Extract text from JOY files
To convert your JOY file to another format, you need X-Plane or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "Simulation Configuration" file type, you need software like X-Plane or a similar tool.
A .JOY file is a plain text configuration file primarily used by X-Plane, a comprehensive flight simulator developed by Laminar Research. These files map physical hardware inputs - such as yokes, throttle quadrants, and rudder pedals - to specific in-game commands and axis assignments.
While .JOY files are text-based, they lack a default association in Windows or macOS, meaning users often face the "Windows cannot open this file" error when trying to view them. A common frustration for flight simmers is the proprietary syntax (e.g., I 1100 version JOY), which makes manual editing risky; a single syntax error can invalidate the controller profile. Additionally, because X-Plane generates these files automatically when a new device is detected, users often struggle to distinguish between default profiles and their custom-tuned backups.
For most users, the goal is not to "convert" the file to an image or audio format, but to view the data or archive it.
Convert.Guru analyzes your JOY file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DOCX and JPEG files.
If you want to convert JOY file to INI, CFG, CONF, CONFIG, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, ENV, PROPERTIES or RC, you can use X-Plane or similar software from the "Joystick Configuration File" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert ZSHRC, CONF, RCFILE, GITCONFIG, RC, PLIST, BASHRC, CONFIG, PROFILE, INI, PREFS or CFG files to JOY, try X-Plane or another comparable tool in the "Joystick Configuration File" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our JOY converter.