Free!MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 11/12 · Windows/Linux

Force feedback for the Microsoft SideWinder FFB2 in MSFS 2024 and X-Plane.

FFB-Bridge is a free force-feedback app for the Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2 / SideWinder FFB2 joystick. It reads live telemetry from Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or X-Plane 11/12 and drives the stick's motors on Windows and Linux. Everything stays on your machine: no app account, no telemetry, no cloud.

Version 1.0.0-beta.10 · 34 MB (Win) / 40 MB (Linux)

Requires a SideWinder Force Feedback 2 joystick (VID 045E PID 001B). Not currently compatible with other sticks. Download and trust details.

Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2 joystick next to a laptop running the FFB-Bridge app
The App

The same clean, modern interface on Windows and Linux.

FFB-Bridge Dashboard showing live sim telemetry and SideWinder FFB2 force output

Dashboard

Live telemetry on the left, force-output meters on the right. Arm + sim + device + mode + profile in the persistent top strip.

FFB-Bridge Tuning page with force-effect sliders for MSFS and X-Plane

Tuning

Every slider applies on the next 50 Hz tick. Saves per aircraft.

FFB-Bridge Profiles page for saved SideWinder FFB2 tuning values

Profiles

A saved set of tuning values. Starter presets included.

FFB-Bridge Diagnostics page with runtime metrics, logs, and support-bundle export

Diagnostics

Session metrics plus a rolling event log. Export a support bundle in one click.

FFB-Bridge Doctor page checking SideWinder FFB2 hardware and simulator reachability

Doctor

On-demand checks against the device, sim reachability, and runtime health.

FFB-Bridge Mock Sim page bench-testing force feedback without a flight simulator running

Mock Sim

Bench-test the whole pipeline from sliders, with no sim running.

Features

Effects the pipeline ships with.

Every value is local: no servers, no telemetry. Dial them in from the Tuning page, save as a named profile per aircraft.

Centring spring, G-loaded.

The spring pulling your stick toward neutral stiffens as G-load increases. Same behaviour a real stick exhibits under load. Adjustable base coefficient, G-gain, and min/max clamps.

Aerodynamic loading on elevator and aileron.

Deflect the stick at cruise and feel it press back proportional to airspeed. Separate gains for pitch and roll, both adjustable from the Tuning page.

Ground effects, buffets, one-shots.

Runway rumble scaled to surface type and speed. Gear bumps. Brake shudder. Stall buffet that builds as airspeed decays. Mach buffet at high-altitude cruise. Gear-deploy and flap-step shudders. Engine rumble gated on combustion state. Fourteen effects total; each has its own gain slider.

Compatibility

What works today.

Joystick

Hardware

Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2 only (VID 045E PID 001B). No driver install needed on modern Windows or Linux. The stick uses the built-in HID-PID class driver.

Not currently compatible with other sticks.
Simulators

Sims

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 via SimConnect TCP. X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 via UDP RREF. Both auto-detected at startup; use whichever you like.

MSFS 2020 untested. DCS, P3D, FS2004 not supported.
Platforms

OS

Windows 10 version 1809 or later. Any modern Linux with evdev (tested on CachyOS, Ubuntu, Fedora, NixOS). Both installers bundle the .NET 10 runtime. Nothing else to install.

Per-user install on both platforms. No admin/sudo required.
Setup Paths

Start with the path that matches your rig.

Exact guides for the hardware, simulator, operating system, and comparison questions SideWinder FFB2 owners usually search for.

App hub

Microsoft SideWinder FFB2 joystick app

Start here if you are looking for the FFB2 app, then jump to your sim or operating system guide.

Open the SideWinder FFB2 joystick app hub
Hardware

Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2

Compatibility notes, VID/PID, naming variants, and what is not supported yet.

SideWinder FFB2 compatibility
MSFS 2024

SideWinder FFB2 in MSFS 2024

SimConnect setup summary, force behavior, and common MSFS connection caveats.

Set up SideWinder FFB2 force feedback in MSFS 2024
X-Plane

SideWinder FFB2 in X-Plane 12

UDP RREF setup for X-Plane 11/12, including native Linux notes.

Use the Microsoft SideWinder FFB2 with X-Plane 12
Windows

SideWinder FFB2 on Windows 11

DirectInput, SmartScreen, Smart App Control, and pid.dll stability notes.

Install FFB-Bridge on Windows 11 for SideWinder FFB2
Linux

SideWinder FFB2 on Linux

evdev force feedback, udev permissions, AppImage setup, and sim caveats.

Run SideWinder FFB2 force feedback on Linux with evdev
Pricing

Free now. Free at 1.0.

The beta you download today is free. Version 1.0, when it lands, will also be fully free. Every feature on this page ships to every user, forever. No trial clock, no feature flags, no asterisks.

Free, the whole app

Everything you've seen here.

  • All fourteen force effects, every slider, every profile you save locally.
  • Both simulators (MSFS 2024, X-Plane 11/12).
  • Windows and Linux, self-contained installers.
  • Updates through 1.0 and beyond.
  • Local-only by design. No app account required.
Maybe later, a paid add-on

Nothing is decided.

We're thinking about a paid tier on top of the free app for pilots who want more than the defaults. Early ideas we're turning over:

  • A larger (or unlimited) local profile library.
  • Profile sharing: publish a tune, subscribe to one a friend made.
  • Cloud sync so your profiles follow you between machines.
  • A curated community library of aircraft-specific presets.
  • Telemetry / force-trace recording you can replay and compare.

Still very early. None of this is promised, none of it is on a roadmap. If we can't build a paid tier that feels genuinely worth paying for, we won't ship one. Whatever happens on that side, the free app stays free.

Questions

Frequently asked.

Why?

Because I wanted my stick to work. I've been simming for years and always missed how good the force feedback was back in the day. Still had the FFB2 in a drawer, so I built this to make it work again.

Why a beta?

FFB-Bridge is a solo project, built for simmers by a simmer. The beta exists to put the force model in front of a wider range of aircraft and flying styles than one workbench can cover.

Everyone tunes a stick differently, and different airframes load it differently. Once feedback settles we'll freeze it as 1.0.

What if I don't own a SideWinder FFB2?

Then this isn't for you yet. The bridge is hardcoded to that stick's USB VID/PID, and the force model is tuned to its motor characteristics. Support for other force-feedback sticks is on the "maybe 1.1" list. No promises.

People also search for this stick as MSFFB2, Microsoft FFB2, SideWinder FF2, SideWinder FFB II, or FFB v2 joystick.

Does this work on Windows 11?

Yes. FFB-Bridge supports Windows 10 version 1809 or later, including Windows 11. The SideWinder FFB2 uses the built-in HID-PID / DirectInput driver, so there is no separate Microsoft joystick driver to install.

Does this work on Linux?

Yes. Linux builds use evdev force feedback and ship as a self-contained AppImage. Doctor can install the udev rule when your user account does not yet have permission to open the joystick.

Does MSFS 2024 or X-Plane support the FFB2 directly?

Not in the way this stick needs. FFB-Bridge reads simulator telemetry, builds the force model locally, and sends force commands to the joystick. MSFS uses SimConnect TCP; X-Plane 11/12 uses UDP RREF datarefs.

Does this work with the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro?

No. The current bridge targets the USB Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback 2, VID 045E PID 001B. The older Force Feedback Pro is a different device and is not supported today.

Will my antivirus or SmartScreen flag it?

The Windows installer isn't code-signed. Code-signing is on the 1.0 roadmap.

On first launch SmartScreen may warn "Unrecognized app". Click More info → Run anyway.

If your AV flags the installer outright, please email the flagged sample to feedbackffb-bridge.com so we can investigate.

Does it send anything over the internet?

No. The app makes no outbound network calls. It talks to MSFS or X-Plane over local loopback (127.0.0.1) and to the joystick over USB.

When you export a support bundle for debugging, it's a local .zip you send to us manually if you choose.