Aim Assist: Everything you need to know About Aim Assist on Consoles

The ins and outs you need to know about aim assist containing different techniques and tools that make up the assist and it's role in your gameplay

[Skull521]

I wish PC games allowed aim assist when you use a controller, it’s not easy to compete against keyboard and mouse without it. Keyboard and mouse would still be superior but it would go a long ways toward leveling the playing field.

[TheSplooge]

Honestly, if you're good with a controller its possible to smoke people with m&kb. Used to do it on BF3 all the time.

[Skull521]

Yeah I’ve done a lot of PC with controller on BF3 as well but there is no question it is much easier to play with it on console vs PC.

[TheSplooge]

Of course! Youve got a level playing field on console. Auto aim annoys me, but if you disable it, you're at a disadvantaged. Thats why i play on hardcore cuz that shits disabled.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I find if you good with a mouse and keyboard it translates to reasonably good controller skills, but then it makes controllers feel sluggish to use.

[Kornholic]

This is true. You just have to play a little differently than you would on kb/m.

[Spartacus10]

I agree. Used to play BF3 and COD4 with controller. Just requires a different play style. Positioning and tactical awareness matter a lot more if you play with a controller pad.

[crazyCoconuts]

Agreed. I hear some games like Destiny do. Fortnite has it on PC settings but I can't tell if it's working.
Either help with autoaim or maybe segment matchmaking between groups

[rageholic]

Fortnite definitely has it on PC. But they nerfed it. It's no where near as good as as it used to be. I've gotten used to it so I still do ok with a controller.

[MasterChief3624]

Some games have aim assist. I think the newest Call of Duty games do, Battlefront II and Battlefield 1 do. I'm sure there are many more, too.

[Cobra951]

I use a controller all the time in PC games, and they do have (defeatable) aim assist. Mouse is much better for raw aiming, but a controller feels too right for everything else for me to put it down. I like Far Cry 5's flexible scheme, where I can reach for the mouse to aim while still controlling movement with the left joystick, and bringing up the crosshairs with the left trigger. I seldom do that, but sometimes it pays off with the extra finesse for head-shotting moving targets.

I've learned to compensate for the more coarse right-stick aiming with footwork. Bring the crosshairs close with R-stick, and then jostle around with L-stick for a finer adjustment. It's become second nature, and I don't even think about it as I do it.

[Flewid638]

Offline, many do.

[isarai]

I hate it, ruins my finesse. As soon as i boot up a shooter i go to settings and turn it off if possible.

[Kornholic]

It really depends on the game. There is variety even between Call of Dutys. For example Black Ops 3 has a really aggressive aim assist compared to WW2.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Always turned off. Feels like I'm only half playing the game with that crap.

[PurpHerbison]

There are times where it works against you too.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Yea like when aiming at your target and someone runs in front of them, pulling your gun towards them instead?

[Cobra951]

Also, when it makes it tough for you to lead a moving target. That's poor design, I think. Good auto-aim allows you to nudge your aim spot. It feels like a rubber band tries to pull your aim back to center, but doesn't yank it back, or "snap" suddenly away from your target.

[MasterChief3624]

Why is this written like an expose on something that is just being implemented, when it has in fact been around for the better part of 2 decades?

[aaronaton]

I for one have been following this Aim Assist Controversy for multiple generations, here are some of the worst and least offensive:
Call Of Duty and Halo seemed to be the 1st pioneers of Aim assist with COD3 and Halo2, effectively being a 'sticky aim' where your cross-hair would stick momentarily to a target rendering more accurate shooting.
The latest installment of Halo on XboxOne have seen some of the worst and most n00bish Aim Assist ever to be invented, on top of the persistent sticky aim, they added 'bullet magnetism', which would genuinely see bullets swerve towards their intended target.

Surprisingly, there has only been a handful of PS title that don't offer sticky aim at all (Killzone being one of them)

Personally Aim Assist was born from last generation for the need for casual gamers to become more competitive, i blame the Xbox360 and Call of Duty mainly. I really don't think it's necessary in this day in age as casual gamers are far less inept and more competitive generally.
I just wish EA/Dice shared the same opinion.
I didn't get why they didn't disable Aim Assist for Hardcore Mode??!! strange to say the least.

[PurpHerbison]

It makes sense to have aim assist as an option for single player modes to make casuals feel better about themselves but it makes no sense to introduce that into the competitive online world.

[dillydadally]

I can't believe how naive some of the comments are on here. They act like it's better to play with a controller with no aim assist at all. My guess is you've never actually played a game with a controller and absolutely no aim assist at all. It's nearly impossible. Try aiming accurately at your teammates in halo for example. Second, there's a difference between aim assist and auto aim. If you zoom in near someone and it automatically locks onto the nearest target, that's bad. If you move your cursor near someone and it helps you a little to not pass over them or stop just short, that's good. That's the only way you can even the skill level out with a mouse SD and the only way controllers don't feel awful to play with.

[Nacho_Z]

Nearly impossible to aim accurately without aim assist on using a controller? Ha. Not for me.

[RememberThe357]

I have a hard time tracking with joysticks. Getting the target in my sights isnt a problem, its tracking their movement that makes me end up turning up the sensitivity in most shooters to get the sense of nuance I need in the gunplay. In the end I end up trying to find a balance between feeling too slow to react or overreacting and completely missing the mark.

[Majin-vegeta]

Lol i take it you never killzone shadowfall?That game has no aim assist period and it's easy to get kills.Git gud

[Cobra951]

Why do you think "auto-aim" and "aim assist" mean different things in this context (player aiming control)? Pure auto-aim would be terrible. It would mean the player doesn't control aiming at all. A bot aims, and you just run around and pull the trigger.

[Kornholic]

Rainbow Six Siege has no aim assist in PVP. You are full of shit.

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

I prefer my shooters to have no to low aim assist. I think the PS4 and XB1 controllers offer a lot more precision than their predecessors.

[bujasem_89]

I couldn't enjoy RDR until I switched it off. It's challenging yes, but it is only a learning curve.