You can achieve mouse-like precision with motion controls. Ever since the release of Splatoon on WiiU and the Steam Controller in 2015, motion controls for aiming, AKA Gyro Aim started to gain popularity. It’s been more than a decade since the technology is widely available, but people still don’t know how to use it or how it actually works. Nowadays, almost every platform is capable of using this and some people are really good with it, check it out:
There are some misconceptions about gyro aim, but we'll get to those later. To start with, let's just ask…
What is gyro?
Gyro is the abbreviation of Gyroscopes. Gyroscopes are motion sensors present on most controllers and mobile devices. Most often used for aiming, they can also be used as a mouse pointer or a steering wheel.
This guide will primarily talk about Gyro Aim.
“Why would I want to use that?”
Gyro can vastly improve your gaming experience by basically being the controller’s mouse. Gyro will accurately follow your physical movements, in the same way that a mouse would. Gyro can also emulate analog sticks, but that isn’t the ideal scenario.
Gyro is a mouse!!! Fast and responsive 0_0
“I already tried once and I didn't like it.”
I'm sorry to hear that. Most implementations of this feature are really bad, often emulating an analog stick instead of a mouse, causing huge dead zones. Laggy smoothing and low sensitivities can make things less than excellent. Also, this isn’t something that you will get right away, you need to open your mind and spend some time with this control scheme.
Native is emulating an analog stick. It's slow and imprecise compared to a mouse.
What platforms and controllers support gyro?
PS4 (DualShock 4)
PS5 (DualSense)
Nintendo Switch (Joy-Cons, and Switch Pro Controller)
Steam Deck (any controller with gyro supported by SteamInput. The main ones being: Dualshock4, DualSense, Switch Pro Controller, Joy-cons, and the Steam Controller.)
PC (any controller with a gyro sensor. The main ones being: Dualshock4, DualSense, Switch Pro Controller, Joy-cons, Steam Controller, and the Alpakka Controller.)
Mobile and Handhelds (Smartphones, tablets and some portable PC handhelds)
There are many accessories and third-party controllers with gyro that work on multiple platforms, including ones without gyro support, like the Xbox. To keep things simple this guide won't cover these accessories.
On PS4 and PS5, only a handful of games support this feature, most of them don't have an acceptable quality, often emulating an analog stick instead of a mouse. (List of Playstation games with gyro by noo3rafle)
On smartphones and tablets, most major games have a pretty good implementation.
On PC, it’s a bit complicated. Most games with gyro are the ones that were ported from PS5, because of that, they only work with PS4 and PS5 controllers while using a USB connection (you can emulate an dualshock4 with ds4win if you have different controllers) but there are games and programs that work with other controllers as well, like some emulators. You can also force gyro into almost EVERY PC game using any gyro-compatible controller + third-party programs, like SteamInput, reWASD, DS4win, or JoyShockMapper.
If you want to learn how to do that using SteamInput, I have a channel completely dedicated to that, with a new updated in-depth guide already in the works: https://www.youtube.com/@FlickStickVids
How to activate gyro?
On consoles and smartphones, activating gyro is as simple as activating it in the options menu of the game. This option often has different names, like “motion controls”, “gyro aim”, or “motion aim”, but no matter the name, they work the same way. Some games will require you to choose when gyro will be active, for example, you want gyro on only when you ADS? Or all the time
Gyro has different names in different games. / Choose when gyro will be active.For beginners, I recommend activating only when you ADS, but feel free to try both!
On PC and SteamDeck, if the game doesn't have native support, you will need to implement gyro yourself by using a third-party program like SteamInput, reWASD, DS4win, or JoyShockMapper.
Again, If you want to learn how to do that using SteamInput, I have a channel completely dedicated to that, with a new in-depth guide already in the works: https://www.youtube.com/@FlickStickVids
How to aim with gyro?
Gyro can be used in multiple ways, these are the most common methods:
Gyro + analog stick: This is the most common way to use gyro. Use the analog stick to look around and move close to your target and use gyro to do the rest of the tracking.
Analog sticks to look around and gyro to track enemies!
Gyro + Trackpads: This method is stealing the hearts of Steam Deck and Steam Controller players. Similar to using the analog stick, use the trackpads to look around and move close to your target and use gyro to do the rest of the tracking. Because of the amount of inputs that you can bind to the trackpads, it provides a super versatile and diverse setup, like using the touch to activate gyro, or clicking to jump.
Trackpads to look around and gyro to track enemies!
Gyro ratcheting: move the controller until you can't move it any further, then hold a button to disable gyro to reposition your controller. It's like reaching the edge of your mousepad and repositioning your mouse. This method doesn't require a second analog stick.
Clip from: Why Controllers Don't Suck in Team Fortress 2 - by: SolarLight.
FlickStick: allows you to snap the camera to the angle that you pointed by flicking the right stick or sweeping smoothly by rotating the right stick after putting it forward first. This method requires gyro because you won't be able to look up or down without it.
Clip from: Introducing Flick Stick in Doom - by Jibb Smart
How to hold and move the controller:
It's easy! Just use your wrists, don't move your hands sideways. Sitting or laying down, just hold the controller in the way that you are already used to, and move your wrists to aim. It's that simple.
This isn't a Wii mote. Moving your arms won't do much, use your wrists.
Important concepts:
Custom vs Native Implementation
Native implementation is the feature that is built into the game. You can just activate it in the settings. Most devs don't know how to use gyro well, so it's often really bad. If you are a dev that would love to know how to use gyro well, just go to the gyro wiki, created by Jibb Smart (Epic Games Dev).
Custom implementations are the configurations made using third-party apps on PCs or accessories on consoles, that enable you to use gyro. Often this leads to better feeling results, but takes more time because you need to set it up yourself.
Deactivating gyro is super important.
Every good gyro experience needs a button to re-center the camera or to disable gyro.
Gyro recenter button demo.
If you are controlling your recoil, to return to the center of the screen, you will be obliged to hold the controller in an uncomfortable position. When using a mouse, you can just lift the mouse and reposition it. With gyro, instead of lifting, you will press a button.
Gyro disable button demo.
Most games don't give you this option, so be on the lookout if you find a game that does that. If it doesn't, you can always use the right analog stick to reposition the camera.
Natural Sensitivity Scale
What if you could choose a preferred sensitivity that works across every game? This is the basis of the Natural Sensitivity Scale. When you turn a controller, it's completely possible to line that rotation up 1:1 with the in-game camera controls.
1:1 sensitivity. 360° in real life = 360° in game.
But, 1:1 might not give you much range, so, your preference for that ratio might be higher. Beginners might start at about 2 or 3 times Natural Sensitivity, but some really good players are up around 6 or 7, allowing them to turn a 180 with only a 30 degree turn of the controller.
wow, incredible range of movement 0_0
To keep fine control even at these high sensitivities, they'll use response curves or "Precision Zones" to further reduce the rotation of small rotations. Acceleration can also help with maintaining large range of movement while using lower sensitivities (follow BJgobbleDix to learn more about gyro acceleration). Every gyro sensitivity slider should follow that scale. Often, native games caps at 1:2 instead of 1:20, making the range of movement very limited.
Gyro Orientation
People hold and move their controllers in different ways. Some settings are suited for portables, while others may feel more comfortable with a standalone or detached controller. The following examples will be done with the controller flat on my lap. Still, mobile players will probably hold the device upright. So, rotate my examples to fit your use case (Hand movements are the same; they are just on a different axis).
"upright" can be more "upright" than that, but my point still stands.
Gyro has 3 main orientations:
Local Space
World Space
Player Space
3DOF to 2D Conversion Style:
3DOF means 3 degrees of freedom. These 3 degrees are Yaw, Roll, and Pitch. Gyro Orientation will change how Yaw, Roll, and Pitch movements translate to 2D. Essentially, changing how players should hold and move their controllers.
Pitching moves the camera vertically on every conversion style.
World Space and Player Space are similar. When pointing at the horizon, "swiveling" will turn you most, but if your controller points toward the sky, "rolling" will turn you most. The main difference between these two modes is that if you are leaning the controller, pitching in World Space will move you diagonally, while in Player Space, you will move straight vertically.
Due to technical limitations, World Space won't work correctly on portable devices. That is why 'Local Space' or 'Player Space' exists.
Local space is usually divided into three presets: Yaw, Roll, and Yaw + Roll.
Yaw mode, you must swivel the controller like a bus steering wheel to look sideways, whether the controller is pointing to the sky or not.
Roll mode, you must lean the controller to look sideways, whether the controller is pointing to the sky or not.
Yaw + Roll is the combination of these two modes.
Local space is the most consistent option for portable devices. Because the pitch doesn't influence how you look sideways, Local Space can feel awkward with standalone controllers. That’s why, Player Space is often considered the best option for most use cases.
Most games implement only Local Space (Yaw mode), which creates all sorts of problems, like:
Obligating players that hold their controllers pointing toward the sky, to get used to holding their controllers pointing at the horizon.
Forcing awkward feeling movements on portable devices like the Switch, Steam Deck, and the PlayStation Portal.
Creating room for confusion when the players roll the controller expecting the camera to turn, only for the camera to not move.
What makes a good or bad implementation?
There are many small quality-of-life features that culminate in a good gyro experience, the essentials are:
Gyro should work like a mouse
It should respond to your fast and precise movements without a huge dead zone, delay, or complex filtering.
It should always have a button to disable gyro
Sensitivity slider should always follow the natural sensitivity scale.
As a bonus, it would be really good to:
Have the option to hold the controller in different ways (Player, World, and Local Space)
Choose when gyro will be active.
Access separate sensitivity sliders for horizontal, vertical, and joystick sensitivities.
Here's a handful of games that get most of these right: Fortnite, CoD MW2 and 3, God of War Ragnarök, Neon White (switch and PS5 only), Splatoon, Metroid Prime Remastered, Zelda Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Boomerang X, Deathloop, No Man's Sky, and The Last of Us Part 2.
There are multiple games that I've heard they got right, but I couldn't test them myself. I pretend to update this guide in the future with a link to a list of every game that uses gyro.
Conclusion
That's it! Those are all the essentials you need to know to take your first steps with gyro. Beyond the "important concepts," most things are quite intuitive. You can grasp them shortly after picking up the controller and giving it a try, so go ahead! Give it a shot, and I hope you enjoy it!
If you're a game developer or sourceport dev who plans to do Gyro Aiming for the first time, but don't know where to start: this resource guide is your starting point!
This thread is primarily a shortcut that gets you up to speed. Each title will redirect you to the original blog post, or reddit thread respectively. more resources will be updated overtime
GyroWiki:
GyroWiki is the best general place to learn how to use Motion Sensors functionality to your game. All of these lessons has been applied to Epic Games' Fortnite.
created by u/JibbSmart (JoyShockMapper), GamepadMotionHelper is a header that primarily handles Sensor Fusion, Gravity Calculation, Gyro Calibration, Gyro Space, etc. If you already implemented a basic Motion Sensor implementation, but want to have a powerful gyro system, this repository is for you!
If you tried to implement Motion Sensors to your game specifically for Gyroscopic Camera controls, but have difficulties: you might wanna support the ability to allow the use of Game Controller and Mouse Input at thesame time...not to be confused with switching between two different Input styles on the fly.
The vast majority of Gyro, FlicksStick and Trackpad users will be relying on assigning it as a Mouse Input...but they might faced issues with how the game handles two different primary input methods at the same time. If you wanna take them into account, this is the place to start
Gyro Aiming and Mixed Input vs. Aim Assist dilemma
This is an extension of the first two original guides below, but this one exclusively focus on tackling Aim Assist while implementing either or both Gyroscopic Camera Aiming and Simultaneous Inputs. This issue is actually quite common on games that allows Mixed Input support but doesn't account towards Aim Assist system.
For those who are implementing it within a Multiplayer setting, this is the place to start!
If you're shipping a game on Computers running on Microsoft Windows, MacOS or Linux operating systems but don't know what Controller-centric library that supports it, this is where to start.
Note: your game engine might already have Motion Sensor support (example: Godot 4.7+, LÖVE, KEX Engine, FNA) from the getgo, please refer to the revelant engine documents for more details.
Note 2: if you're building the game on Consoles only, the Console's SDK will naturally provide that. please refer to your Console SDK's documents for more details.
Hey everyone! If you’re seeing this post, check out my profile and take a look at my previous post first — this is basically an addition to it.
I just recorded one random match on my first attempt. I didn’t cut out the bad parts or pick only my best moments — I just recorded it as it was to give you an idea of how I actually play.
Unfortunately, I don’t have an external storage device to transfer the full match from my PlayStation, so I could only export about 3 minutes of gameplay, which is what I’m uploading here.
For everyone who plays with gyro, you can watch the video and get an idea of my level of gameplay.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t play at 100% because the recording limited me to 60 FPS, which is not what I normally play at, so it felt really unusual.
Overall, I think the gameplay is decent, but there’s definitely still room for improvement.
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Gyro players — what sensitivity are you using in Modern Warfare 4?
Hey everyone!
Now that the Modern Warfare 4 beta has been out for a while, I wanted to ask the gyro community about your settings and overall experience.
I’ve been playing MW4 for 25+ hours, switching between mouse & keyboard and gyro, and I still haven’t been able to find a gyro sensitivity that I’m completely comfortable with.
I’m a huge fan of gyro aiming. I’ve used gyro in pretty much every game where it’s available — mobile games, PlayStation games, PC games, you name it. I genuinely prefer it over traditional controller aiming.
But MW4 has been giving me a bit of a problem.
I’ve tried pretty much every sensitivity range, and every setting seems to have a major advantage and a major disadvantage. Lower sensitivity (around 2.0)
The tracking and fine aim feel really good. It’s much easier to stay on a target and make small corrections.
And with the relatively low TTK in multiplayer, being able to keep your crosshair on target is extremely important.
The problem is mobility.
Fast 180° turns, quickly switching from one enemy to another, reacting to someone appearing behind you, etc. become much harder because I simply don’t have enough physical movement range with the controller. Higher sensitivity
The opposite happens.
My mobility and fast target transitions/flicks become much better. I can quickly turn, snap to another target and generally react much faster.
But then I start losing the consistency I have at lower sensitivities.
My micro-adjustments become worse, tracking feels less stable, and it’s harder to keep the crosshair perfectly on a moving target.
This becomes especially noticeable because controller aim assist is currently very strong, and competing against good controller players with a high gyro sensitivity can be difficult.
For reference, I’m currently around a 1.5 KD in multiplayer. I wouldn’t consider that a particularly good result for myself, and I know I can perform better with the right setup. I’m mentioning it mainly so you have an idea of my current skill level when sharing your settings.
I’d especially love to hear from experienced gyro players, particularly those around 1.5–2+ KD, as well as players who are significantly better than me. I’d like to understand what settings actually work at different skill levels.
So, what sensitivity did you eventually settle on?
I’d especially like to know:
Gyro sensitivity
ADS / zoom sensitivity if you use different values
Smoothing
Stabilization / threshold settings
Any acceleration settings
FOV
Whether you use gyro for everything or combine it with the right stick
And if you have any gameplay clips, I’d love to see them too.
I’m genuinely curious how far the gyro community can push this.
It sometimes feels like gyro players are the forgotten/underdog input method in CoD, while controller players have strong aim assist and mouse players obviously have extremely precise input.
I’d really like to see what settings experienced gyro players have found that allow them to actually compete at a high level.
Any advice, settings, clips or personal experience would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! 🌀
Hi everyone, I'm considering switching from my 8BitDo Ultimate 2 wireless controller to the GameSir G7 Pro 8K and wanted to get some feedback from the community.
The main reason I'm looking at the G7 Pro 8K is the gyro polling rate. My 8BitDo only runs gyro at around 120Hz, whereas the G7 Pro supposedly hits up to 1000Hz. Coming from a DualSense (which also reaches 1000Hz), I really miss that level of responsiveness and want to get back to it without losing back buttons or comfortable ergonomics.
For context on my setup and preferences:
Back paddles: I daily drive the 8BitDo mainly for its back buttons. I used to run a DualPakka mod on my DualSense specifically to use gyro ratcheting with my left hand, but the copper tape loses conductivity/responsiveness too quickly over time. On the 8BitDo, I replaced that setup by mapping gyro ratcheting to the left back paddle/button.
Ergonomics & Grip: I play double claw. Even though the 8BitDo layout resembles an Xbox controller, the grip handles have a steeper, narrower angle compared to a standard Xbox controller or a DualSense. This makes left-hand clawing feel pretty awkward and uncomfortable for me.
For those who have used both or made a similar switch:
Does the G7 Pro 8K actually maintain a stable 1000Hz gyro polling rate in real-world gameplay, and is the implementation solid?
How seamless is Steam Input integration compared to the 8BitDo, and can back buttons still be assigned independently?
How do the ergonomics and grip angles on the G7 Pro compare to standard Xbox/DualSense controllers, especially for double claw?
This open beta of Call of duty got me thinking, as I had to increase the sensitivity rather high to get the movement I was used to in other gyro games and yet it still felt off, it was too reactive. But messing with the stability settings to try and control it better made me lose fine control. Which got me thinking: if were possible, I’d have a high stability setting for hip fire to reduce screen shake and more precision on my quick flicks, but then have a pretty much near zero stability on my ads to have that more fine control.
I don’t want to outright message or call out Jibb smart but I know some folks here have experience on the coding side. Would appreciate any professional input
I don’t know what it is, it’s been a while since I used gyro, but I constantly felt myself needing a higher sensitivity to ratchet with, but the higher sensitivity is too twitchy. I eventually got the hang of it again, but I just don’t recall Gyro ever feeling like this. I use to run 6RWS in the finals, dropped to 4.5 and eventually back up to six, but both of these felt comfortable in a way.
In cod I had to up it to 8.20! I don’t even think it’s a RWS?
And the drift is awful!
Anyway just wondering what you all felt about it.
Off topic but search and destroy with gyro is making me miss Rainbow 6 siege! It makes me cry they won’t bring in Gyro!
Hi everyone I know that you have to disable the software for the Vader v5 but I was wondering if there is anyway to still use the back peddles, if anyone has this controller or one similar can give me some advice since I love using the paddles and I cant play without them.
I want to train more and I feel like moments like this where my target quickly leaves my view to be my one weakness at this point.
I main trackpad + gyro and I feel like my brain insists on using gyro for this even if I reach the point of discomfort.
What game/software could I use to train better for situations like these? I cannot make heads or tails of Aimlab, they have lots of paywalled stuff and I cannot seem to find the one thing I want to practice at.
Like many if you, I've been playing MW4. Unlike many of you, I'm an OG COD Wii player that played with the Wiimote. Our community died and moved on since the last COD on the Wii U COD Ghosts.
Now with the return of COD with MW4 I thought it was only right that I attempt to bring back that old nostalgia of Wiimote style gameplay only to try and fail miserably. This game is not optimized for split Joycon controllers at all. Most games are not, I haven't played Metroid Prime 4 yet but I heard they have pointer controls, so this take isn't a fully educated thought but from my past experiences and my failure to make split joycons work, I think I finally figure out what it's missing.... deadzones.
In the Wii days you controlled the camera and the aim by moving the reticle outside of an invisible box that moves the camera where you want while still having the freedom to shoot whatever without losing camera stability. It's hard to explain to the uninitiated but it was a very technical and accurate. It really shows how dedicated the original Treyarch team was in making the controller scheme work.
However, I feel with the way things currently work, the control scheme relies too much on the sticks, which eliminates the advantage of split joycons. The wide range of motion of gyro is limited by the lack of a deadzones. I think the floating reticle is better at reducing jittery cameras than the stabilizer tab does. Just those two additions can greatly improve gyro gaming.
Has anyone played them using gyro and a pro controller on Switch 2? Do they perform well? I feel like native gyro, when it works, is smoother than Steam input.
Hey guys, I have been searching everywhere now, battling with it for a few hours and I still cannot get gyro to work with my setup:
Streaming : Apollo/Artemis
Mobile : Samsung Galaxy S24+
Gamepad : Razer Kishi Ultra
In Apollo I set up DS4 as a default controller, in Artemis I turn ON options "Emulate gamepad motion sensor support" and "Always use device's motion sensors". Then I go to Steam Big Picture and it doesn't recognize my gamepad at all. When letting the gamepad be xInput it does work with Steam Big Picture but there is no gyro option in Steam Input Controller.
Does anyone got gyro to work with Kishi Ultra? so it's getting gyro from my smartphone.
I love that gamepad but I would love to play my games with gyro even more...
My controller appears to only support using the gyro as a different input like mouse or the sticks, is it possible to have it behave as its own input so I can use it on MW4? I have a dualsense that works on it if I have to but sticks are significantly worse so I'd like to avoid it if possible
Hi, I bought 8bitdo ultimate 2 wireless and set up steam input with d input mode. I 've never used steam input or gyro before on pc. Unfortunately ea app games didn't work with steam input by adding them as a non steam game (steam thinks games close after ea app splash screen). With a little research I came across sisr. With sisr gyro as mouse works in Battlefield 6 but buttons are all mixed up. Button layout seems normal in steam settings and in browser gamepad testing websites when sisr launched. Also a second controller named xbox 360 controller appears when sisr is launched. How can I use gyro with steam input in Battlefield 6?
EDIT: fixed it with hidhide by hiding the controller from bf6 and allowing only the comtroller sisr emulated.
So ED needs a fuckton of mappings but also supports 4way combos and mixed inputs, so no need to shift layer or commit to one control scheme.
here’s my idea:
HW:
- rise4 with L3/R3 map
- ttp223 touch in the grip connected to mute button
- ksilver jspro13+
- two strips conductive tape, touchpad touch L and touch R “bumpers”
SW
- keep dualsense unmuted (stock inputs)
- remap back paddles to L3/R3 as modifiers
use joyshockmapper:
- gyro to mouse (griptouch ratchet)
- trackpad L/R click to KB
- trackpad L/R touch bumpers to KB
- D-pad to KB arrow key macros for power (disabled when L3/R3 or L3+R3 is pressed)
Could also use “touch bumpers” as modifiers.
This way i get 4 extra inputs from trackpad, and backpaddles for otherwise useless L3/R3
Is there anything i didnt think of here that can fuck me up and byte me in the ass?
Hey guys. I got into gyro around a year ago and played a couple games. I realized I wanted to find a single game to sink a ton of time into and the game that had come out that I knew I would play a ton was the Oblivion remaster.
After buying the game and duelsense edge I got ready to go and realized that it did not allow you to use actual gyro controls. Let me explain.
If you set it to be full keyboard and mouse you lose a ton of UI but forget that the main reason I dont want to do full kbm is that I played the original oblivion on Xbox and you can move the left sick half way forward and walk slower and if you move it fully forward you walk faster. Movement is adaptive based on how far you push the left stick.
With full KBM you cannot do this. It feels like you're walking too fast almost like you're skating around.
If you switch from KBM to controller you have to use gyro as a thumbstick which is unplayable.
Please help me get this set up. I really want to play the oblivion game.
Also does anyone know of a website or something that shows you games based on dual input or whatever its called that would allow the full gyro experience.
Ones I've played that work are like grounded, portal, borderlands 4.
I didn't play that much with gyro before getting oblivion and after oblivion I rage quit gyro.
I used to play a lot with trackpad + gyro, but I realised that I'm way more precise with gyro ratcheting + flick stick.
I use the gyro with the sensitivity set on 7x, the vertical sens at 70%, an acceleration that occurs on very fast turns only, and a little bit of momentum. The momentum has the friction set to the maximum for the vertical axis, so it's mostly for the flicks. I use some smoothing, the shakiness is reduced when all triggers are half pressed, and the option to smooth the small mouvements on the controller settings is on.
The gyro activation is on the capacitive stick.
I still use the trackpad for menu navigation, or games based on cursor.
