A new feature aims to take controller control to the next level. As a result, the controller should finally be able to keep up with the mouse and keyboard in terms of aiming, speed and precision. The technology uses the controller’s gyroscope and is already available in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite and Deathloop.
What is the problem with controller aim? With the controller, movement and field of vision are detached from each other. Usually you control your movements with the left analog stick and your field of vision with the right.
Sensitivity determines how quickly your character can change its direction of view. Often – but not always – you can adjust the sensitivity of your analog sticks. The problem with this is that you can only change your line of sight as quickly as the sensitivity allows you.
This usually puts controller players at a disadvantage. Aim faster and more accurately with a mouse and keyboard. Many games offer features like “Aim Assist” to help out controller players. In Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, however, this always leads to controversy: Aim-Assist for controllers apparently reaches completely new spheres.
If you’ve already maxed out all the settings and your target speed is still too slow, you’ve unfortunately had bad luck so far. “Flick-Stick” now wants to change that fundamentally.
“Flick-Stick” promises precision and speed
How does Flick Stick work? The feature is a software solution that allows you to change the way your controller works. Anyone who thinks that only the keys are assigned differently is wrong.
If you have activated the “flick stick” control, your right analog stick only controls the viewing direction on the horizontal viewing axis. Moving the stick to the right rotates your character’s field of view 90 degrees to the right. If you move the stick to the left, your field of vision snaps 90 degrees to the left.
If you move your analog stick down, your character rotates 180 degrees. You can make finer adjustments by carefully moving your analog stick between the different positions. However, this requires a little finesse. Pushing the analog stick up will return your field of view to a neutral position.
How do you aim up or down? Since the right analog stick is only responsible for the horizontal view axis, it still needs something to cover the vertical view axis. That’s where the gyroscope comes into play: If you want to aim up or down, you have to move your controller accordingly with the “flick stick”. However, this requires minimal wrist movement. Nobody has to wildly wave the controller.
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Is the technology new? No, actually not. So there were already some games for the PS3, which used the gyroscope for control. The game “Splatoon” for the Wii U then introduced the gyroscope control to a larger audience.
Julian “Jibb” Smart, the developer behind “Flick-Stick” has been working on implementing his technology on a large scale since mid-2018. The option has been available on Steam since 2020 and other studios and publishers are also showing interest. You can test the feature on CS:GO, Fortnite or Deathloop.
Are you convinced of the concept? Have you perhaps already tried “Flick-Stick” and what was your experience with it? Leave us a comment!
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