7 Tips to Improve Your Aim When Using a Controller
There are a lot of epic gamers out there who absolutely dominate the competition, especially in competitive games like Call of Duty and Fortnite. When you’re at the head of the pack in a game, you will have a far better time than if you are just getting annihilated left, right, and center.
But aiming with a controller is easier said than done, especially when you are up against PC players and professionals. Thankfully for all the up-and-coming console players out there, there are several tips and tricks you can use to get better at aiming with your controller.
1. Turn Down Your Stick Sensitivity
As soon as you boot up any game for the first time, the first place you should head to is your settings to adjust your stick sensitivity. If you’ve never customized your stick sensitivity before, this could be a game-changer for you.
It’s not too much of a leap to assume that all pro players play on the highest sensitivity, but that’s not actually the case. The higher your stick sensitivity is, the more impact your movements have, and the slightest tap on the joystick could send your sights flying across to the other side of the screen. Essentially, the higher the stick sensitivity, the harder it is to control.
If you are a newer player, or you have been playing on the default sensitivity for a while and feel like it’s holding you back, head into the settings and customize your stick sensitivity to match your play style.
Even if you prefer to play with the superior precision of a PC, tweaking the sensitivity of your mouse is one of the firstactionable tips to get better aim in FPS games. It truly is the thing you should be doing first and foremost to improve your aim.
2. Improve Your Grip on Your Controller
Now that you’ve tweaked your stick sensitivity, the next thing to assess is your controller grip. There is more than just one way to hold your controller, and switching it up could make a decent difference to your game.
The most common way to hold a controller is the traditional way, with grips in your palms, index fingers on the triggers, and thumbs resting on the buttons and joysticks. But if you want more control and precision when it comes to aiming, you might want to consider adopting what is commonly referred to as a claw grip. If you’re struggling to hold the controller that way, try setting your controller down on a table and operating it from the top down until you get used to it.
This grip allows both your index finger and your thumb to hover around the analog stick and the buttons at the same time. This can improve your aim and overall performance because the way you traditionally hold a controller requires your thumb to control the right thumb stick and the A, B, X, and Y buttons simultaneously. It takes precious time to move your thumb from the joystick to the buttons and back. The claw grip eliminates that, so you never have to let go of the camera to push the buttons.
Using the claw grip gives you more control over each part of your controller, and a huge advantage over other players. It does take a little while to get used to, but like anything else in life, it’s just a matter of practice.
3. Customize the Dead Zone on Your Controller
A dead zone is an area in which you may move your joystick before your controller registers it as input and translates it to your game. A controller’s dead zone is usually minute and could go unnoticed by many players, but it is always there unless you change the settings yourself.
If you are serious about improving your aim on a controller, a great place to start is by eliminating the dead zone as much as possible. Doing so will make your movements more precise and save you precious milliseconds every time you move your joystick. It may not seem like much, but every millisecond counts, especially when you are going up against up to 100 other amazing gamers in abattle royale game.
4. Use Smaller Motions While Aiming
If your aim has a habit of being wildly off, you may want to switch up how you move your joysticks. Using large sweeping motions is excellent if you are an absolute pro and are completely in tune with your controller, but most of the time, this isn’t necessarily the case.
Using smaller flicks instead of larger motions to line up your aim will eliminate the need to overcorrect so much. By the time you have swung your camera too far, and then moved it too far back the other way in an effort to correct your mistake, you could already be dead. Smaller and more precise movements will provide much more control.
5. Watch and Learn From Controller Pros
If so many incredible gamers out there specialize in using controllers, why not learn from them? Many gamers on Twitch are willing and able to answer any questions you may have about improving your aim on a controller. Many streamers also have cameras trained on their hands while they game, so it’s possible to fully study their movements in action.
A hand cam is an added bonus, but they are relatively uncommon and shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. Whether they have one or not, watching any of thetop Twitch streamerscan open the lines of communication and give you a chance to ask them for any advice they may have to give you.
Plenty of gamers on YouTube have also shared their experiences and given advice about gaming on a controller. If you are looking to improve your aim, there is no better person to ask than a pro in the field.
6. Use Gyro Whenever Possible
Gyroscopic controls are a newer introduction into the world of gaming but a far more precise one when it comes to aiming. Gyro controls allow the player to move the controller physically. That movement is then translated into the game. It is a far more intuitive and immersive method of aiming, and especially once mastered, far more accurate than joystick controls.
Not all games are compatible with gyro, however, and the Xbox does not support the technology at all. But plenty of competitive and non-competitive games on the Nintendo Switch support gyro as well as many PlayStation titles. Gyro controls can be an intimidating mechanic to learn, but if it is available in your game of choice, then it is well worth your time.
7. Practice Makes Perfect
Feeling defeated in a video game can be incredibly frustrating and tempt you to make sudden changes to get better at aiming fast. But at the end of the day, practice makes perfect, and the best way to improve is simply by doing it.
Taking an hour or two out of your day to game once you’ve completed your daily tasks is a surefire way to help you get better. It may not be the quick fix you were hoping for, but consistency and hard work is the only way you are sure to improve. Nothing happens overnight, and try not to get discouraged. Continue on your journey to get better aim by practicing and honing your skills, and eventually, you will meet your goals.
With the Help of These Tips and Tricks, Your Controller Aim Will Improve Drastically
Whether you are a beginner or aiming for the stars to become a competitive gamer, these tips will help you improve your controller game. There are plenty of settings you can customize to make your controller suit your specific play style, and there are also plenty of pros you can study on Twitch or YouTube to get advice from the best.
The most important thing, however, is to practice. None of these tips will transform you into an incredible aiming God overnight, but they will certainly help you to become the best controller gamer you can be.
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