In The Black Controls, HOTAS & Keybinds Setup Guide
Complete keybind layouts for mouse + keyboard, HOTAS, controller and Steam Deck — tested in May 2026 Early Access.
Mouse + keyboard default binds
| Action | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch / Yaw | Mouse | Mouse (raw input, 800 DPI) |
| Roll left / right | Q / E | Q / E |
| Throttle up / down | W / S | W / S (hold to ramp) |
| RCS lateral | A / D | A / D |
| RCS vertical | Space / Ctrl | Space / Ctrl |
| Match target velocity | X | X (panic-stop) |
| Flight assist toggle | Z | Mouse 4 |
| Fire primary | LMB | LMB |
| Fire missile | RMB | RMB |
| Cycle target | T | T |
HOTAS setup — Thrustmaster T.16000M + TWCS
The T.16000M stick + TWCS throttle is the most popular budget HOTAS for In The Black. Map main thrust to the throttle axis, reserve the index-finger trigger for primary fire, and put Flight Assist Toggle on the pinky button so you never lose it.
- Stick X/Y: Pitch + Yaw (curve 25, deadzone 5)
- Stick twist: Roll (curve 30, deadzone 8)
- Hat 1: RCS lateral / vertical
- Throttle slider: Main thrust (no curve)
- Throttle hat: Target cycle / sub-target / capital / wingman
- Throttle pinky button: Match Target Velocity
Logitech X52 / X52 Pro
Same as T.16000M layout, but assign the MFD scroll wheel to throttle trim. The X52 Pro's rotary 3 maps cleanly to power management triage (engines / weapons / shields).
VKB Gladiator NXT
For VKB users, dedicate the small stick hat to RCS only; the precision is wasted on target cycle. Add a 3-stage shift mode so each button has 3 functions for gunner-seat work in the Hyperion.
Xbox / DualSense controller
- Left stick: Pitch + Yaw
- Right stick: RCS lateral + vertical
- LT / RT: Roll left / right
- LB / RB: Throttle down / up
- A: Fire primary · X: Fire missile · Y: Cycle target · B: Match target velocity
Steam Deck
Steam Deck is fully supported. Use the default community controller layout “ITB — Newtonian Pad” by Impeller. Set both trackpads to mouse-emulation with 12 ms haptic feedback for fine aiming.
Tips that apply to every input device
- Always bind Match Target Velocity to a single, dedicated button — it is your emergency brake.
- Bind Flight Assist as a toggle, not hold; you will use it during 80% of fights.
- Disable mouse smoothing in Settings → Input → Advanced. It feels wrong at first; it is correct.
- If you fly in a Hyperion, dedicate one mod key for gunner takeover so you can swap seats in flight.