTION STEPS

Please list clear steps you took in order to help our test team reproduce the same issue:

  1. Start a flight in any aircraft (C172 for example) and take off. Fly by hand.
  2. Engage Cursor Mode with the gamepad (RB + Left Click by default).
  3. See how the AI takes over and does random things.

YOUR SETTINGS

If the issue still occurs with no mods and add-ons, please continue to report your issue. If not, please move this post to the User Support Hub.

What peripherals are you using, if relevant: Xbox Wireless Controller

[PC Only] Are you using Developer Mode or have you made any changes to it? N/A

[PC, MSFS 2020 Only] Are you using DX11 or DX12? N/A

[PC Only] What GPU (Graphics Card) do you use? N/A

[PC Only] What other relevant PC specs can you share? N/A

MEDIA

:link: DIRECT LINK TO VIDEO

[END OF FIRST USER REPORT]

:loudspeaker: For anyone who wants to contribute on this issue, Click on the button below to use this template:

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?
•

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:
•

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:
•

2

I have the exact same issue. I don’t want help from the AI I turned it off so why are they still trying to help me when I go in cursor mode? It goes from max throttle to banking left to pitching up uncontrollably. Please fix this

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It’s not even helping. If only it just kept the plane level, I wouldn’t complain. But it actively ruins the flight by either pushing or pulling the throttle to idle (the latter can be seen in my video), and jerks the yoke almost fully in a direction. At least in 2020, this AI piloting was there to keep to the flight plan while Cursor Mode was active. Now it just wants to crash or overstress the plane.

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4

I have the same issueim on Xbox series X and its just crazy to see this happen always when enter cursor mode. If you use like me s Xbox Controller for cursor too it can make flying a pain in the â– â– â– . Plz asobo Microsoft look into this. We need this fixed asap. And to other ppl make some noise. Im sure many ppl with Xbox Controller only noticed this crazy issue

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I have experienced this issue as well, particularly with the iniBuilds A321LR and A320 aircraft. When autopilot is engaged and cursor mode is activated, the aircraft’s engines either throttle to maximum or idle unexpectedly. During takeoff, activating cursor mode to respond to ATC can interfere with the flaps and speed, suggesting it conflicts with the autopilot systems.

Even after deactivating cursor mode, the issue seems to persist. The aircraft often exhibits subtle side-to-side swaying and deviates slightly from the intended flight path, indicating a continued struggle between the AI Copilot and autopilot systems.

Additionally, this problem extends to ILS landings. On every flight, regardless of weather conditions, the glideslope (GS) and localizer (LOC) disconnect at a few hundred feet above the runway. This is followed by the aircraft abruptly throttling to maximum and pitching violently upwards, with no clear indication on the primary flight display (PFD) to explain the behavior.

What adds to the confusion is that the autoland feature of the Airbus models worked flawlessly in the 2020 simulator, making it difficult to understand why these issues have arisen in the 2024 version. Based on these observations, it seems that the AI Copilot remains partially active even after cursor mode is disengaged, leading to these problems.

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Heads up: I have moved your topic to the Aircraft & Systems category.

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I am also having this issue and it is an absolute nightmare. It makes flying with the Xbox controller virtually impossible. I fly exclusively airliners and so as you can imagine, need to spend a lot of time in cursor mode. It completely messes up the flight but either going TOGA or idle. If I’m on approach with my speed set and need to go into cursor mode to adjust my speed break for example, it will slam the plane into toga. On takeoff if I need to turn off my taxi and runway turnoff lights shortly after lifting up, it will go idle. I was going mad thinking I had mistakenly bound cursor mode to something else but this thread has confirmed it’s a bug. MICROSOFT PLEASE FIX

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And another thing… the cursor doesn’t disappear like it did in 2020 when I hold LB to enter freelook in the cockpit. This makes manoeuvring the camera very difficult.

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10

Yeah the only way to operate the cursor and not mess up the flight is when the aircraft is on autopilot. When you hand-fly any aircraft you can’t open the Cursor Mode, otherwise the “AI” will do crazy things immediately. This should be completely removed from the simulator, or have an option like in 2020 about whether we want AI copiloting while in Cursor Mode or not.

3 Likes
11

It appears that activating cursor mode in the A320 and A321LR, even with autopilot engaged, disrupts the autopilot’s functionality. After enabling cursor mode, for instance, to respond to ATC, the autopilot begins to sway the aircraft from side to side, even in calm weather conditions, and struggles to maintain or follow the designated flight path.

It seems that deactivating cursor mode does not fully resolve the issue, as the system either remains partially engaged or the logic of the autopilot becomes confused by its interaction with cursor mode. This behavior suggests a potential conflict in how the aircraft’s systems are designed to operate.

Theoretically, providing an option to toggle the AI Copilot functionality within cursor mode or clarifying that the issues are distinct could resolve the problem. However, with the simulator currently facing numerous bugs, it is difficult to determine when this specific issue might be addressed.

2 Likes
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Yes my issues are very much happening with autopilot engaged. This one really is a huge bug for us Xbox controller users. I do worry that there are so many bugs (such as this one) that might go under Asobo’s radar because before this, I hadn’t seen a single other post about it. But fixing it is crucial to be able to play.

There are other annoying bugs for Xbox too. The EFB is virtually unusable. My last used toolbar option, e.g. the camera panel pops back up on screen after exiting cursor mode and blocks my view. My tiller turning occasionally locks on one side for no apparent reason leaving me only able to steer forwards (and yes I do have the rudder controls tiller option ticked). My whole sim freezes every time I exit a free flight forcing me to dashboard. I have no option to turn off ground aircraft traffic. Multiplayer doesn’t work and everyone vanishes after a couple minutes of loading in. And the graphics on Xbox… where to even start. In a Cessna they look beautiful. In any sort of airliner, the ground is just completely blurred. Ground objects and people are just blobs. It looks 1000% worse than 2020 ever did.

The sim has so much potential and despite the bugs and issues I am enjoying it. But my god does it need a lot of work on Xbox.

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I must say, I could almost overlook the poor LOD (Level of Detail) scaling when using an airliner if it were at least possible to complete a flight from A to B without having to expect a bug to disrupt the experience at some point. Additionally, the EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) is essentially unusable on Xbox. You cannot search for anything, as the on-screen keyboard resets every time it is closed, causing the search results to disappear.

Filing a flight plan with ATC presents its own set of issues. Either the option to request IFR isn’t provided, or if it is, ATC assigns a cruising altitude of 1,600 feet for an airliner. I’ve ensured the altitude is correctly configured before filing the flight plan, so this is clearly a flaw in the system.

As for the much-publicized live boat traffic, wildlife, and ground enhancements, these features are effectively pointless on Xbox. Boats, for example, only render properly when you’re within 2–3 meters, at which point they stop resembling LEGO-style objects.

It’s frustrating because, as others have noted, when everything aligns, and the sim functions as intended, it can be breathtaking. Flying smaller planes, like the Cessna 172, truly showcases the visual improvements over 2020. However, some of the most memorable experiences in 2020 came from the stunning approaches into airports, which are noticeably absent in 2024. For me, this is due to a combination of wrangling AI co-pilot issues or arriving at airports that resemble “Legoland” or a Minecraft-inspired design, completely undermining the purpose of these touted upgrades.

I understand it’s still early days for 2024, but I sincerely hope these Xbox issues are neither overlooked nor deprioritized, as the PC user base tends to be far more vocal. This is just my perspective—rant over.

2 Likes
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Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?
• Yes

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:
• Also occurs in the A320N, A321LR, A400M and Beluga XL. Also occurs with the autopilot engaged in these aircraft.

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:

Takeoff from Runway 24L at LIRN. This video shows how when using the cursor mode in any capacity during this phase it’s like the AI Copilot is trying to retract or change the flaps and mess with the throttle as seen my the flickering on the PFD.

This is shortly after the first video I linked to you. Showing that basically without fail activating the cursor mode causes something or someone to mess with the throttle.

This is when I had just got cruise on the short test flight to capture this footage, again activating cursor mode to do anything causes the throttles to TOGA themselves without fail. So any cursor mode usage has to be quick if you don’t want to begin overspending or stalling depending on what it decides to do.

This video shows the prior setup and capture of GS and LOC and activating autopilot 2 for the DUAL ILS approach, checked to make sure the throttle was correct as you mentioned, just to make sure it hasn’t been pilot error this entire time I’m hoping it’s not lol

This video shows the final approach into LIRF 16L just after capturing the LOC and GS and descending smoothly with the CAT 3 DUAL landing, also again checked the throttle detent to make sure it was correctly positioned, as stated previously at the last moment after the PFD transitions to LAND mode it suddenly pitches up and deactivates autopilot and goes TOGA. Again not entirely sure if I’m doing something wrong, it’s a bug simulator side, or aircraft side.

1 Like
15

Due to this bug the Airbuses are unflyable on Xbox. Even with the autopilot engaged, if you enter Cursor Mode then the AI intervenes and tries to fight the autopilot for control. You can see the aircraft jerk in a direction when you enable Cursor Mode. This is absolutely ridiculous.

3 Likes
16

Yeah the option to toggle AI Copilot isn’t even available like in the 2020 sim. Yet there’s a keybinding for “delegate controls to copilot” which is why I’m almost certain the AI Copilot is what’s making the iniBuilds Airbuses to be uncontrollable and causing the final approach failures that I’ve had.

2 Likes
18

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?
•

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:
•

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:
• I have the same issue with any flight, career or free flight mode when the cursor is engaged when flying to adjust cockpit instruments or to answer atc it immediately revs my throttle completely full and screws up my flight. This most irritating when you’re coming into a traffic pattern at your destination airport and trying to answer atc on all the pattern positions including on final approach and messes up your final approach speed and pitches up abruptly! Please fix this bug! I feel cheeted when i purchased the MSFS2024 premium deluxe version and I’m struggling to fly in any mode! Very disappointed in the mass of bug issues in xbox series x version!

19

This is a very severe bug. It really makes using the controller to interact with the cockpit impossible. It needs to be on their highest priority to fix list or the sim is unusable.

1 Like
20

Just seen that this is bug logged which means it’s at least on their radar which is awesome, giving the toggle back to turn that AI Copilot off will literally solve the issue, as I did some test flights where I literally didn’t use the cursor at all lol I just used the free look to directly look at everything, cumbersome but worth the test, and as I guessed when avoiding cursor mode altogether the bugged aircraft landings and movements in throttle etc. didn’t occur, but will be super happy if they can add an option back to disable it as it was in 2020 as yeah using a controller with any sort of comfort you need to use cursor mode haha

2 Likes
21

Did a few test flights with the A320N after installing the SU1 beta with the Xbox Series X. Fortunately it seems the random throttle and flaps movements when using cursor mode is fixed. But rather unfortunately the bug where everything disconnects and pitches hard upwards after entering LAND mode on the PFD during an ILS CATIII DUAL landing still occurs :sob: small steps though at least it’s going in the right direction.

22

Cool. How do you install a beta update on the Xbox??