Navigating the menus<\/strong><\/h3>\nFFXIV\u2019s menu system comes in two styles: one tailored for a controller, the other suited to mouse and keyboard. The first (above) will be familiar to long term PlayStation owners: it\u2019s similar to the PS3\u2019s XMB (Cross Media Bar) main menu. You\u2019re free to choose which one you prefer. Everything – from character gear to system customisation – can be accessed from here. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > UI Settings > General)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/final-fantasy-xiv-playstation-controller-guide-for-dualsense-and-dualshock-4-controllers.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/final-fantasy-xiv-playstation-controller-guide-for-dualsense-and-dualshock-4-controllers-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTo navigate through whichever menu format you chose, you\u2019ll want to press Options to first open it, then the D-pad to navigate through the menu options. <\/p>\n
Key information will by default appear on your UI overlay while playing. This includes your mini-map, quest lines, chat window and more. You can move between these with a press of the Touchpad. You can customise their layout, size, position and whether they appear on the screen. (You\u2019ll find this setting in the main System > HUD)<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nSetting up your controller<\/strong><\/h3>\nFirst of all you\u2019ll want to get comfortable with your basic controller setup. If you\u2019re the kind to enjoy custom button configuration, you\u2019ll be able to change button mapping to your liking. By default, Triangle will have you jump, Square will open the mini-map, Cross will be used to target things around you and otherwise confirm, and Circle will be used to cancel. You can decide to swap these to your liking. (You\u2019ll find this setting in System Configuration > Gamepad Settings > Button Configuration)<\/p>\n
There is also an option to reverse X or Y axes for those who prefer to play with inverted controls. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > General > Camera Controls > Gamepad) <\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve made sure the controller responds however you prefer, let\u2019s start looking into movement.<\/p>\n
Moving around Eorzea<\/strong><\/h3>\nThere are two types of movement: Legacy and Standard. In Standard, your character will always orientate themselves towards the direction you move the camera, their back to you. In Legacy, the character isn\u2019t locked. You can move the character and camera independently, though the latter will always be locked to the former, so your character will always be at the centre of the screen. <\/p>\n
While Standard allows you to make more subtle and immersive moments – backstepping, side-stepping – it can slow you down in combat. If you want to stay nimble, you may find that Legacy will allow you to dodge attacks quicker. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > General > Movement Settings)<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nYou can choose the camera\u2019s distance from your character, zooming in and out, by holding L1 and using the joystick to adjust camera distance. This has benefits for combat, adjusting your field of vision to keep track of your surroundings, as well as telegraphs of where your enemy\u2019s next attack might land in an arena. <\/p>\n
There is also an option to go first-person if you zoom in fully. Good for checking out a friend\u2019s new glamour (outfit) up close, but not so much for anything else. You\u2019ll probably want to disable this in combat unless you want to see death up close. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > General > Camera Controls) It\u2019s still possible to switch to first-person by pressing R3 afterwards, if you ever want to!<\/p>\n
Eorzea is a big place. By default, you can activate autorun while moving on foot or riding a mount by first holding the left joystick in the desired direction, and then pressing L1, which leaves you to only worry about steering. You\u2019ll disable autorun with another press of L1, or by bringing the joystick to the opposite direction you\u2019re running to. (You\u2019ll find this setting in System Configuration > Gamepad Settings)<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve reached a certain point in the game, you\u2019ll be able to use mounts to soar through the skies and swim underwater. You\u2019ll have two take off options to choose from when you want to fly, Auto or Manual. Auto means you\u2019ll need to press the jump action once to fly, while Manual will have you jump twice to take off. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > General > Flying Mount Takeoff) <\/p>\n
The intricacies of targeting<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe basics of targeting<\/strong><\/h3>\nThere are many different options you can choose from when it comes to targeting. In general, you\u2019ll want to use the D-pad. Navigating left and right will toggle between available targets on the screen from one side to the other. Navigating up and down will toggle between the allies in your party list, if you currently have one. There are a lot of ways to customize these rules to best fit your needs, so let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n
As you start targeting things around you, you\u2019ll notice there are two levels of targeting. We call these Temporary targets (\u201csoft targeting\u201d) and Selected targets (\u201chard targeting\u201d): <\/p>\n
Soft targeting means the target you are currently navigating to will be highlighted and pressing an action button will perform that action to that target but return to your hard target straight after if you have one. Alternatively, pressing Cross on a highlighted target will confirm that target and make it your new hard target. <\/p>\n
When in combat or if your weapon is drawn, hard targeting an enemy will activate the auto-attack, a continuous stream of basic attacks at regular intervals determined by your weapon. Soft targeting can come in handy when you need a spot heal on an ally, but want to keep auto-attacking your main target. It\u2019s an invaluable technique that\u2019s worth learning. With experience, you\u2019ll seamlessly use both soft targeting and hard targeting as you go about your Eorzean adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nTargeting allies<\/strong><\/h3>\nSome time into your adventure, you\u2019ll start pairing up with other players in a variety of ways – randomly matched for dungeons or chosen allies from your friends list. The easiest way to keep an eye on your allies, and select them during combat, is your party list. The party list is a menu that sits on your UI, displaying your party members, their current class\/job, HP, and more.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/final-fantasy-xiv-playstation-controller-guide-for-dualsense-and-dualshock-4-controllers-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIf you\u2019re a healer, you\u2019ll have to keep an eye on your party\u2019s HP regularly, so you might want to organise your party list according to your needs. For example, you can customise your settings so that your tanks and fellow healers will always appear on top of your list, with the DPS in your party appearing in the bottom part. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > UI Settings > Party List > Party List Sorting) <\/p>\n
You can navigate through your party list from either the top or the bottom with the up and down buttons on the D-pad, so you\u2019re always a few button presses away from your desired target, regardless of where they are on the battlefield as long as they\u2019re in range of you. You can also pick a different order depending on which class you’re in, and have your party sorted differently depending on if you\u2019re healing, tanking, or DPSing! <\/p>\n
Targeting enemies<\/strong><\/h3>\nFirst of all, when it comes to targeting enemies, your targeting options will be different depending on if your weapon is sheathed or drawn, which you can toggle between by pressing L3. For example, when you have your weapon out, pressing the D-pad horizontally could toggle between all enemies around you from left to right or right to left, but when your weapon is sheathed, the number of selectable targets around you will also include friendly NPCs, allies, and all objects you can interact with. This offers more precision in combat, skipping over targets you\u2019re unlikely to need while fighting. NPCs will thank you! You can customise the groups of targets you want selectable for each stance (sheathed\/unsheathed) individually. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > Filters > Target Filter Settings) <\/p>\n
Advanced techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn combat, there are a few more targeting techniques to select enemies in a pinch that can be useful. Ultimately, it will come down to personal preference and you might only use your favourites, but it\u2019s good to know all of them exist.<\/p>\n
First, holding L2 or R2 then tapping R1 (or L1) will cycle through the targets in your view from left to right (or right to left). If you\u2019re currently hard targeting an enemy, this will switch your hard target to the enemy directly to their left or right, depending on the button combination you use. This shortcut is particularly useful to quickly switch to an adjacent target.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re tanking or otherwise involved in enmity (aggro) management, holding L1 and pressing up and down on the D-Pad will highlight targets straight from your enemy list, a UI element that lists the hostile enemies currently engaged with you that also displays an enmity meter. If you\u2019re tanking and notice that one of the enemy\u2019s enmity indicator has gone green (which means you no longer hold aggro over it), you can select it straight from there and quickly remedy that.<\/p>\n
Finally, if you really want a fully customised system to target anything you want straight away, you can also set up custom target filter settings. To use these, you\u2019ll need to hold L1 followed by circle, cross, triangle or square. Each will give you access to a unique targeting group that you can customise for yourself. For example, you can choose for your default mode to target engaged enemies, other enemies and NPCs, and by selecting one of these custom groups, seamlessly switch to a mode that only targets engaged enemies. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > Filters > Target Filter Settings > While weapon is drawn.) <\/p>\n
Oh, one last thing! There\u2019s an option to disable targeting pets and minions when in battle. You might want to turn that on! (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > Filters > Target Filter Settings) <\/p>\n
Sorting out your actions with cross hotbars<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhat\u2019s a cross hotbar?<\/strong><\/h3>\nCross hotbars are Final Fantasy XIV\u2019s controller version of classic hotbars. You get a total of 8, each featuring 16 slots for skills and actions. That means a grand total of 128 slots. Sounds like a lot, right? But you\u2019re very <\/em>unlikely to need them all, and each hotbar is quickly selectable with a tap of a button combination. <\/p>\nBy default, holding L2 or R2 will highlight one side of your main cross hotbar, and pressing any of the directional or face buttons will activate the related skill.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/final-fantasy-xiv-playstation-controller-guide-for-dualsense-and-dualshock-4-controllers-3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nInstead of holding L2 or R2, you can also elect to press it once and toggle your main hotbar on and off. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character configuration > Hotbar Settings > Cross > Cross Hotbar Controls) <\/p>\n
Cross hotbars are your shortcut to essential combat skills, like your unique party Limit Break, which when activated, could annihilate a boss, protect your party or resurrect the fallen. But they aren\u2019t just for combat. You can fill them up with a variety of menu options, items, shortcuts, and macros: call your chocobo, wave to a friend, teleport back home. All of these aren\u2019t directly combat skills, yet can be accessed straight from your hotbars, and sorted in whatever order you want. Even though we\u2019d suggest separating your combat skills from your QoL skills, ultimately, it\u2019s your choice and whatever sorting logic feels comfortable to you will suit you best.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/final-fantasy-xiv-playstation-controller-guide-for-dualsense-and-dualshock-4-controllers-4.jpg\")
<\/a> <\/p>\nNavigating between your hotbars<\/strong><\/h3>\nBy default, you\u2019ll always have one cross hotbar on your screen at all times, but remember, you\u2019ve got 8 of them! To swap from one hotbar to another, you\u2019ll need to press R1 and follow-up with any of the directional or face buttons. Each button will lead you to a separate hotbar, and the button\u2019s corresponding hotbar number will appear on the screen as you hold L1.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/final-fantasy-xiv-playstation-controller-guide-for-dualsense-and-dualshock-4-controllers-5.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nYou can also do a single press of the R1 button to toggle to the next hotbar in order, although you\u2019d have to go through all 8 (those completely empty excepted) to get back to your main one.<\/p>\n
Most of the jobs available in Final Fantasy XIV will only use up to two full cross hotbars\u2019 worth of skills at their maximum level, and even if you decide to level every single one of the jobs available, you don\u2019t have to worry about running out of space; hotbars are linked to jobs. Switch from white mage to ninja, and the hotbars you\u2019ve created for one will be switched out for the set you created for the other. <\/p>\n
One important setting that will optimise your hotbar use is shared hotbars. This setting will let you assign some of your cross hotbars to be shared between all classes, while the rest are separate and class\/job-specific. For example, you can set up a shared hotbar filled with evergreen command shortcuts, such as sprint, teleport, mounts and menu options. The remaining hotbars would feature your job skills, and would automatically swap as you change jobs. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Sharing > Shared Hotbar > Cross Hotbar) <\/p>\n
Expanded controls<\/strong><\/h3>\nAnother quick trick you can take advantage of is to activate the expanded hold controls. This will allow you to access another cross hotbar, or rather, two half cross hotbars, from the R2 to L2 input and L2 to R2 (holding one, then the other). Of course, you can customise which hotbars you want these inputs to lead to. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Custom > Expanded Hold Controls (Cannot Use Toggle Type) > Enable expanded controls with L2+R2) <\/p>\n
W cross hotbars<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe W cross hotbar (WXHB for short) is a setting that allows the display of a full secondary cross hotbar on your UI, on top of your main cross hotbar. As you level up your jobs to the level cap, the amount of skills you will need in combat will go up, and having this option turned on will become increasingly important so that you can display and keep track of all your combos, procs and cooldowns. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Cross > W Cross Hotbar Display Settings)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/final-fantasy-xiv-playstation-controller-guide-for-dualsense-and-dualshock-4-controllers-6.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTo get the maximum benefit from this setting, you\u2019ll also want to activate the WXHB access by double tapping L2 and R2 and make sure to enable directional buttons. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character configuration > Hotbar Settings > Custom > W Cross Hotbar Display Settings) <\/p>\n
To access this secondary hotbar, you\u2019ll need double tap L2 or R2. You can also adjust the double tap timer to determine how fast or slow your input needs to be to register. Adjust, and select what you\u2019re most comfortable with. You can also choose where to position this new hotbar on your UI independently from your main cross hotbar. (You\u2019ll find the display settings in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Cross > W Cross Hotbar Display Settings, and the customisation settings in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Custom > Enable WXHB with simultaneous L2 and R2 double tap.) <\/p>\n
By customising hotbars and practicing the button combos, you\u2019ll soon be able to toggle between different skills at a lightning-fast pace. <\/p>\n
Automating with Macros<\/strong><\/h2>\nA note about macros on controller<\/strong><\/h3>\nMacros have near unlimited uses in FFXIV! You get 99 macro slots in your personal macro window that you can fill with anything you want. However, as a controller player, there are a few things they can help you do. Perhaps you might want a macro to quickly communicate to your team that it\u2019s your first time in an encounter? There\u2019s a macro for that! Perhaps you want to change the design of your UI depending on which job you are playing? There\u2019s a macro for that! Perhaps you want to create an elaborate dance composed of a string of 20 emotes and use that every time you defeat an opponent? Unfortunately for your party, there\u2019s a macro for that! All of these macros you can create and assign to your hotbars for quick access. (You\u2019ll find this setting in System > User Macros). There are plenty of very complete macro guides out there and an infinite amount of macro possibilities, so have fun and be creative!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/final-fantasy-xiv-playstation-controller-guide-for-dualsense-and-dualshock-4-controllers-7.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nLast but not least, did you know that you can assign macros for the L3 and R3 buttons? The last two slots of your macro allowance, 98 and 99 specifically, can be attributed for direct access from the button configuration menu. You could use L3 to set your current target as a Focus Target, for example, displaying their health and other information in a dedicated UI element! A personal favourite trick of mine is to create a macro to use the Sprint action, and allocate it to L3, as it provides me with a universal access to sprint across all my jobs on a button that makes for a very console-like experience. (You\u2019ll find this setting in System configuration > Gamepad Settings > Button Configuration)<\/p>\n
There\u2019s plenty more combinations possible. Once you\u2019re comfortable, you can dive into the world of macros, HUD customisations and much more. The above should set you on the right path to mastering the sublime, genre-defining controller implementation of Final Fantasy XIV. See you in Eorzea, adventurer!<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/p>\nTo navigate through whichever menu format you chose, you\u2019ll want to press Options to first open it, then the D-pad to navigate through the menu options. <\/p>\n
Key information will by default appear on your UI overlay while playing. This includes your mini-map, quest lines, chat window and more. You can move between these with a press of the Touchpad. You can customise their layout, size, position and whether they appear on the screen. (You\u2019ll find this setting in the main System > HUD)<\/p>\n First of all you\u2019ll want to get comfortable with your basic controller setup. If you\u2019re the kind to enjoy custom button configuration, you\u2019ll be able to change button mapping to your liking. By default, Triangle will have you jump, Square will open the mini-map, Cross will be used to target things around you and otherwise confirm, and Circle will be used to cancel. You can decide to swap these to your liking. (You\u2019ll find this setting in System Configuration > Gamepad Settings > Button Configuration)<\/p>\n There is also an option to reverse X or Y axes for those who prefer to play with inverted controls. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > General > Camera Controls > Gamepad) <\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve made sure the controller responds however you prefer, let\u2019s start looking into movement.<\/p>\n There are two types of movement: Legacy and Standard. In Standard, your character will always orientate themselves towards the direction you move the camera, their back to you. In Legacy, the character isn\u2019t locked. You can move the character and camera independently, though the latter will always be locked to the former, so your character will always be at the centre of the screen. <\/p>\n While Standard allows you to make more subtle and immersive moments – backstepping, side-stepping – it can slow you down in combat. If you want to stay nimble, you may find that Legacy will allow you to dodge attacks quicker. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > General > Movement Settings)<\/p>\n You can choose the camera\u2019s distance from your character, zooming in and out, by holding L1 and using the joystick to adjust camera distance. This has benefits for combat, adjusting your field of vision to keep track of your surroundings, as well as telegraphs of where your enemy\u2019s next attack might land in an arena. <\/p>\n There is also an option to go first-person if you zoom in fully. Good for checking out a friend\u2019s new glamour (outfit) up close, but not so much for anything else. You\u2019ll probably want to disable this in combat unless you want to see death up close. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > General > Camera Controls) It\u2019s still possible to switch to first-person by pressing R3 afterwards, if you ever want to!<\/p>\n Eorzea is a big place. By default, you can activate autorun while moving on foot or riding a mount by first holding the left joystick in the desired direction, and then pressing L1, which leaves you to only worry about steering. You\u2019ll disable autorun with another press of L1, or by bringing the joystick to the opposite direction you\u2019re running to. (You\u2019ll find this setting in System Configuration > Gamepad Settings)<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve reached a certain point in the game, you\u2019ll be able to use mounts to soar through the skies and swim underwater. You\u2019ll have two take off options to choose from when you want to fly, Auto or Manual. Auto means you\u2019ll need to press the jump action once to fly, while Manual will have you jump twice to take off. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > General > Flying Mount Takeoff) <\/p>\n There are many different options you can choose from when it comes to targeting. In general, you\u2019ll want to use the D-pad. Navigating left and right will toggle between available targets on the screen from one side to the other. Navigating up and down will toggle between the allies in your party list, if you currently have one. There are a lot of ways to customize these rules to best fit your needs, so let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n As you start targeting things around you, you\u2019ll notice there are two levels of targeting. We call these Temporary targets (\u201csoft targeting\u201d) and Selected targets (\u201chard targeting\u201d): <\/p>\n Soft targeting means the target you are currently navigating to will be highlighted and pressing an action button will perform that action to that target but return to your hard target straight after if you have one. Alternatively, pressing Cross on a highlighted target will confirm that target and make it your new hard target. <\/p>\n When in combat or if your weapon is drawn, hard targeting an enemy will activate the auto-attack, a continuous stream of basic attacks at regular intervals determined by your weapon. Soft targeting can come in handy when you need a spot heal on an ally, but want to keep auto-attacking your main target. It\u2019s an invaluable technique that\u2019s worth learning. With experience, you\u2019ll seamlessly use both soft targeting and hard targeting as you go about your Eorzean adventure.<\/p>\n Some time into your adventure, you\u2019ll start pairing up with other players in a variety of ways – randomly matched for dungeons or chosen allies from your friends list. The easiest way to keep an eye on your allies, and select them during combat, is your party list. The party list is a menu that sits on your UI, displaying your party members, their current class\/job, HP, and more.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a healer, you\u2019ll have to keep an eye on your party\u2019s HP regularly, so you might want to organise your party list according to your needs. For example, you can customise your settings so that your tanks and fellow healers will always appear on top of your list, with the DPS in your party appearing in the bottom part. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > UI Settings > Party List > Party List Sorting) <\/p>\n You can navigate through your party list from either the top or the bottom with the up and down buttons on the D-pad, so you\u2019re always a few button presses away from your desired target, regardless of where they are on the battlefield as long as they\u2019re in range of you. You can also pick a different order depending on which class you’re in, and have your party sorted differently depending on if you\u2019re healing, tanking, or DPSing! <\/p>\n First of all, when it comes to targeting enemies, your targeting options will be different depending on if your weapon is sheathed or drawn, which you can toggle between by pressing L3. For example, when you have your weapon out, pressing the D-pad horizontally could toggle between all enemies around you from left to right or right to left, but when your weapon is sheathed, the number of selectable targets around you will also include friendly NPCs, allies, and all objects you can interact with. This offers more precision in combat, skipping over targets you\u2019re unlikely to need while fighting. NPCs will thank you! You can customise the groups of targets you want selectable for each stance (sheathed\/unsheathed) individually. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > Filters > Target Filter Settings) <\/p>\n In combat, there are a few more targeting techniques to select enemies in a pinch that can be useful. Ultimately, it will come down to personal preference and you might only use your favourites, but it\u2019s good to know all of them exist.<\/p>\n First, holding L2 or R2 then tapping R1 (or L1) will cycle through the targets in your view from left to right (or right to left). If you\u2019re currently hard targeting an enemy, this will switch your hard target to the enemy directly to their left or right, depending on the button combination you use. This shortcut is particularly useful to quickly switch to an adjacent target.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re tanking or otherwise involved in enmity (aggro) management, holding L1 and pressing up and down on the D-Pad will highlight targets straight from your enemy list, a UI element that lists the hostile enemies currently engaged with you that also displays an enmity meter. If you\u2019re tanking and notice that one of the enemy\u2019s enmity indicator has gone green (which means you no longer hold aggro over it), you can select it straight from there and quickly remedy that.<\/p>\n Finally, if you really want a fully customised system to target anything you want straight away, you can also set up custom target filter settings. To use these, you\u2019ll need to hold L1 followed by circle, cross, triangle or square. Each will give you access to a unique targeting group that you can customise for yourself. For example, you can choose for your default mode to target engaged enemies, other enemies and NPCs, and by selecting one of these custom groups, seamlessly switch to a mode that only targets engaged enemies. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > Filters > Target Filter Settings > While weapon is drawn.) <\/p>\n Oh, one last thing! There\u2019s an option to disable targeting pets and minions when in battle. You might want to turn that on! (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Control Settings > Filters > Target Filter Settings) <\/p>\n Cross hotbars are Final Fantasy XIV\u2019s controller version of classic hotbars. You get a total of 8, each featuring 16 slots for skills and actions. That means a grand total of 128 slots. Sounds like a lot, right? But you\u2019re very <\/em>unlikely to need them all, and each hotbar is quickly selectable with a tap of a button combination. <\/p>\n By default, holding L2 or R2 will highlight one side of your main cross hotbar, and pressing any of the directional or face buttons will activate the related skill.<\/p>\n Instead of holding L2 or R2, you can also elect to press it once and toggle your main hotbar on and off. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character configuration > Hotbar Settings > Cross > Cross Hotbar Controls) <\/p>\n Cross hotbars are your shortcut to essential combat skills, like your unique party Limit Break, which when activated, could annihilate a boss, protect your party or resurrect the fallen. But they aren\u2019t just for combat. You can fill them up with a variety of menu options, items, shortcuts, and macros: call your chocobo, wave to a friend, teleport back home. All of these aren\u2019t directly combat skills, yet can be accessed straight from your hotbars, and sorted in whatever order you want. Even though we\u2019d suggest separating your combat skills from your QoL skills, ultimately, it\u2019s your choice and whatever sorting logic feels comfortable to you will suit you best.<\/p>\n By default, you\u2019ll always have one cross hotbar on your screen at all times, but remember, you\u2019ve got 8 of them! To swap from one hotbar to another, you\u2019ll need to press R1 and follow-up with any of the directional or face buttons. Each button will lead you to a separate hotbar, and the button\u2019s corresponding hotbar number will appear on the screen as you hold L1.<\/p>\n You can also do a single press of the R1 button to toggle to the next hotbar in order, although you\u2019d have to go through all 8 (those completely empty excepted) to get back to your main one.<\/p>\n Most of the jobs available in Final Fantasy XIV will only use up to two full cross hotbars\u2019 worth of skills at their maximum level, and even if you decide to level every single one of the jobs available, you don\u2019t have to worry about running out of space; hotbars are linked to jobs. Switch from white mage to ninja, and the hotbars you\u2019ve created for one will be switched out for the set you created for the other. <\/p>\n One important setting that will optimise your hotbar use is shared hotbars. This setting will let you assign some of your cross hotbars to be shared between all classes, while the rest are separate and class\/job-specific. For example, you can set up a shared hotbar filled with evergreen command shortcuts, such as sprint, teleport, mounts and menu options. The remaining hotbars would feature your job skills, and would automatically swap as you change jobs. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Sharing > Shared Hotbar > Cross Hotbar) <\/p>\n Another quick trick you can take advantage of is to activate the expanded hold controls. This will allow you to access another cross hotbar, or rather, two half cross hotbars, from the R2 to L2 input and L2 to R2 (holding one, then the other). Of course, you can customise which hotbars you want these inputs to lead to. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Custom > Expanded Hold Controls (Cannot Use Toggle Type) > Enable expanded controls with L2+R2) <\/p>\n The W cross hotbar (WXHB for short) is a setting that allows the display of a full secondary cross hotbar on your UI, on top of your main cross hotbar. As you level up your jobs to the level cap, the amount of skills you will need in combat will go up, and having this option turned on will become increasingly important so that you can display and keep track of all your combos, procs and cooldowns. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Cross > W Cross Hotbar Display Settings)<\/p>\n To get the maximum benefit from this setting, you\u2019ll also want to activate the WXHB access by double tapping L2 and R2 and make sure to enable directional buttons. (You\u2019ll find this setting in Character configuration > Hotbar Settings > Custom > W Cross Hotbar Display Settings) <\/p>\n To access this secondary hotbar, you\u2019ll need double tap L2 or R2. You can also adjust the double tap timer to determine how fast or slow your input needs to be to register. Adjust, and select what you\u2019re most comfortable with. You can also choose where to position this new hotbar on your UI independently from your main cross hotbar. (You\u2019ll find the display settings in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Cross > W Cross Hotbar Display Settings, and the customisation settings in Character Configuration > Hotbar Settings > Custom > Enable WXHB with simultaneous L2 and R2 double tap.) <\/p>\n By customising hotbars and practicing the button combos, you\u2019ll soon be able to toggle between different skills at a lightning-fast pace. <\/p>\n Macros have near unlimited uses in FFXIV! You get 99 macro slots in your personal macro window that you can fill with anything you want. However, as a controller player, there are a few things they can help you do. Perhaps you might want a macro to quickly communicate to your team that it\u2019s your first time in an encounter? There\u2019s a macro for that! Perhaps you want to change the design of your UI depending on which job you are playing? There\u2019s a macro for that! Perhaps you want to create an elaborate dance composed of a string of 20 emotes and use that every time you defeat an opponent? Unfortunately for your party, there\u2019s a macro for that! All of these macros you can create and assign to your hotbars for quick access. (You\u2019ll find this setting in System > User Macros). There are plenty of very complete macro guides out there and an infinite amount of macro possibilities, so have fun and be creative!<\/p>\n Last but not least, did you know that you can assign macros for the L3 and R3 buttons? The last two slots of your macro allowance, 98 and 99 specifically, can be attributed for direct access from the button configuration menu. You could use L3 to set your current target as a Focus Target, for example, displaying their health and other information in a dedicated UI element! A personal favourite trick of mine is to create a macro to use the Sprint action, and allocate it to L3, as it provides me with a universal access to sprint across all my jobs on a button that makes for a very console-like experience. (You\u2019ll find this setting in System configuration > Gamepad Settings > Button Configuration)<\/p>\n There\u2019s plenty more combinations possible. Once you\u2019re comfortable, you can dive into the world of macros, HUD customisations and much more. The above should set you on the right path to mastering the sublime, genre-defining controller implementation of Final Fantasy XIV. See you in Eorzea, adventurer!<\/p>\nSetting up your controller<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Moving around Eorzea<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The intricacies of targeting<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The basics of targeting<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Targeting allies<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nTargeting enemies<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Advanced techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Sorting out your actions with cross hotbars<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What\u2019s a cross hotbar?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/p>\nNavigating between your hotbars<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nExpanded controls<\/strong><\/h3>\n
W cross hotbars<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nAutomating with Macros<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A note about macros on controller<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n