Now full disclosure, I am talking about gyro in the context of an option you can choose to disable. All of us should be fully aware that not everyone has the same preferences or degree of physical dexterity as the rest of us, and any developers out there should absolutely accommodate those people as best as possible. Keep it an optional feature.
Gyro aiming, or using subtle movements to fine tune your aim on a traditional control scheme, has been a staple of Nintendo hardware since the early 2010s, effectively gutting aim assist in the process. Games like Ocarina of Time 3D showed just how much better they can play with it enabled. The Splatoon games ever since the Wii U have proven that it was a viable input method for competitive shooters, with around 80% of players reportedly using it in the first game after just two months. And finally and most recently, Breath of the Wild showed many people how insane your trickshots can get with it turned on.
First party Switch games almost always have gyro as an option, even in genres you wouldn’t normally suspect like Mario Tennis Aces or New Pokemon Snap. But third parties have been hit or miss with the feature. Games like Fortnite, Skyrim, Overwatch, and DOOM 2016 added it by popular demand, with the last one [even showcasing it on Twitter](https://twitter.com/doom/status/965962815872921600?s=46&t=ue8ETBJp0sqMs8ZoBQmOpA). Conversely Resident Evil 4, which arguably had its best port back on Wii, neglected to include the feature here. That last one is especially baffling since the Switch versions of RE5, 6, and Revelations remarkably *did* include gyro right out of the box.
Here are some essential things to keep in mind for good gyro on Switch in case any aspiring game devs or publishers happen to be reading this:
**1. Make it optional whenever possible:** This should go without saying, as alluded to in the first paragraph. Some will be opposed to motion no matter what, so don’t force it on them.
**2. Include sensitivity settings for both X and Y axes:** I personally mainly rely on gyro more for vertical adjustments rather than horizontal, as those are best relegated to the right stick. But YMMV.
**3. Include a one-touch recalibrate button:** We don’t wanna be stuck looking at the ceiling whenever we’re not aiming at anything. You can save us a real hassle with this simple button prompt.
**4. Remember that gyro aiming is different from waggle:** Gyro is best applied on a traditional control scheme and is subtle in its execution. “Waggle”, meanwhile, means replacing normal button presses with shakes or broad gestures altogether. And in serious games, that usually doesn’t work out well.
by Asad_Farooqui
35 Comments
I felt that way since Wii. For the first time in a long while I started enjoying shooter games, and was quite disappointed when I purchased RE4 on Switch just to find out it doesn’t support it (I played the hell out of it on Wii).
But yes, I totally agree this should become the norm to include in games (probably off by default) but should be an option to turn it on. Now anytime I’m interested in some shooting game – always make sure to check it supports motion controls.
I can’t stand motion controls. I find them far less intuitive and responsive than standard controls. I think I’m in the minority here though.
I would absolutely love for that to happen. It was a now-defunct battle royale called Spellbreak that showed me how intuitive gyro controls can be with a third-person camera; not just for first-person aiming, but for controlling the camera at all times. Tilting my Switch up and around instead of fiddling with the right stick felt wonderfully freeing. A combination of the right stick for broad, sweeping movements and gyro for minute adjustments was ideal.
That said, I think it’s very unlikely to become a standard feature for anything that isn’t a shooter or has shooting mechanics. And that’s a shame.
I like to sit back or lie down and relax while I play games, so I do not want this at all
And I’m sure I’m far from the only one like this
But as long as it’s optional, I’m good
It is **already** the standard on Switch. And it’s optional in every game it is in (Anyone that doesn’t use it in Splatoon gets destroyed by players that do use it though).
The only games that don’t include it are mostly lazy ports like Bioshock or Resident Evil 4 (Why do 5 and 6 have it but not 4?).
I can’t imagine playing BotW without motion controls.
I guess they could implement auto-aim or other way of targeting something more easily, but that kind of removes the point of aiming.
Can someone provide examples of games that implemented gyro aiming especially well?
Recently I’ve played ‘house of the dead’ (mostly to satisfy my childhood urge to actually beat the end boss, which I never did in the arcades). The gyro mechanics ‘worked’ I guess but you are constantly resetting your aim reticle.
I played a bit of Skyrim using the motion controls as well. I did enjoy it, but several hours in I reverted back to standard controls.
I never once even tried gyro with my BOTW playthrough.
I LOVE playing shooters on Switch because gyro controls are the bomb. It blows my mind that the same games on the PS5, don’t have gyro aiming. So I have to choose between gameplay and graphics which sucks. I choose gameplay.
I really enjoy gyro controls, makes fps games on console feel great. Shame that not all games have them, looking at you Bioshock switch ports.
I have tried gyro aiming on a few games on Switch now and it has only served to drive me bonkers more than anything else. So as long as it can be disabled then sure, nothing wrong with more options.
I’d love if every game implemented it as well as Splatoon 3 did. Once you get used to not having the Y axis on the right stick it works so well.
The lock on in Metroid Prime would be problematic with this scheme though, since it can move your view on the Y without the controller being in the correct position. Maybe while scanning it could continue tracking the location, and then reset back to where you are once the lock-on/scan is released? Might be too jarring though.
Would love a center view button in Prime. I think the L/R stick clicks would be free for this.
Never use. Great it’s there for people who do but I’ve no interest.
It’s worth noting that, with “standard” controls, there is actually an extra cognitive and logistical step between the control and the character. With a control stick, you’re controlling the *change in rotation*, whereas with motion controls you’re controlling the rotation directly.
So, for example, if you want to move your character 45° to the right:
* **on standard controls**, you must move your joy stick all the way to the right for t number of seconds until the desired angle is reached, then release on time.
* **with notion controls**, you just need to move your hand 45° (times some scalar) to the right.
In a Calculus sense, motion controls give you direct access to the variable, while standard controls give you access to the derivative of the variable. And that’s on top of the fact that moving your hand will be more intuitive than moving your finger.
Many lifelong gamers have become accustomed to standard controls, but no doubt down the line, newer gamers will find an easier time learning to game with motion controls. And games like Splatoon show that motion controls can be viable for precise and competitive gameplay (which wasn’t generally the case isn’t the Wii era).
I don’t like it personally but I’m glad it’s there for people who do, more control options is always cool
i love gyro aim but there needs to be a setting that disables it in handheld mode, i don’t like going into the settings to turn it off if i’m not playing on a tv. splatoon makes this easy but every other game i’ve tried doesn’t have a setting for it
Agreed! Gyro aiming is just so intuitive and so much more precise than a joy-stick could ever be
Biggest change going from Doom (2016) on the Switch to Doom Eternal on my PC was the Gyro Aiming. Playing Eternal without Gyro was a big learning curve that I got over, but was definitely missed.
I personally can’t stand the gyro aiming, since in my experience it tends to drift and constantly need resetting. I do agree the Switch’s joysticks leave much much to be desired (at least with the Joycons) and can appreciate some people prefer that the gyro aiming can compensate for that, but I’d much prefer if Nintendo would just design better controllers in general. (not just Nintendo tbh)
It’s good they have *an* option like gyro aiming, but it’s just not for me and never has been. That said if they re-introduced the Wii’s style of motion controls, I’d be so down for it. 😅
I hate gyro aiming. It’s awkward. I don’t use it. I accept that some people love it, but then it’s the old controller vs keyboard mouse argument where gyro aiming seems to create an unfair advantage over controller. So we would need to solve this unfair advantage somehow.
Every console can do gyro aiming yet it’s a fucking unicorn on any non-Nintendo game. I think any game where you have to aim anything should allow it as an option.
I play all games I can with gyro controls.
I only use the right analog stick for gross moments of the camera, not fine aiming.
Aiming is done with the gyro
I choose my fps games basing on whether is has got gyro aiming or not. It not only makes aiming on a gamepad more precise. It is more fun.
Nerrel’s videos on YouTube about Gyro aiming are good coverage of the good and bad opinions on gyro aiming.
I love gyro aiming and I’ve advocated for it since Splatoon on WiiU. I think there are players who have never connected the dots on using sticks with gyro for the best experience. I think there are players who are too stubborn to learn a new aiming control after gaming without gyro for possibly 20+ years and dismiss gyro as a result.
If someone gives gyro aiming an honest effort and still doesn’t prefer it then I believe them. But I don’t think it’s possible to give it an honest try and not see any benefits over just sticks.
I mainly play my switch on the TV and do not enjoy gyro controls that way. Although I have been playing my vita a lot lately and I really enjoy the gyro when I am playing games handheld! I definitely think it should become a standard option along with other accessibility settings. It doesn’t hurt anyone by being an option.
I love it in BOTW, Splatoon and God of War Ragnarok! Wish they would add it to all shooters at this point.
I get the feeling that a lot of people in this thread that are hating on gyro are using it IN PLACE OF standard aiming, instead of supplementing.
The reason it’s a good idea on the switch, is because the joycons are just so… blah when it comes to using them for aiming. The gyro is necessary to get the same level of control I get with a standard Xbox controller (imo, it might just be my hands)
The only game I’ve used it in is BOTW.
It’s become so natural when I pull out the bow, or use Magnesis/Cryonis/Stasis to use the sticks to get in the general area of my target and then use motion control to fine tune my aim.
I think the developers did a great job of setting up that mechanic.
I love that it’s becoming a common option, especially for games on the Switch.
I picked up a Steam Controller in 2017 (and a few more during their clearance sale) because Splatoon basically convinced me that gyro was the next paradigm for controllers that would bring it closer to the accuracy of a mouse for aiming-based games, without the use of heavy aim assist due to dual-analpg being quite imprecise.
I remember shoehorning it into every game possible (played a lot of hours of PUBG with gyro, for example), and it made me realize that a lot of games could really stand to have more options for controls when the default offerings are lacking.
Even a few games on PlayStation were lucky to get PS Move support for pointer-based aiming like the Wii days or gyro aiming with the Dualshock 4, and recently, games like Horizon Forbidden West on PS5 added gyro support too. It’s crazy how their controllers have that feature but it’s never in the games because people just never really asked for it. Whereas on Switch, people consistently do ask for those options (like you mentioned for the DOOM 2016 port) and do use them.
Unfortunately, people still see gyro-based control in the same vein as Wii-era waggle (referred to as “gesture-based” motion control) and don’t see its benefits based on the amount of tweaking that will need to be done, its impact on accessibility, and seeing it only as a gimmick and nothing more.
The beauty of it as an option means that for those players who want it, it can be readily available.
Bottom line is that a lot of players genuinely don’t put as much effort into tweaking controls, especially on console where the offerings are sorely lacking. A lot of Nintendo’s games don’t allow you to remap controls, and while the Switch has a buttom remap feature, it’s only system-wide and doesn’t have it on a game-by-game basis like Steam does with Steam Input. The fact that we have to ask for features like this while the technology sits there unused is kinda odd, but I get why developers won’t do it if it’s not going to be worth it in the end.
—
Some of the points I’ve raised are lifted from a YouTuber named Nerrel, who did an excellent two-parter on the use of motion control in games [[1](https://youtu.be/binPB4YbWmM) + [2](https://youtu.be/RZ0xDRkC8LI)], where it’s succeeded and failed, and why a lot of players have seemed hesitant to give it a fair shot.
> Include a one-touch recalibrate button
I think this bit is super important. I’ve tried using my Switch Pro controller to play Steam games (using the Steam controller remapping to map gyro to mouse, or whatever I could jury-rig together) when I don’t want to use a keyboard+mouse, and I miss having a dedicated button to reset view because inevitably I want to shift sitting positions or the gyro has drifted.
I learned to use gyro aiming while playing Splatoon 2 which has a dedicated reset view button and it works great for me. The trick is to use the gyro for fine-tuning aim and the R-stick for quicker turns. Having the two inputs for aim results in the next best thing to keyboard+mouse.
Gyro is amazing. Sucks that the industry has not made it a standard yet, due to the misconceptions surrounding it.
It’s objectively the best way to aim on controller if you actually know how to use it, gyro aim has a learning curve that most people aren’t willing to put in the time and effort to get over it, pretty much every person who got over that curve wonders how the hell they ever used sticks for aiming.
It grinds my gears how stubborn the playstation in general is against it
> 3. Include a one-touch recalibrate button: We don’t wanna be stuck looking at the ceiling whenever we’re not aiming at anything. You can save us a real hassle with this simple button prompt
This is what got me to love Gyro in Monster Hunter Rise. You can set it so Gyro only is active while aiming, meaning you can activate and deactivate it at will by pressing the aim button for your wire bugs. As someone who really struggles with camera control in fast-paced games, Gyro kinda saved Monster Hunter for me after they went full-on spiderman ninja with it.
It’s the best thing that’s happened, if a game doesn’t have good gyro and is a shooter or shooter adjacent, I’m not even going to give it a chance, it doesn’t deserve one.
gyro is sooo damn good in breath of the wild, id so seemless, recently played hogwarts legacy on PS5 ( amazing game) but the gyro controls are miles away from breath of the wild gyro