Best controller settings in Modern Warfare 2: Aim assist, sensitivity, more

Ryan Lemay

Knowing the best aim assist and controller settings in Modern Warfare 2 could make the difference in winning or losing a gunfight. Here are all of MW2’s best settings to take your game to the next level.

For grizzled CoD veterans and newcomers alike, knowing what controller settings to use is overwhelming. It doesn’t help that each Call of Duty game plays slightly differently, requiring playstyle adjustments.

Most of these settings come down to personal preference, but we’ve highlighted some of the best Modern Warfare 2 controller settings. Use the information below to get a leg up on the game’s fierce competition.

Kastov 762 Modern Warfare 2
Make sure to try out all the settings in a private match before jumping into the real thing.

Contents

Best Modern Warfare 2 controller settings

Inputs

  • Button Layout Preset: Tactical Flipped
  • Flip L1/L2 with L2/R2: On
  • Stick Layout Preset: Default
  • Controller Vibration: Off
  • Trigger Effect (PS5): Off

We recommend the Tactical Flipped Button Layout Preset on controllers because swapping crouch controls to the right stick from a button input makes it easier to dolphin dive or drop shot in Modern Warfare 2.

Flipping L1/L2 with L2/R2 is more of a personal preference, but it is ideal for firing semi-automatic weapons faster or getting the quickest possible aim down sight speed.

Aiming

  • Horizontal Stick Sensitivity: 6
  • Vertical Stick Sensitivity: 6
  • ADS Sensitivity Multiplier: 0.80

Most players use a sensitivity between 4 and 9. We found that 6 is an excellent middle ground for most players, providing comfortable control but still fast enough turning to allow players to fire back at enemies from any angle.

Decreasing the ADS Sensitivity Multiplier down to .80 from 1.00 takes advantage of the game’s strong aim assist and allows for a more precise lock on to enemies.

Sensitivity Multiplier

  • Third Person: 1.00
  • Ground Vehicles: 1.00
  • Air Vehicles: 1.00
  • Air Vehicles: 1.00
  • Tablet: 1.00

Vertical Aim Axis

  • On Foot: Standard
  • Third Person: Standard
  • Ground Vehicles: Standard

Gameplay

  • Aim Down Sight Behavior: Hold
  • Automatic Sprint: Off
  • Equipment Behavior: Hold
  • Weapon Mount Activation: ADS + Melee
  • Interact/Reload Behavior: Prioritize Reload
  • Armor Plate Behavior: Apply One

Advanced

  • Target Aim Assist: On
  • Aim Assist Type: Default
  • Aim Response Curve Type: Dynamic
  • ADS Sens. Multiplier: 1.00
  • ADS Sensitivity Transition Timing: Instant
  • Custom Sensitivity Per Zoom: Default

Inputs Deadzone

  • Left Stick Min: 0.00
  • Right Stick Min: 0.00
  • Left Stick Min: 0.75
  • Right Stick Min: 1.00
  • L2 Button Deadzone: 0.00
  • R2 Button Deadzone: 0.00

Decreasing the Deadzones as low as possible results in the best possible precision aim. However, you may need to increase the Left and Right Stick Min if you experience stick drift. If stick drift is still a problem around 15 on either stick, it may be time to get a new controller.

Movement Behaviors

  • Sprint/Tactical Sprint Behavior: Toggle
  • Auto Move Forward: Off (Unless Left Stick is broken)
  • Tactical Sprint Behavior: Double Tap Sprint
  • Grounded Mantle: Off
  • Automatic Airborne Mantle: Partial
  • Automatic Ground Mantle: Off
  • Invert Slide and Dive Behavior: Standard
  • Plunging Underwater: Movement
  • Parachute Auto-Deploy: On
  • Sprinting Door Bash: On

Modern Warfare 2’s quick TTK makes Tactical Sprinting dangerous. We recommend a Double Tap Sprint Tactical Sprint Behavior to avoid accidentally having a sprint animation cost you your life during a game.

Turning Automatic Ground Mantle Off avoids mishaps for mantling when you didn’t intend to.

Combat Behaviors

  • ADS Stick Swap: Off
  • ADS Interruption Behavior: Interrupt
  • Weapon Mount Movement Exit: On
  • Weapon Mount Exit Delay: Medium
  • Depleted Ammo Weapon Switch: On
  • Quick C4 Detonation: On

Vehicle Behaviors

  • Vehicle Camera Recenter: Short Delay
  • Camera Initial Position: Free Look

Overlays Behavior

  • Scoreboard Behavior: Toggle
  • Ping Wheel Delay: Moderate
  • Double Tap Danger Ping Delay: Moderate
Controller settings are mostly subjective for Modern Warfare 2, but some standout settings exist.

Best Aim Assist Type in Modern Warfare 2

While playing on a controller, it is essential to ensure Target Aim Assist is On at all times. Besides just making sure that Aim Assist is on, players must consider the different Aim Assist Types.

  • Default: Traditional aim slowdown near target used in Modern Warfare games.
  • Precision: Strong aim slowdown that only kicks in when aiming closer to the target. Best for accurate players.
  • Focusing: Strong aim slowdown that also kicks in when narrowly missing the target. Best for players new to analog aiming.
  • Black Ops: Traditional aim slowdown near target used in Black Ops games.

We recommend using the Traditional Aim Assist Type. Fans of Treyarch and the Black Ops series guns may want to try out the Black Ops setting, but for most Modern Warfare 2 players, Traditional makes the most sense.

Aim Response Curve

Modern Warfare 2 offers three types of Aim Response Curves, each coming with its own distinct feeling for your thumbstick movements. Here are how the three types in Modern Warfare 2 work.

  • Standard: Simple power curve map from aim stick to aim rate.
  • Linear: Aim stick maps directly to aim rate.
  • Dynamic: Reverse S-curve mapping for fine aim rate control.

Most Modern Warfare 2 players will lean towards the Standard Aim Response Curve, but we recommend giving Dynamic a go and learning how to use it. The setting allows for much finer control than the other options but requires a bit of a learning curve, no pun intended.

How to find the best Modern Warfare 2 controller aim assist settings

Modern Warfare 2 image with logo
Not all of the settings we recommend will work for you.

As we mentioned earlier, controller settings come down to personal preference, so if one or more of our settings don’t quite seem to work for you, then it’s easy enough to find your own specialized adjustments.

Load up a Private Match with bots and tinker around with the settings until everything feels exactly as it should.

Now that you have the best controller settings, you can check out some other guides we’ve compiled for Modern Warfare 2:

How to use Modern Warfare 2’s Gunsmith: Receivers and Blueprints explained | Modern Warfare 2 new equipment guide: Lethals and Tacticals explained | How to Slide Cancel in Modern Warfare 2How to unlock Oni Operator & Blueprint in Modern Warfare 2 | All Modern Warfare 2 Killstreaks | What is Modern Warfare 2 Spec Ops mode? | All Modern Warfare 2 perks | All Modern Warfare 2 Field Upgrades

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About The Author

Ryan is a former games writer for Dexerto. Ryan graduated from Ithaca College in 2021 with a sports media degree and a journalism minor. He gained experience as a writer for the Morning Times newspaper before joining Dexerto as a games writer. He mainly writes about first-person shooters, including Call of Duty and Battlefield, but he is also a big FIFA fan.