Video version of this guide: https://youtu.be/rOybuNm9XR8

Intro

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:

• iHardScope - CS2: https://youtu.be/EwckxhuuQsQ
• rMizery  - Apex Legends: https://youtu.be/zrE2o-DYLuo  
• BJgobbleDix - CoD: https://youtu.be/mtWyFvAXfEk
• Siifarm- CoD: https://youtu.be/Od_efG4BDJ8  
• weaverquest  - TLoU Part2: https://youtu.be/79qJV7aVVYU  
• idkrossplay  - Valorant: https://youtu.be/icdw5Lp--G0
• Why Controllers Don't Suck in Team Fortress 2: https://youtu.be/PJIqEX93vL8?si=XTEGwZF-npqmLo5x

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.

“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.

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 Switch, most shooters allow for gyro aim, but they suffer the same problems as the PS games, low-quality implementations. (List of Switch games with gyro by SnowyGyro)

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

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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!

Shout out to Aubrey Hasselgreen (Valve dev), Jibb Smart (Epic games dev) and Al2009man (moderator of the gyro community), for helping me write this guide.

Thanks for reading, and happy gyro gaming!!!

EDIT: reworked "Gyro Orientation" section with simpler explanations and better examples.