SimHub Control Mapper
Last updated · SimHub 9.11.22
Control Mapper is a bundled SimHub plugin that combines several wheels, button boxes and controllers into one virtual device, so games that limit how many controllers they will accept — Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator among them — see a single device instead of five. It works through either vJoy or an Arduino Bridge on a Pro Micro or Leonardo, provides up to six output axes plus an FN modifier that doubles your button count, and supports role-based mapping so a replacement device inherits an existing map. It cannot pass through force feedback.
This is the most substantial of SimHub's bundled plugins and it is disabled by default, which is why most people never find it. Enable it from Add/Remove features.
The problem it solves
A sim rig accumulates devices. A wheelbase, a pedal set, a shifter, a handbrake, a button box, maybe a second button box. Windows is happy with all of them; some games are not.
- Games that cap simultaneous controllers. Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator are the standard examples and the reason many people find this plugin.
- Games whose binding screens list every device separately, so setting up one control means finding it among six.
- Hot-swapping wheels. Change the rim and the game sees a different device with none of your bindings.
- Devices that need combining logically — a handbrake that should read as an axis on the same device as the pedals.
Control Mapper presents everything as one virtual device. The game sees one controller with all your buttons and axes on it, and the binding problem disappears.
Two backends
| Backend | What it needs | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| vJoy | The vJoy virtual joystick driver installed | Software only, nothing to buy. A kernel driver, so it is one more thing installed at a low level. |
| Arduino Bridge | A Pro Micro or Leonardo | Driverless — the board presents itself as a real USB gamepad, so Windows needs nothing extra. |
Arduino Bridge needs a Pro Micro or Leonardo specifically. Those are the boards whose chip can present as a USB gamepad. An Uno cannot, no matter how it is configured — the same constraint that applies to button boxes.
If you already have a spare Pro Micro, the Arduino Bridge is the tidier option because nothing is installed into Windows. If you do not, vJoy costs nothing and works.
What it gives you
- Up to six output axes
- Throttle, brake, clutch, handbrake and two more. Enough for any normal rig, and worth knowing before you plan a build around eight.
- An FN modifier
- A shift key for your rig. Holding the FN button changes what every other button does, which doubles your effective button count without adding hardware. On a twelve-button box this is transformative.
- Role-based mapping
- Map by what a device is rather than by which specific device it is, so a replacement inherits the existing map. If you change wheels regularly, this is the feature that makes it worth setting up.
The FN modifier is the one people underuse. Rather than adding a second button box, add one FN button and every existing button gets a second function — pit limiter alone, headlights with FN, and so on.
The four limitations
No force-feedback pass-through. This is the big one. Force feedback must go directly from the game to the wheelbase, so the base has to be connected to the game itself, not routed through Control Mapper. In practice: use Control Mapper for buttons, boxes and auxiliary axes, and leave the wheelbase connected directly.
- XInput devices lack background input on Windows. An Xbox-style controller does not report input to an application that is not focused, which is a Windows behaviour rather than a SimHub one. DirectInput devices are unaffected.
- Wheels behind Thrustmaster bases are not separately detected. The base presents itself as one device and the rim's buttons come through it, so Control Mapper cannot address the rim independently.
- Two exceptions to that: Simucube and Fanatec are separately detected, from SimHub 8.3.0 onwards. If you are on an older version and expecting this to work, update.
- Six axes is the ceiling. Not usually a constraint, but worth checking against your plans.
Setting it up
Enable the plugin
Add/Remove features in SimHub. Control Mapper is bundled but off by default, which is why most people have never seen it.
Choose a backend
vJoy if you want software only. Arduino Bridge if you have a Pro Micro or Leonardo spare and would rather not install a kernel driver.
Add your devices
Everything except the wheelbase, which stays connected directly to the game for force feedback.
Map buttons and axes to the virtual device
Use role-based mapping if you swap devices at all — it is more work now and much less later.
Set up an FN button
Optional and worth it. One button, and every other button gains a second function.
Bind in the game
The game now sees one controller. Bind normally against that, and ignore the individual devices in its list.
Common questions
What is SimHub Control Mapper for?
Combining several wheels, button boxes and controllers into one virtual device, so games that cap how many controllers they accept — Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator in particular — see a single device. It also makes binding simpler and lets a replacement device inherit an existing map.
Does Control Mapper work with force feedback?
No — there is no force-feedback pass-through, so the wheelbase must connect directly to the game. Use Control Mapper for buttons, button boxes and auxiliary axes, and leave the base connected as it is.
Do I need vJoy for Control Mapper?
Only if you choose that backend. The alternative is the Arduino Bridge, which uses a Pro Micro or Leonardo to present a real USB gamepad to Windows and needs no driver at all. vJoy costs nothing but installs a kernel driver.
How many axes can Control Mapper output?
Up to six. Throttle, brake, clutch, handbrake and two spare covers any normal rig, but it is worth checking against your plans before building something that needs eight.
What is the FN modifier?
A shift key for your rig — holding one designated button changes what every other button does, doubling your effective button count without adding hardware. On a twelve-button box it is more useful than a second box.
Why isn't my wheel rim detected separately?
Wheels behind Thrustmaster bases are not separately detected — the base presents as one device and the rim's buttons arrive through it. Simucube and Fanatec are the exceptions and are separately detected from SimHub 8.3.0 onwards, so update if you are on something older.
Why do my Xbox controller buttons only work when the window is focused?
XInput devices do not report input to unfocused applications on Windows. That is a Windows behaviour rather than a SimHub limitation, and DirectInput devices are unaffected.
Sources
Related guides
SimHub is developed independently by Wotever and is not affiliated with oesimracing. This page was checked against SimHub 9.11.22 on 4 August 2026; where the interface has moved on since, the version stamp tells you how far. More on what SimHub is and what it costs.