Best Settings for Hollow Knight Silksong

The wait is over, and Hollow Knight fans everywhere are diving into Silksong with vigor. This isn’t just a sequel — it’s a whole new challenge ready to test your reflexes and resolve. But before you charge into the fray, take a moment to get things right. Good settings can make the difference between a smooth adventure and a frustrating one.

Silksong is built for fluid motion. From darting through caverns to clashing with relentless bosses, a controller keeps your movement sharp and your flow uninterrupted. Thumbsticks give you that instinctive, responsive feel — the kind of connection that makes dodges tighter and combos smoother. Sure, you could play on keyboard, but the controller was made for this adventure.

This guide is here to help you lock in the perfect setup. Fine-tune your controller, find the layout that feels natural, and step into the kingdom of song and shadow with confidence. In Silksong, skill matters — but with the right controller in your hands, you’ll feel unstoppable from the very first step.

• Move: Analog Stick
• Jump: A (Xbox) / X (PlayStation)
• Attack: X (Xbox) / Square (PlayStation)
• Sprint/Dash: RB (Xbox) / R1 (PlayStation)
• Heal/Bind: B (Xbox) / Circle (PlayStation)
• Inventory: View/Select Button
• Map: D-Pad Up

If you’re diving into Silksong’s fast-paced combat and platforming, button placement is everything. Keeping Jump, Attack, and Dash/Sprint within easy reach means less finger gymnastics and more focus on the fight.

Controller players should absolutely move Dash/Sprint to a shoulder button (RB / R1). It frees up your thumb, making dashes and combos feel fluid and instinctive instead of clunky. The result? Smoother movement, tighter dodges, and cleaner transitions between offense and defense.

No matter your setup, always test your layout in combat. Exploring might feel fine with one configuration, but the real test comes when a boss unleashes a storm of attacks. Adjust after you’ve faced the chaos — that’s when the right layout proves its worth.

• Music Volume: 70%
• Sound Effects: 100%
• Master Volume: Adjust to taste

Christopher Larkin’s score is breathtaking, wrapping Silksong in atmosphere and tension. But in the heat of a boss fight, music can sometimes work against you. Subtle audio cues — the scrape of a blade, the hiss of a charge, the snap before an attack — are often your earliest warnings. Miss them, and you’re reacting late.

The fix is simple: drop Music Volume to around 70% and keep Sound Effects at 100%. You’ll still feel the weight of the soundtrack, but enemy tells will cut through loud and clear. It’s the best of both worlds — the magic of the score without losing the survival edge.

Start with a profile that matches your hardware, then fine-tune from there.

• RTX 3060+, 144Hz monitor
• Uncapped FPS
• G-Sync/FreeSync ON
• Particles Normal
• Native resolution
• V-Sync OFF

• 1280×800 (16:10)
• 60 FPS cap
• Particles Low
• Blur Low
• Test V-Sync for smoothness

• GTX 1050–1650
• 1920×1080
• 60 FPS cap
• V-Sync ON
• Particles Low
• Blur High

Each platform has its own quirks. Pick the setup that matches your gear, tweak as needed, and enjoy a crisp, responsive run through Silksong’s world. Here is what to watch for:

If you’ve got an Xbox or PS5 pad nearby, the choice is clear for most players: go with the controller. Analog sticks give you smooth, precise control over Hornet’s movement, letting you weave through platforms and enemies with ease.

Controllers are built for games like this. Every button is grouped tight, so you can dash, jump, and strike without ever breaking rhythm. That compact layout makes chaining moves seamless and keeps your hands comfortable during long sessions — no finger stretching, no awkward transitions.

That said, keyboard isn’t out of the fight. Many PC players appreciate the slightly crisper response and the familiarity of a desk-bound setup. It can keep pace with Silksong, even if it lacks the natural flow of a controller.

At the end of the day, it’s about comfort — but for fluid combat, tight platforming, and effortless play, a controller feels like the game’s natural home.

If you’re ready to push beyond the standard pad, a SCUF controller gives you the tools to do it. With configurable paddles, adjustable hair triggers, and swappable thumbsticks, you get more control and adaptability than a stock gamepad can offer.

The ergonomic design keeps you comfortable through marathon sessions, while the durable build shrugs off intense use. That means less fatigue, more focus, and sharper execution when every move matters.

In fast-paced shooters, SCUF helps you snap to targets and react in a heartbeat. In action-platformers like Silksong, it makes chaining dashes, jumps, and strikes second nature. And when loot-heavy adventures like Borderlands 4 drop the chaos, a SCUF keeps you locked in and efficient.

With a SCUF in hand, you’re not just playing — you’re playing with every advantage.