Joystick Gremlin is configuration and remapping software, not a game, and it can shape how your dual sticks send controls to Star Citizen. It works at the device level, letting you configure joystick-like devices and create remapped bindings that exist independently of any particular game. [1][2] Related reading: Dual Joysticks for Star Citizen: How the Setup Works.
That separation is useful when you want to organize physical stick inputs before using them in a game: for example, a stick movement can be mapped to a chosen virtual control without making the mapping itself a Star Citizen binding. The practical focus here is that software layer—how Gremlin fits into a dual-stick setup and how virtual joystick mapping can connect your hardware inputs to the controls you later use in Star Citizen.
Gremlin’s role in the control chain
Think of Gremlin as a translator for joystick-like devices, rather than as another game or as the place where you set every game control. Its device-level remapping can provide a consistent set of inputs that remains separate from an individual game’s bindings. [1][2]
For example, you might use Gremlin to map a physical stick axis to a virtual joystick axis; that mapping is a device configuration, while choosing what the axis does in Star Citizen is a separate game-side decision. This distinction helps you reason about the setup: Gremlin handles the remapping layer, and Star Citizen handles its own control bindings.
What this section covers
The goal is to understand the software’s role in a dual-stick setup, not to prescribe one universal device layout. The steps and examples focus on software configuration and virtual joystick mapping for Star Citizen, so you can see where Gremlin fits without confusing a device mapping with an in-game control assignment.
As you follow the setup, keep the layers distinct: physical device inputs, Gremlin’s remapped output, and the game’s interpretation of that output. That mental model makes it easier to understand why a mapping can exist before you launch Star Citizen—and why the game still needs its own control bindings.
What to check before you configure it
Before you change your setup, identify each physical stick, the controls you want to configure, and which software your chosen workflow requires. A quick inventory helps you keep names straight—for example, “left stick: X/Y axes and trigger” and “right stick: twist axis and buttons”—without changing any mappings yet.
Make a simple control inventory
Write down the stick model or the name Windows shows for each device, then list the axes and buttons you expect to use. Add a plain-language purpose beside each control, such as “right-stick twist: yaw” or “left-stick button 2: boost,” so your plan stays readable while you configure it.
You do not need to settle every in-game binding before making this list. Focus on the physical inputs you want to work with and the Star Citizen actions you have in mind; for instance, you might note that a trigger should be available for firing without choosing its final in-game binding yet.
Check whether your setup uses virtual joystick software
Some community setup instructions pair Joystick Gremlin with vJoy and HidHide; a Star Citizen Community Hub tutorial covers those tools as part of its basic setup. [3] That is a useful prompt to check whether the workflow you plan to follow calls for virtual joystick software, rather than assuming every setup uses the same combination.
Before installing or changing anything, read the current instructions for Joystick Gremlin and any companion software you intend to use. Verify that the versions and installation steps still match your system and hardware, and pause if the instructions are unclear; software requirements can change, so check the current guidance before you alter a working configuration.
Keep your inventory beside the installation notes. If a tutorial calls a device “Joystick 1” while your system gives it a model name, record both labels so you can tell which stick its steps refer to; then proceed only when you understand which physical devices and software the instructions cover.
How to map your sticks through Joystick Gremlin
Connect both physical sticks and confirm that your operating system and Joystick Gremlin list each device. If one stick is missing, pause here rather than mapping controls against the wrong device. In Gremlin, select each stick in turn and move an axis or press a button to make sure you can identify which physical control is responding.
Create or select a virtual joystick if your setup needs one. A Star Citizen community tutorial demonstrates a setup that includes vJoy alongside Gremlin, though your configuration may differ. [3] Choose the virtual device you intend to use, then confirm that it appears in Gremlin before building mappings around it.
Map each physical control to its intended virtual input. For example, assign the left stick’s X axis to the virtual X axis, then map the left stick’s Y axis to the virtual Y axis. Select the right stick separately and map its axes and buttons to the virtual controls you want them to produce. Gremlin is designed to configure joystick-like devices. [1] Work through one axis or button at a time, so you can see exactly which virtual input each physical control triggers.
Check the virtual inputs before opening Star Citizen. Move each stick axis through its range and press each mapped button, watching for the expected response in the virtual device or the relevant input display. For instance, moving the right stick left should activate the virtual axis you assigned to it—not a different axis or an unrelated button. Fix any mismatch in Gremlin before you begin in-game binding.
Bind and test the controls in Star Citizen. Open the game’s control settings and assign each intended action to the corresponding input. Test the result in a safe setting before relying on the controls in flight. If an input behaves unexpectedly, adjust one Gremlin mapping at a time and test again; this makes it easier to spot which change corrected the behavior.
Keep the sequence simple: connect, map, verify the virtual inputs, then bind and test in game. If a control works in Gremlin but not as expected after binding, revisit that specific mapping before changing several controls at once.
How to check mappings when an input does not work
When an input fails, check the physical device, Joystick Gremlin’s mapping, and the virtual input as separate stages. That helps you narrow the fault down instead of changing several settings at once.
Trace the input through each stage
Start with the physical control: move the stick or press the button you expect to use, and check whether that input registers in the device or configuration view you’re using. For example, if pushing your left stick forward shows no movement there, focus on the device connection or recognition before editing the mapping.
Next, check the matching input in Gremlin. Move that same stick or press that same button and confirm the intended Gremlin control responds. If the physical input registers but the Gremlin control does not, inspect that particular mapping rather than changing unrelated controls.
Then check the virtual input, if your configuration uses one. Confirm that the virtual axis or button changes when you activate its mapped physical control. A Star Citizen community setup tutorial covers Joystick Gremlin alongside vJoy and HidHide, but that does not make every part of that software combination necessary for every setup. [3]
Check for duplicate or unintended inputs
If the input works in the earlier stages but behaves incorrectly in Star Citizen, check which device the game is receiving. Look for an unintended duplicate input—for example, both a physical stick and a virtual device sending a similar control—and test with only the intended input active. Joystick Gremlin’s bindings operate at the device level and exist independently of a game, so a Gremlin mapping alone does not tell you which input Star Citizen is using. [2]
Change one thing, then test
Adjust only the mapping you are investigating, then repeat the same physical-to-Gremlin-to-virtual check. If you change an axis assignment and a button assignment together, you may not know which change fixed—or caused—the problem. Keep the test simple: move one stick axis, confirm its corresponding response at each stage, then try the next control.
Treat HidHide as optional, not as a required troubleshooting step. The community tutorial includes it in one setup walkthrough, so use it only if it fits your configuration; otherwise, focus on finding where the intended input stops responding. [3] Learn more in Saitek X45 Drivers: Setup and Troubleshooting.
Setup mistakes that make dual-stick mapping harder
A clean record of your inputs—and a clear separation between software mapping and in-game bindings—makes dual-stick setup easier to troubleshoot. Small naming and assignment mistakes can leave you unsure which physical control is producing an action, especially after you change a mapping.
Keep each virtual input deliberate
Avoid assigning multiple physical controls to the same virtual axis or button unless you want them to trigger together. For example, if both sticks’ roll axes feed one virtual axis by accident, moving either stick may affect the same control. Give each virtual input one intended source, and check for accidental duplicate assignments when a response seems unexpected.
If sharing an input is intentional, write that down. That way, you can distinguish a deliberate shared control from a mapping error when you revisit the configuration.
Don’t treat a Gremlin mapping as an in-game binding
A mapping in Joystick Gremlin and a binding in Star Citizen are separate: Gremlin operates at the device level, and its bindings exist independently of any game. [2] After changing a mapping, check Star Citizen’s control settings and confirm that the intended action is bound to the input the game receives. For example, a mapped virtual button may be present in your setup without being assigned to the in-game action you expect.
Keep a simple input record
Record which physical stick and control feed each virtual input. A short table or note can use plain labels such as “left stick, X axis → virtual axis 1” and “right stick, thumb button → virtual button 3.” Use the same labels in your notes and Gremlin profile so you can trace a control without guessing.
Update the record whenever you change an assignment. If one action stops responding, the notes give you a starting point for checking the relevant physical control and mapping rather than changing several assignments at once.
Separate software assignments from layout choices
Keep the question “which input feeds this virtual control?” separate from broader decisions about how you want to fly with two sticks. Make software changes against a clear intended assignment; if you later choose a different control layout, update the record and mappings deliberately instead of making several unrelated edits together.
Before you finish, review the input record and the in-game controls side by side. That quick check can help catch a mismatched label, an unintended shared input, or an action that still needs an in-game binding.
A reliable way to finish your setup
Keep the setup simple: pass each control through the stages you need, then verify it in Star Citizen before adding more mappings. Your physical sticks provide the inputs, Joystick Gremlin handles the mappings, virtual inputs can bridge the setup when needed, and the game receives the final bindings. [1] [3] [2]
Work through one control at a time. For example, test a stick’s pitch axis through its mapping and virtual input before binding it in game; then check that the in-game response matches your intent. If it does, move on to the next axis or button. This makes it easier to spot where an unexpected response begins, rather than changing several controls at once.
The exact combination of software can vary by setup: a community tutorial pairs Gremlin with vJoy and HidHide, but that is one example rather than a universal recipe. [3] Start with the smallest working configuration for your sticks, confirm each stage, and only add another tool or mapping if your setup calls for it. Once the final bindings behave as expected in Star Citizen, save a note of the mapping you tested so you can retrace your steps if you change the configuration later.