Overwatch: Blizzard Has Fix for Thumbstick Acceleration
By Maxwell Jeffery 29 September 2016
Overwatch fans who play on console may be happy to hear that Blizzard has found a solution to controller acceleration issues, with its new Dual-Zone mode rolling out soon.
One of the more common complaints with Overwatch, particularly on console, comes from the game’s issues with thumbstick acceleration. Now Blizzard appears to have found a solution that’ll change the controller experience quite considerably.
For all those that use a controller, Overwatch will now default to a new control scheme called Dual-Zone mode which allows the thumbsticks to move with reduced sensitivity as well as a greater acceleration. However, when the stick moves into the outer 10% of its range, it will change to a higher sensitivity and reduced acceleration.
The idea behind the new controller mode is to allow for more precise aiming while still allowing players to turn around at a fast enough pace in the middle of combat. Thankfully, controller users can still switch to the old ‘Exponential Ramp’ mode that players are used to, should they prefer. Given the gaming community’s typical reaction towards change, it’s probably for the best that Blizzard included the option to switch back.
The regular thumbstick settings used to see the sensitivity of the stick ramped up exponentially as it approaches the end of its range. The acceleration remains at a relatively high level throughout, but several players questioned the choices, meaning that this new control scheme may prove a welcome addition to the game, especially for console players.
The changes are currently available on the Overwatch Public Test Realm, alongside changes to Ana, Widowmaker, and Junkrat. Once the changes have been thouroughly tested by the community, Blizzard will release them for all players but you can access them right now on PC through the Battle.net launcher.
Of course, the majority of PC players will be using the classic mouse and keyboard to play and therefore won’t be making use of the new precise controller settings. However, several Overwatch fans prefer to use other controllers on their PC, such as wireless current-gen controllers or even the DJ Hero turntable.
This fix to controller acceleration is just one of the features that Blizzard have been working on before the company get around to buffing Symmetra, one of the least payed characters in the game. Although director Jeff Kaplan claims that the changes will be coming in the near future, the amount of fixes that are coming first mean that the support character will not see much-needed changes until at least November.
Overwatch is available now for PS4, Xbox One and PC. Players can make use of the new Dual-Zone controller right now on the Public Test Realm, only available on PC.
