SimHub with Elite Dangerous
Last updated · SimHub 9.11.22
Elite Dangerous has no telemetry API, so SimHub reads the game's memory directly using a map of pointers describing where each value lives. That map is maintained by the community and it breaks with every game patch, because patching moves things in memory — the fix is waiting for an updated pointers XML rather than reconfiguring anything. Elite Dangerous also carries the two-asterisk marker on SimHub's supported list, which means motion only: no dashboards and no haptics.
This is the most fragile integration SimHub has, and understanding why makes the breakage predictable rather than mysterious.
How it works, and why it is fragile
Every other game on SimHub's list either broadcasts telemetry, publishes it to shared memory, or accepts a plugin. Elite Dangerous does none of those — it exposes nothing.
So SimHub reads the game's memory directly, using a pointer map: a description of where in the process's memory each value can be found, maintained as an XML file by a community member.
A game patch invalidates the map. Recompiling a game moves things in memory. The pointers then point at the wrong places, and the integration produces nothing or nonsense until the XML is updated. This is not a fault in your setup, in SimHub, or in the game — it is inherent to the technique, and it will happen after every patch, indefinitely.
The correct response to Elite Dangerous breaking after an update is to wait. Reinstalling SimHub, resetting settings or reconfiguring will not help and risks losing work.
Setting it up
Enable Elite Dangerous in SimHub
Tick it in the game list.
Make sure the pointer map is current
The XML is maintained by the community — the name associated with it is "Wagnard". After a game patch, an updated file is what restores the integration.
Set expectations from the marker
Elite Dangerous carries ** on the official supported list, which means motion only. Configure motion; do not expect dashboards or haptics to have data.
What the two-asterisk marker means here
This is as important as the fragility, and it is easy to miss on the official list.
| Feature | Available? |
|---|---|
| Motion | Yes — this is what the ** marker denotes |
| Dashboards | No meaningful data |
| Bass shakers and ShakeIt Motors | No |
| LEDs and shift lights | No |
| Wind | No |
So if you have arrived here hoping to put a dashboard on a second screen for Elite Dangerous, the honest answer is that SimHub is not the route. The integration exists to drive a motion rig.
This is also why the fragility is more tolerable than it sounds: motion rig owners are a small and technically engaged group, and the failure mode is a rig that sits still until a file is updated rather than a broken game.
If you have a motion rig
Motion in a space sim is a different problem from motion in a racing car. There is no road surface, no tyre slip and no gravity in the conventional sense — the cues come from thrust, rotation and the transitions between flight modes.
SimHub's Motion Addon is a separate purchase from the main licence — €34.99 as an add-on for existing licence holders, or €44.99 as a Full Pack — and it offers time-limited trial sessions without a licence specifically so you can confirm your hardware works first. Given the fragility described above, using that trial before committing is particularly sensible here.
Expect to check the pointer map after every game update as part of your routine, in the same way you would check a mod after a patch. Treating it as normal maintenance rather than as a fault makes it a minor inconvenience.
Common questions
Why does Elite Dangerous stop working with SimHub after every update?
Because SimHub reads the game's memory using a pointer map rather than a telemetry API — Elite Dangerous exposes nothing. Patching the game moves values in memory, so the pointers point at the wrong places until the community-maintained XML is updated. Waiting is the fix; reconfiguring is not.
Can I use a SimHub dashboard with Elite Dangerous?
No, not meaningfully. Elite Dangerous carries the two-asterisk marker on SimHub's supported list, which means motion only — no dashboards, no haptics, no LEDs. The integration exists to drive a motion rig.
Do bass shakers work with Elite Dangerous through SimHub?
No. The two-asterisk marker means motion only, and haptics are explicitly not available. That is a limitation of what can be extracted from the game rather than a configuration problem.
What is the pointers XML for Elite Dangerous?
A community-maintained file describing where each value lives in the game's memory, since Elite Dangerous provides no telemetry API. It is associated with the name Wagnard, and an updated version is what restores the integration after a game patch.
Should I reinstall SimHub when Elite Dangerous breaks?
No. Reinstalling, resetting settings or reconfiguring will not help — the pointer map is what has been invalidated by the game patch, and only an updated map fixes it. Resetting settings also risks deleting your licence and profiles.
Do I need the Motion Addon for Elite Dangerous?
If motion is what you want from it, yes — the Motion Addon is a separate purchase from the SimHub licence, at €34.99 as an add-on or €44.99 as a Full Pack. It offers time-limited trial sessions without a licence so you can confirm your hardware works first, which is particularly worth using here given how fragile the integration is.
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.