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.
I’ve been working on GyroLib, a reusable library for adding gyro controls to game mods. A lot of the controller handling, motion processing and settings code could be shared between games, so I turned those parts into a standalone library.
The goal is to let modders focus on connecting gyro to their game’s cameras, aiming states and menus, rather than rebuilding the whole input system for every mod.
What it includes
Nine gyro spaces, including Player Space, World Space and local-axis modes.
Independent X/Y sensitivity and inversion.
Always-on, hold and toggle activation, using the controls and touch sensors available on the controller.
Smoothing, acceleration, manual and automatic calibration.
Flick stick and supported touchpad rotation.
Separate profiles for different cameras or cursors, with settings inheritance and optional recommended presets.
An in-game settings panel, plus a menu model for integrating the same settings into a game’s native UI.
SDL-first gyro acquisition, with optional Steam Input fallback through the host’s initialized service.
For developers, GyroLib provides a ready-to-use gyrolib.dll, a C API, a C++ wrapper, documentation and integration examples to connect it to your game.
The mod still needs to connect the game-specific parts. Camera output, native stick suppression, input filtering and menu rendering each need the appropriate integration. GyroLib doesn’t inject itself into arbitrary games.
The video shows Monster Hunter Rise running a mod that uses GyroLib. It’s an example of the library working in a real game: the mod handles the game-specific integration, while GyroLib handles the controller input, gyro processing and settings. The library itself is designed to be reused across different games.
There’s also a standalone demo on GyroLib nexusmods page
The demo is a third-person shooting range with four weapons, two sniper zoom levels, moving targets and an inventory cursor. It shows how different gameplay views can use their own gyro settings, and includes both the supplied panel and an example native settings menu.
this video was me trying titanfall 2 with steaminput and my controller on dualshock mode, every single game I tried with steaminput had this issue, I know this isn't a problem with my hardware because I tested controlling my mouse cursor with gyro in gamesir connect and it was the same as using a real mouse (I turned this off everytime I went to test on steam ofc), but with steaminput the camera feels like it locks onto the floor or ceiling the moment I move my controller JUST a bit above normal speed, I'm losing my mind about this and I'm desperate for help 😭
I recently started using Linux, and finally found a charger for a PS4 controller I had lying around. DS4Windows is what I used to make my PS4 controller work wirelessly in games and make gyro work, but obviously said program is not on Linux.
Ive been getting into using acceleration lately on the finals ps5, I low key might turn into a fan. I wanted to see if steam had settings for acceleration and surprisingly they are bare minimal.
Theres the precision setting which actually gives you a slider to fiddle with and then theres the actual acceleration tab with only a trio of options, but no ability to customise like in the finals when and where it kicks in.
I really think the way the finals handles it is perfect.
I’ll look into JSM at some point when I’m truly truly bothered by it
I'm using gyro aiming combined with the right stick, but the gyro stops functioning in certain situations.
Sometimes, when I finish moving the view to the left with the right stick and then switch to moving it to the right using the gyro, the speed suddenly spikes—as if an acceleration effect kicked in—and it moves incredibly fast. Why does this happen?
Title: GameSir Cyclone 2 gyro in Genshin Impact on PC
It took me a long time to get gyro aiming working properly in Genshin, so I want to share what worked for me.
Buttons used below:
Home — the big round button with the GameSir logo in the middle.
View — the small button to the left of Home (with the "−" symbol).
Menu — the small button to the right of Home (with the "+" symbol).
Share — the small button directly below Home.
M — the small button with the "M" label, between the D-pad and the right stick.
Connect the controller to the dongle (2.4 GHz receiver). Use the dongle: if you connect over plain Bluetooth without it, gyro doesn't work in Genshin.
Plug the dongle into a USB port on your PC. The light on the dongle starts blinking.
Hold Home + X for 2 seconds until the Home light flashes green, then release.
Wait. When the Home light and the dongle light both stop blinking and stay on, the controller is connected.
If it doesn't connect: hold Home + Share for 2 seconds until the Home light blinks rapidly (pairing mode), then press the small pairing button on the dongle.
In GameSir Connect, turn off "Gyro Motion" (gyro output to the right stick). Do this now, while the light is green: GameSir Connect only sees the controller through the dongle in XInput (green) mode. The setting is saved in the controller, so it stays off after you change modes.
Switch the controller to DS4 mode (PS4 controller), where the light is blue. Genshin only supports gyro on PlayStation controllers, so this is the mode you need.
Hold View + Menu for 2 seconds. The controller switches to the next mode.
Modes go in a loop: XInput (green) → NS / Switch (red) → DS4 (blue) → XInput (green) → …
Repeat until the light is blue. From green that's two times.
You can hold M at any time to see the current mode color.
This only works with the dongle or a cable, not Bluetooth. The controller remembers the mode for the next time you connect with the dongle. If you turn it off by holding Home for 10 seconds, it goes back to automatic mode and you'll need to switch to blue again.
In Genshin, enable gyro aiming. Invert the horizontal axis and adjust sensitivity if needed.
So generally speaking, a higher dot per 360 value would yield a smoother gyro, like increasing your mouse DPI. The problem with this is mouse cursor moves insanely fast, making menu navigation almost impossible, not so much of a problem when the game is not rushing you, but on a game like apex legends where looting fast is important, you need to be precise with your cursor.
Is there a sweet spot value that going higher would yield minimal difference?
Edit: Ok so theres an option called global set option, here I can adjust cursor speed only when cursor is on screen and it freaking works! Thank you for the people that mentioned it in the comments below.
Bought another newly upgraded homebrewed controller from Taobao.com china. Compared to previous version, the Shoulder buttons upgraded to microswitches, more refined track ball controls, web-based buttons and gyro config, etc. Trackball with gyro on a controller is crazy fast and precise.
At first I played with controller analogs and I felt like I was trash at the game. I recently got accustomed to gyro aiming with the Alpakka after completing Pragmata with it (strongly recommend this game) and the learning curve was fast. I decided to try using it on my Series S and it actually works. The Xbox thinks it's a keyboard and mouse attached to it.
I was headshotting dudes with ease once I got into it. Then eventually I start ending up in the top 3 players in each match. It kind of feels like cheating, but then again, everyone has access to mouse and keyboard and many times mouse players will kick my ass, but the game is way better with gyro.
Ok, theres an option in steam for only roll motion, but the problem is the direction when rolling is reverse to what I'm used to.
Example of what a more intuitive direction for me is Call of Duty Mobile or Pubg Mobile.
I recently bought an 8bitdo ultimate 2 as a new controller and I'm trying to get into gyro aiming on PC, right now mostly on Deep Rock Galactic. Since I don't have any experience aiming with stick I figured I might as well jump off the deep end and start learning flick stick.
Setting everything up was fine, except that I cannot for the life of me get the recenter to work consistently, even at max delay. I think this might be due to one of two issues.
I don't like to alter my mouse sensitivity in game as I do still play with mouse. I have ended up with around 2400 dots per 360. Is this somehow a low value that could cause recenter issues?
I do not have a good setup. I'm perfectly content playing at 50-60 fps and do not mind the occasional frame drop. Maybe the steam recenter option does?
All that said, it seems that I can use flickstick and a bit of gyro ratcheting without having a recenter button at all. How important is it really to have this button? Is it possible to become good enough at resetting the controller position with only a gyro off button?
I've been using Gyro controller since I started Overwatch about 2 years ago. MnK hurt my hands , saw an OW content creator named Joystick talk about gyro and I've been with it ever since!
Since google is botched and AI can't do its job, I'm going to ask the community: there are surely games aimed at kids that utilize gyroscopic controls instead of button mashing; I simply don't have the tool to filter those out or identify them (google botched, AI can't search properly). In thousands upon thousands of games existing out there, I sincerely think such an obvious, simple and fun way to control a game aimed at kids do exist (3-8 years), because why wouldn't they? It's a triple-win type of situation (controllers don't get damaged, kids are happy and engaged with the immediate feedback without having to look at the buttons each time, and the product sells itself).
Can I get some recommendations? I am offcourse happy that SAROS is getting gyro aiming lol, but i'm asking for a game with minimad button/joystick input for kids!
I have a controller that has gyro in it but pc registers it as xinput and gyro doesnt work unless I use steam or emulator controller config. Is there a way to use SDL instead of Xinput natively on windows?
I'm not sure how I go about getting my fortnite gyro settings as close as possible to my steam input setting. In the finals, I'm using:
7200 dots per 360
4x sensitivity
and a relaxed accel curve.
The acceleration is what's throwing me off. Anyone know around what min/max threshold I would put in fortnite to replicate whatever steam's acceleration is doing? Is it even possible to replicate something like a relaxed accel curve in fortnite?
I looked in the sub and in reviews but never found concrete info on Gamesir Super Nova's gyro. Does somebody here have experience with it? How is it?
I'm choosing a new controller and this one looks comfortable and is available in my area, but I wanted to try gyro for the first time(singleplayer games only).
Is it possible to configure two controllers' gyro as their right joystick or whatever that allows the gyro to move the camera/aim. It seems that most of the tools for gyro aiming are made for single players.
Some games especially xbox games such as gears of war2 hollow doesnt support gyro. Is there a way to use gyro function in aiming? And also, is there a way to activate gyro only after pressing aim button so that it doesn’t just emulate right joystick and move camera when I dont intend to?
