antimicro VS HidHide

If you're wondering how to do it yourself, I use Antimicro to map controller inputs to keyboard keys. (green to A, Orange to K, everything follows in between, and strum to L)

Read in the comment section where VR and controller was discussed: "What I do is use AntiMicro: https://github.com/AntiMicro/antimicro/releases , which allows you to map keyboard inputs to your controller, instead of using the games controller input. This way, you can map one button on your controller that when held, activates another mapped set for the controller allowing you to use keyboard hotkeys. It also makes it easier to switch between using your control and the keyboard." So if there is a way to use the controllers maybe it could work.

AntiMicro

There is no native support for controllers for this game. However, you may use the program Antimicro to enable support for controllers, although I only tested with an Xbox 360, but theoretically it should work with others.

Par ici -> https://github.com/AntiMicro/antimicro/releases

bind it to a key combo alt space?) and use a program to fire that combo on joy press (like voiceattack or antimicro https://github.com/AntiMicro/antimicro/releases/tag/2.24-final )

To play with a controller, you'll have to use another program. I suggest antimicro found at https://github.com/AntiMicro/antimicro. It hasn't been updated for almost seven years, but it still works for me.

Basically, looks like IL-2 will only detect first 8 usb devices. I have about twice as that number in the simpit. One solution is to unplug stuff. That ain't happening over here - if I have to unplug stuff I might just as well hire a minimum wage worker for that. Another option is to use devreorder u/charon-prime suggested or temporarily hide the unneeded devices with HidHide.

DCS Scratchpad, Open Kneeboard, Joystick Gremlin and HidHide, VoiceAttack, Tacview, and if I may self-promote for a moment, DCS AutoMate.

HidHide https://github.com/ViGEm/HidHide/releases can hide devices in software. Just run the configuration client to either select the device and hide it on demand or always hide it from anything but the games in which you want to use it

I've been playing with using XOutput + HidHide to cause Windows to see the the ALP controls as an Xbox controller instead of the generic device it normally appears as, and it seemed to significantly improve the input latency in FX. But there are other downsides and quirks that it causes, including problems actually launching the ball in some of the FX tables, so it might also end up being a non-starter.

I use HIDHide, you can find it here: https://github.com/ViGEm/HidHide

This might work.