Aim assist

Last updated

In video games, aim assist is a gameplay feature designed to help players with their aiming. It is commonly found in first-person shooter (FPS) games, and is an element particularly designed for players who use controller inputs, as opposed to a mouse and keyboard (MnK).

Contents

Background and description

Aiming down the sights or scope of a gun is a key component of first-person shooters. Allowing for more precise movements and aiming, the mouse and keyboard is considered the easier and more intuitive input. [1] [2] With a controller's thumbsticks being harder to use, developers of FPS games include aim assist as tool for those using controllers. [1] [3]

The aim assist function helps guide a controller player's crosshairs automatically. [3] Contemporary player versus player (PvP) games employ the feature by way of "slowing down crosshair movement when an enemy enters a certain range of the player's crosshair." [2] Games also have been noted to include aim assist as a feature that can be toggled off. [2] An element of aim assist is zoom snapping, which Morgan Park of PC Gamer described as an "invisible force that guides a controller player's reticle to an enemy's head or body when aiming as long as they're looking in the enemy's direction, and keeps the aim locked there for a time". [4]

Some players have utilized third-party re-mapping programs, a software that spoofs their MnK input to trick a console into thinking they are using a controller. This allows for the player to receive benefits from a mouse's precision and the aim assist setting. [4] [5] In response, developers use anti-cheat software to detect these third party re-mapping programs and have banned players for using them. [6]

History

With the rise of games employing crossplay, aim assist began to be more considered by players, developers, and video game media writers. PC players largely use the MnK input, [7] though the aim assist feature is usually available for all controller players, even when they play on PC platforms. [1] Such players have expressed feelings that aim assist is an overpowered mechanic, giving controller players an unfair advantage. [7] Often times, developers of games including the mechanic have "politely ignored" requests to nerf the feature. [4] Indeed, instances of patches to the feature designed to tone down its perceived advantages, such as with The Finals ' 1.4.1 patch in January 2024, are considered rare. [4] This particular patch addressed zoom snapping and camera magnetism elements of aim assist, as well as prohibiting clients running key remapping programs on PC access to the feature. [4] The complete disabling of the feature in PC–console crossplay matches has been another response from developers, [8] though this is not an available route for games that do not present an option for players to disable crossplay. [7]

In esports

Though players have stated concerns about unfair advantages allowed by the tool, aim assist is not considered "cheating". [1] Players have indeed been noted to actively switch from MnK to controller for competitive advantages. [8] As an intentional feature of games, the aim assist tool is used in professional esports. After winning the ALGS Year 3 Split 1 Playoffs tournament, the professional Apex Legends player ImperialHal cited his switching to controller as helping improve his play. [9]

In other genres

Though it is often discussed in the context of the FPS genre and PvP settings, aim assist has been noted to exist in other types of games. The role-playing game (RPG) Diablo IV , which features player versus environment (PvE) gameplay, has an auto aim system. The feature can be turned off in the game's settings. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game controller</span> Device used with games or entertainment systems

A game controller, gaming controller, or simply controller, is an input device or input/output device used with video games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game. Input devices that have been classified as game controllers include keyboards, mice, gamepads, and joysticks, as well as special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting games. Controllers designs have evolved to include directional pads, multiple buttons, analog sticks, joysticks, motion detection, touch screens and a plethora of other features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speedrunning</span> Act of playing a video game as quickly as possible

Speedrunning is the act of playing a video game, or section of a video game, with the goal of completing it as fast as possible. Speedrunning often involves following planned routes, which may incorporate sequence breaking and exploit glitches that allow sections to be skipped or completed more quickly than intended. Tool-assisted speedrunning (TAS) is a subcategory of speedrunning that uses emulation software or additional tools to create a precisely controlled sequence of inputs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamepad</span> Type of video game controller

A gamepad is a type of video game controller held in two hands, where the fingers are used to provide input. They are typically the main input device for video game consoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheating in online games</span> Practice of subverting video game rules or mechanics to gain an unfair advantage

On online games, cheating subverts the rules or mechanics of the games to gain an unfair advantage over other players, generally with the use of third-party software. What constitutes cheating is dependent on the game in question, its rules, and consensus opinion as to whether a particular activity is considered to be cheating.

Game balance is a branch of game design with the intention of improving gameplay and user experience by balancing difficulty and fairness. Game balance consists of adjusting rewards, challenges, and/or elements of a game to create the intended player experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arrow keys</span> Set of keys on a typical computer keyboard

Arrow keys or cursor movement keys are keys on a computer keyboard that are either programmed or designated to move the cursor in a specified direction.

A cooperative video game, often abbreviated as co-op, is a video game that allows players to work together as teammates, usually against one or more non-player character opponents (PvE). Co-op games can be played locally using one or multiple input controllers or over a network via local area networks, wide area networks, or the Internet.

Cheating in video games involves a video game player using various methods to create an advantage beyond normal gameplay, usually in order to make the game easier. Cheats may be activated from within the game itself, or created by third-party software or hardware. They can also be realized by exploiting software bugs; this may or may not be considered cheating based on whether the bug is considered common knowledge.

<i>osu!</i> 2007 video game

Osu! is a free-to-play rhythm game originally created and self-published by Australian developer Dean Herbert. It was released for Microsoft Windows on 16 September 2007, with later ports to macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First-person shooter</span> Video game genre

A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through the eyes of the main character. This genre shares multiple common traits with other shooter games, and in turn falls under the action games category. Since the genre's inception, advanced 3D and pseudo-3D graphics have proven fundamental to allow a reasonable level of immersion in the game world, and this type of game helped pushing technology progressively further, challenging hardware developers worldwide to introduce numerous innovations in the field of graphics processing units. Multiplayer gaming has been an integral part of the experience, and became even more prominent with the diffusion of internet connectivity in recent years.

Since the origin of video games in the early 1970s, the video game industry, the players, and surrounding culture have spawned a wide range of technical and slang terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross-platform play</span> Ability of players using different video game systems to play with each other simultaneously

In video games with online gaming functionality, also called cross-compatible play, cross-platform play, crossplay, or cross-play describes the ability of players using different video game hardware to play with each other simultaneously. It is commonly applied to the ability for players using a game on a specific video game console to play alongside a player on a different hardware platform such as another console or a computer. A related concept is cross-save, where the player's progress in a game is stored in separate servers, and can be continued in the game but on a different hardware platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox Adaptive Controller</span> Video game controller designed by Microsoft for people with disabilities

The Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC) is a video game controller designed by Microsoft for Windows PCs and the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S video game consoles. The controller was designed for people with disabilities to help make user input for video games more accessible.

<i>Valorant</i> 2020 video game by Riot Games

Valorant is a 2020 first-person tactical hero shooter video game developed and published by Riot Games. A free-to-play game, Valorant takes inspiration from the Counter-Strike series, borrowing several mechanics such as the buy menu, spray patterns, and inaccuracy while moving. Development started in 2014 and was teased under the codename Project A in 2019; the game was released on June 2, 2020 for Windows. It was ported to the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in June 2024, albeit without crossplay between PC and console clients.

Flick Stick is a video game control scheme designed for gyroscopic game controllers. The Flick Stick control scheme is primarily designed for 3D shooter games with the intent of bringing the perceived advantages of mouse aiming to controllers, while addressing shortcomings of traditional first-person shooter controller schemes.

Cheating in esports is a deliberate violation of the rules of an esports governing body or other behavior that is intended to give an unfair advantage to a player or team. At its core, esports are video game competitions in an organized, competitive environment. Tournaments often pay out prize money to the highest placing teams in these events, giving players an incentive to cheat. Commonly cited instances of cheating include the use of software cheats, such as aimbots and wallhacks, exploitation of bugs, use of performance-enhancing drugs, such as Ritalin and Adderall, and match fixing.

<i>Overwatch</i> Video game franchise

Overwatch is a multimedia franchise centered on a series of multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Overwatch was released in 2016 with a successor, Overwatch 2, released in 2022. Both games feature hero-based combat between two teams of players vying over various objectives, along with other traditional gameplay modes.

Fortnite Festival is a 2023 rhythm game developed by Harmonix and published by Epic Games. In the game, players perform songs while attempting to achieve the highest score possible based on their performance. Each song features four different instruments, and players choose which instrument they want to play, as well as the song's difficulty; higher difficulties change the layouts of the songs. A variety of songs can be chosen from, with a free selection that changes daily, as well as the opportunity to purchase songs outright from the Fortnite item shop. Available songs range from those composed by Epic Games Sound Team to tracks from popular artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ImperialHal</span> American professional Apex Legends player

Phillip Dosen, better known by his online alias and gaming handle ImperialHal, is an American professional Apex Legends player currently playing for Team Falcons.

The 2022–23 Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) season or ALGS Year 3 was the third season of ALGS play. The series is organized by the game's publisher and developer, Electronic Arts (EA) and Respawn Entertainment, respectively.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 González Rodríguez, André (September 25, 2021). "What is Aim Assist and is using it cheating?". Dot Esports . Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Snavely, Adam (June 29, 2022). "How to turn on aim assist in Fortnite". Dot Esports . Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Davison, Ethan (October 16, 2020). "Aim assist in the crosshairs". Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Park, Morgan (January 11, 2024). "The Finals drops major nerf on controller aim assist, targets controller spoofing on PC". PC Gamer . Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  5. Smith, Graham (January 11, 2024). "The Finals stops players taking unfair advantage from controller aim assist". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  6. Carr, James (June 17, 2024). "Valorant Players Are Already Getting Banned For Using Mouse And Keyboard On Console". GameSpot . Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Chalk, Andy (November 3, 2022). "Modern Warfare 2 players are already taking sides in the battle over aim assist". PC Gamer . Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Litchfield, Ted (October 15, 2022). "Would you play an FPS with a controller if aim assist helped you win more?". PC Gamer . Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  9. Bennett, Connor (February 7, 2023). "Apex Legends aim assist debate reignited as ImperialHal wins ALGS on controller". Dexerto . Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  10. Bergin, Lauren (2023). "Diablo 4 has aim assist on PC, and it's OP". PCGamesN . Retrieved June 23, 2024.