There's been an increase of Gyro as a joystick within a player vs. player (PvP) environment, primarily used to leverage the game's Aim Assist systems, where it was originally intended for Joystick. Over the years, we've seen major multiplayer shooters on the market have been aggressively tuning their Aim Assist to the point that many frictions have occurred, to the point that general gaming community sentiment points to "Aimbot". This is also in combination with abusing Recoil Control.
Naturally, Players may intentionally use Gyro as a joystick source to "game the system".
Rule #3: Respect Game Developer standards of Fairness:
Please avoid encouraging others to break the game developer's competitive integrity rules. Such as by adding aim assist to gyro controls in competitive Player vs. Player (PvP) games that doesn't enable aim assist with mice or with motion controls. Instead, we encourage game developers to avoid Aim Assist, see this developer thread for more details
This rule is not a limit on discussions about fairness, personal preferences, or accessibility.
Do note: this rule exclusively applies to Multiplayer's Player vs. Player environment; it won't apply to Player vs. Environment or Single-Player games.
r/GyroGaming's objective is to spread the love and joy of motion sensors for Camera, Gestures, and Pointers/Cursors functions. we also encourage developers to implement gyro controls (and mixed input) to their games, increasing motion sensor adoption in commercial games. Gyroscope being associated with cheating will negatively affect gyro adoption and may deter developers from not implementing it. Doing that will destroy Gyro Gaming's reputation as it did with reWASD and DS4Windows (in fact: it almost happened to Gyroscope Aiming in February 2022, within the same timeframe as Fortnite reintroducing Gyro Aiming support).
While we acknowledge the importance of Gyro as a Joystick within the context of games that do not allow you to combine Gamepad with Mouse, we do not support Gyroscope being used as a cheating device, and we don't want to be associated with that group.
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!
I built HandheldGyroDSU because I wanted a straightforward way to use built-in motion controls in emulators (Cemu, Dolphin, etc.) without relying on Handheld Companion.
Handheld Companion is a great tool, but installing virtual drivers (HidHide, ViGEmBus), hiding your physical gamepad, and emulating a DualShock 4 controller just to get gyro in Zelda or Splatoon often clashes with Armoury Crate / Legion Space / Steam Input—and sometimes leaves the built-in controller stuck or unresponsive.
HandheldGyroDSU takes a simpler route: it leaves your physical controller alone and just streams your device's internal gyro sensor directly to your emulator via Cemuhook DSU.
Here’s what I’ve built into it so far:
No Virtual Drivers or Controller Conflicts: It doesn't touch your buttons, triggers, or OEM software. Armoury Crate, Legion Space, and Steam Input keep working normally without double-input issues.
Emulator Auto-Detection & Profiles: Watches for your emulators in the background and automatically turns on or switches gyro profiles when you launch a game.
Axis & Sensitivity Tweaking: You can adjust gyro sensitivity, deadzones, and axis orientation/inversion per device or per emulator so the motion controls feel right.
Full Gamepad Navigation: The entire app can be navigated using your handheld’s D-pad and buttons, so you don't have to tap tiny menus on the touchscreen.
In-Game HUD Notifications: Shows small on-screen pop-ups when the gyro server starts, stops, or switches profiles so you know it's active.
Built-in Gyro Tester: Includes a real-time loopback tester inside the app so you can check your gyro movement and packet flow before booting up a game.
Background & System Tray Mode: Can start quietly with Windows in the system tray and stay out of your way until you open an emulator.
Looking for Testers & Contributors
This is a free, open-source project. As you can see in the Splatoon clip above, it's working well on my own setup, and now I'm looking for people across different Windows handhelds (ROG Ally, Ally X, Legion Go, MSI Claw, Ayaneo, GPD, etc.) to test it out. Since different handhelds sometimes orient their internal sensors differently, getting feedback from other devices would be super helpful.
If you want to try it on your device, let me know how the gyro axes feel, report a bug, or contribute code on GitHub—feel free to jump in.
This game is weird. You can use all controller controls and simply switch aiming to mouse mode. Easy "mixed input" setup.
It's just terrible when now regular controller players stomp me with broken aim assist. It just would feel wrong to switch to gyro to joystrick to benefit from gyro and aim assist.
I'm playing MW4 on PC with a DualSense (USB, Steam Input disabled) and there's one thing about native gyro that's really annoying me.
I have gyro set to ADS only but when I release L2, gyro doesn't turn off immediately. It keeps moving the camera for a brief moment, so when I move the controller back to its normal position, my aim moves with it.
Hello, I created an f1 game. I would love if you try it. It’s name is SGMDRAWFORMULA. If you like it, please let me know and share it with your friends. I am developing it so if you have ant sugestions, just tell me. If you connect a dualsense, you can use it for steering.
Bought the game because of how cool and fun the gyro was in MW4 beta, has anyone else run into the issue of weapon control not working, and fixed it, only the Camera Control works with gyro.
I use a steam controller emulated as a playstation controller and worked fine during beta
I am new to gyro, i have dualshock controller and can't set it up properly for racing (NFS UNBOUND) or shooting (007 First Light) please help (preferably not to use gyro to mouse due to icon overlapping.
I know about the gyro camera control option for dual stick mode, but there is a reason it's hidden in another setting menu and not default. The game is so clearly built around decoupled aiming and lock on that even in that mode your aim is regularly decoupled and it's really jarring when it changes.
I'm happy to play decoupled if the game is built around it but no right stick camera just means I'm constantly pointing to the edge of the screen and back to turn (really awkward when using a controller). It's as if we've made no progress since the Wii.
I'd be less mad if the mode had something else for the right stick but it's just unbound.
I've tried both ways for about half hour each and even after waiting till I got it 60% off I'm still disappointed.
I was feeling a bit cut by the £50 price tag on a sale, and initially wasnt feeling as impressed as I was by returnal but it’s quickly turned into a sweaty and enjoyable game that I can see myself playing repeatedly for quite some time to come.
I think £50 for any game these days is pretty steep so defo wait on a deeper sale if you want to sweat over a game with hands down one of the greatest implementations Ive seen for gyro (I’m easily satisfied by a ratchet button xD)
There's a new update to Cyberpunk 2077 that allows for mod support on consoles through mod.io. I've never been able to get into the game because i simply cant aim without gyro or mouse, so I'm really excited about this. Does anyone know if there are any mods that add gyro and if you think they will be available?
October is sp👀ky month. So, I decide to play this title. It's a zombie gallery shooter WiiWare game. I setup modern gyro aim with Steam Input. It was pretty easy to figure out since this game was made for Wii motion control originally. It plays nicely, I was expecting a potentially rough experience. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. It's very fun and satisfying blasting zombies and goblins with anime fairy tell characters hehe.
There is a updated newer version of this game on Steam and Switch, but I already had this version in emulation on the Steam Deck. That's good enough for me. The Nintendo Switch version also doesn't support gyro aiming which is a absolute crime. The stick aiming in the Switch version looks slow, outdated and simply less fun. I may pick up the Steam version for the added QoL, extra content, modes and stages at some point.
Nonetheless, for now this is a very casual and enjoyable way to take on a anime zombie apocalypse! I just thought I'd share here with the community a relaxed, fun, themed way I've been engaging with gyro aim this season. 🧟🎯
Are you guys going to play or already playing through any spooky games with gyro aim this month? If so, what are they? Anyways, that's all I've got.
I recently purchased the game sir G8 plus Galileo. I'm having a hard time using the joysticks they're either too touchy or too stiff I need good settings for a good balance. I prefer them to be more on the stiff side than the super jumpy but still can't find a balance.
I thought I had clips of the final boss flight where I used full gyro, but I only have this clip where I use ADS gyro only. I'm using the low-ammo magnum to kill these guys in their weak points, so every shot counts!
It took me until the end of the game to get the gyro settings to my liking. The X Pro only supports joystick gyro and it never felt quite right.
After this I think ill permanently upgrade to the Blitz 2 so I don't have to fiddle with the settings so much.
Bom, eu sempre joguei pubg no celular e tentei por agora jogar no PC, sempre usei gyro no celular, e jogo muito bem, mas tentei replicar isso usando gyro do dualsense como mouse, falhei miseravelmente, recoil muito difícil de segurar e por ser controle, sempre quando começo a atirar o controle da uma "guinada" pra cima por pressão do dedo no gatilho R2.. queria saber se alguém joga ou ja jogou e consegue bater de frente com galera do mouse e teclado usando gyro no PUBG, aceito dicas..
