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

3

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.

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

1 Like
5

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.

1 Like
8

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

2 Likes
9

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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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.

1 Like
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.

1 Like
12

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.

1 Like
13

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.

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