Playing Final Fantasy XIV with a controller feels smooth and comfortable, but the right settings make a huge difference. Good controls help you react faster, target enemies more easily, and move better during intense fights — which is why many players spend time adjusting their setup before jumping into raids or dungeons.
In this FFXIV controller guide, you'll learn the best ways to improve your gameplay experience. From camera speed to cross hotbars, every setting matters, and tweaking your controller sensitivity can make combat feel far more responsive.
You'll also find useful console settings for both PlayStation and Xbox controllers. So grab your controller, adjust your setup, and get ready for smoother adventures across Eorzea.
FFXIV supports both keyboard-and-mouse and gamepad controls, but controller players rely heavily on quick reactions and efficient hotbar layouts. Finding the right controller settings can make combat and exploration much easier.
The game supports all XInput-compatible controllers, and button layouts can be customized from the Gamepad Settings menu inside System Configuration.
You can access your control settings by opening:
System → Character Configuration → Control Settings
From there, you can change movement style, targeting filters, camera settings, and more.
Movement settings affect how your character reacts during battles and exploration. FFXIV offers two movement styles.
| Movement Type | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Type | Camera controls movement direction | Casual exploration |
| Legacy Type | Character controls movement direction | Raids and fast combat |
Most players consider Legacy the better option for a controller setup, since it allows smoother movement during boss fights — you can move away from attacks while keeping the camera focused on enemies.
| Action | Default Button |
|---|---|
| Move Character | Left stick |
| Move Camera | Right stick |
| Jump | Y |
| Auto-run | LB + Left Stick |
| Draw/Sheathe Weapon | LB + RB |
Good camera control helps you react faster during battles. The game offers several useful options here.
Holding LB while moving the right stick lets you zoom the camera in or out, which helps during crowded fights or while exploring cities.
Many players also reverse camera rotation depending on personal preference — you can change this inside Character Configuration.
These small tweaks improve overall comfort and help you dial in your controller settings.
Targeting is one of the most important parts of combat in FFXIV. Fortunately, controller targeting works surprisingly well once you learn the shortcuts.
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Cycle Through Targets | Left/Right D-Pad |
| Cycle Through Party Members | Up/Down D-Pad |
| Cycle Through Enemies | LT/RT + RB |
| Target Alliance Members | LB + Left/Right |
| Cycle Enmity List | LB + Up/Down |
These shortcuts make healing, tanking, and DPS rotations much easier. Healers can quickly move through party members using the D-pad, while tanks can instantly cycle through enemies using trigger combinations.
FFXIV also includes customizable target filters. These decide which targets appear while your weapon is sheathed or drawn.
| Weapon State | Target Type |
|---|---|
| Sheathed | All targets |
| Drawn | Enemies and objects |
You can customize filters further from:
Character Configuration → Control Settings → Filters
This helps reduce accidental targeting during combat.
The Cross Hotbar is the heart of controller gameplay in FFXIV. It lets you access many skills quickly using triggers and face buttons.
The game uses:
Each trigger combination activates different abilities, so you can comfortably manage large skill rotations with a controller.
Place main skills on easy buttons. Keep frequently used attacks on X, Y, A, and B — these buttons feel faster during combat.
Put cooldowns on secondary slots. Long-cooldown abilities work better on directional buttons.
Keep defensive skills together. Grouping them helps during emergencies.
Separate utility actions. Mounts, teleport skills, and emotes should stay on secondary hotbars.
FFXIV includes several helpful controller tools that many players overlook.
The Virtual Mouse lets you use the controller like a mouse.
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Enable Virtual Mouse | LB + Right Thumb-click |
| Move Cursor | Right Stick |
| Left Click | LT |
| Right Click | RT |
Auto-run makes long-distance travel more relaxing. To activate, hold LB and press the left stick. Press the same combination again to stop.
You can quickly draw or hide your weapon by pressing LB + RB. This also works for dismounting and descending while flying.
Simple shortcuts like these improve overall gameplay flow.
A clean HUD makes gameplay easier to follow, and FFXIV allows full HUD customization.
Controller players often benefit from larger interface elements, especially during raids.
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Confirm | A |
| Cancel | B |
| Open Submenu | X |
| Open Main Menu | START |
| Cycle HUD Components | BACK |
Once unlocked, flying mounts and underwater diving become important parts of exploration. These controls feel intuitive and easy to learn.
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Ascend | Y |
| Descend | B |
| Land/Dismount | LB + RB |
The right controller setup can make Final Fantasy XIV feel smoother and far more enjoyable. From movement to targeting, small adjustments improve combat and exploration in a big way. Good PS5 settings, in particular, help you react faster and play more comfortably during long sessions. Try different options, customize your hotbars, and build a setup that fits your playstyle perfectly.
Stay up to date with SCUF. Get our latest News, Guides, and Product Updates in your Google feeds.
Add SCUF as a preferred sourceThanks for helping us improve this article.