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GTA 5 Controller Settings For First Person

Optimize your gameplay experience with tailored camera and control tweaks.


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With GTA 5’s new first-person mode, you can customize the camera and control settings to suit your playstyle. You can even make it play as smoothly and accurately as a first-person shooter, and tell the game to automatically switch between first-person and third-person at certain times. Here are some of the controller settings we recommend.

Go to the “Controls” menu and make the following changes:

  1. Turn on “allow independent camera modes.” This will allow you to use different modes for different situations. One favored option is to play in first-person, but switch to third-person when you enter a vehicle.
  2. Change “first person control type” to the Standard FPS setting. This will give you a controller setup similar to those used in common FPS games, such as sprinting with R3 or L3.
  3. Lower “first person look-around sensitivity” to the level you prefer. Try a few and see which feels the best to you.
  4. Do the same for “third person look-around sensitivity.” Some people find it ideal at around 40%.
  5. Put “first person aiming sensitivity” on its lowest setting. This will make it slower and easier to aim when you aim down the sights, just like in FPS games.
  6. For “third person aiming sensitivity,” you might prefer it to be slightly higher, at around 20%.
  7. Put “first person aim/look deadzone” on its lowest setting. This will minimize the delay between your control input and its effect in the game.
  8. Do the same for “third person aim/look deadzone.”
  9. Put “first person aim/look acceleration” on its highest setting. This will increase the responsiveness of the controls.
  10. Do the same for “third person aim/look acceleration.”
  11. Put “vehicle camera height” on its highest setting.
  12. Turn “auto level camera” off so the camera will remain as you’ve positioned it, instead of automatically looking ahead when you move.
  13. Adjust “field of view” to the setting you’re most comfortable with. Lower settings will bring it closer to typical FPS fields of view, but you might prefer it higher.
  14. Turn on “first person ragdoll.” With this setting on, if you are knocked down while in first-person, you will remain in first-person.
  15. Turn on “third person cover.” This will switch to third-person when you enter cover.
  16. Turn off “first person combat roll.” This will switch to a quick third-person shot when you roll, then return to first-person.
  17. Turn off “head bobbing” to give the gameplay a smoother flow.

As always, experiment with these settings to find the setup that works best for you. This video is also a useful guide about what you can do. Enjoy!

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Matt Gibbs
Matt Gibbs // Articles: 273
Driven by a lifelong obsession with Grand Theft Auto, ever since first renting GTA III in 2001, Matt created the ultimate online resource for fans - GTA BOOM - where as owner and developer he continues enhancing its game guide library and news hub to deliver everything GTA enthusiasts might want. // Full Bio