Modern Warfare 2 Best Controller Settings

Check out how to make the most of a controller in MW2.

Updated: Oct 24, 2022 5:12 pm

Table of Contents
Table of Contents

Do you want to know the best controller settings for Modern Warfare 2?

Controllers vs. keyboards is an age-old debate amongst both PC and console gamers.

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The debate is never more heated than when it’s based on FPS games.

This guide will show you how to make the most of your controller on Modern Warfare 2.

Modern Warfare 2 Best Controller Settings

Modern Warfare 2 is a bit of an interesting beast amongst PC games when it comes to setting up a controller. By default, you can use your controller to do almost anything, but weirdly, you have to manually select if you want to aim with the controller thumbstick or the mouse.

Follow these steps to enable your controller properly:

• Go to the ‘Quick Settings’ menu.
• Under ‘Aiming Input Device’ select ‘Controller.’

Once you’ve done that, you should be good to go. Read the sections below to figure out how best to set your controller up.

Sensitivity

When it comes to setting up controller sensitivity in MW2, there’s a lot to take into account. You need to know your own playstyle and skill level and adjust the sensitivity accordingly. To start out, you should use the following settings:

• Horizontal Stick Sensitivity – 2
• Vertical Stick Sensitivity – 3

Try playing a few levels in single-player or some bot matches with these settings, and try to move them up a few notches if you can.

Just remember, horizontal aiming on a controller seems more sensitive in MW2 than vertical aiming. As such, it’s best to keep horizontal sensitivity a few points below vertical.

Modern Warfare 2 Key Controller Settings

There are a few different options in the controller menu that you need to nail down if you want the best possible performance. Below is the list of these settings, as well as our recommendations for what you should do with them.

• Controller Vibration – You should turn this off. While it can aid in immersion, in most cases, it’s an unnecessary distraction if you’re playing multiplayer.
• Aim down sight behavior – Keep this set to ‘HOLD’ rather than ‘TOGGLE.’ Having this option set to toggle could have you in ADS (Aim-Down-Sights) when you don’t want to be.
• Interact/Reload Behaviour – Set this to ‘tap to reload’ if you want to have the best possible performance in online matches. After all, you’ll be reloading way more than you’ll be interacting with stuff in most cases.

Is Modern Warfare 2 Playable with a Controller on PC?

Realistically, the debate between mouse and controller has been raging so fiercely because, in most cases, they’re incredibly at odds with each other. With a mouse and keyboard, you can be considerably more accurate, but controller users get aim assist to even the playing field.

Keyboard users see controller users as getting an unfair advantage, and controller users see the game thing from mouse users.

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In truth, keyboard and mouse is typically the way to go if you can help it. Most games provide aim assist for controller users, but it will never compensate for the e level of skill and accuracy you can achieve with a keyboard and mouse.

At the end of the day it comes down to preference. If you want to use a controller online, you have the option to do so, but don’t be shocked if your PC gaming friends make fun of you a bit.

Modern Warfare 2 Best Controller Settings FAQs

What are the best controller settings for Call of Duty Modern Warfare?

Use these settings to start out with:

Horizontal Sensitivity – 2/5

Vertical Sensitivity – 3/5

Next, go into a few games and try playing with these settings. If you can, move the sensitivity up. Keep horizontal sensitivity settings a point or two lower than vertical, as it tends to be more sensitive in MW2.

Can you play Modern Warfare 2 with a controller?

Yes, both the campaign and multiplayer modes offer full controller support throughout. Just remember, using a controller on PC might limit your play cue to other controller users.