Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Controls & Settings

Knowing your controls inside out gives you a real advantage in Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2. When a Xenomorph lands three metres away and your squad is screaming for ammo, muscle memory from properly bound keys can be the difference between a clutch revive and a squad wipe. This page covers every input on every platform, notes important differences, and flags the most impactful settings to tweak.

PC controls — Keyboard and Mouse

The default key bindings on PC are designed to keep every essential action within comfortable reach without requiring claw or stretch grips.

Movement

• W / A / S / D — Move forward, strafe left, backward, strafe right.
• Space — Jump. Rarely needed in normal play but useful for clearing low obstacles and interrupting a charge attack.
• Shift — Sprint. Drains stamina; watch your bar.
• Ctrl — Crouch. Reduces your hitbox and improves accuracy at the cost of movement speed.

Combat

• Left Mouse Button — Primary fire. Hold for automatic weapons; tap for semi-auto.
• Right Mouse Button — Aim down sights (ADS). Tightens accuracy and zoom. Some weapons gain a functional benefit — smartguns lock on faster in ADS.
• R — Reload. Cancel a reload by firing or switching weapons.
• E — Use / Interact. Opens doors, revives allies, hacks terminals, and collects pickups.
• G — Throw grenade. Binds shrapnel grenades, cluster grenades, and other thrown utilities.
• Q — Class ability. Each class has a unique ability bound to this key — see your class loadout screen for specifics.
• F — Melee attack. Stun baton and close-combat weapons. Also used to break Xenomorph grabs faster than waiting.
• 1 — Primary weapon. Switch to your primary loadout.
• 2 — Sidearm. Switch to pistol or secondary weapon.
• 3 — Special / Tool. Deployable turrets, stims, and other class-specific tools.

Navigation and UI

• Tab — Scoreboard / mission objectives overlay.
• M — World map.
• I — Inventory / Loadout editor.
• Esc — Pause menu.
• B — Binoculars / scan mode (some missions). Highlights interactive objects and enemies through walls within a short range.

Voice and Communication

• Z — Push-to-talk voice. Set your microphone device in audio settings.
• T — Text chat (team).
• Y — Text chat (all players).

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 - Ultimate Beginner's Guide

Controller layout — PlayStation 5 (DualSense)

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 supports adaptive triggers and haptic feedback on PS5.

Movement and Combat

• Left Stick — Move.
• Right Stick — Aim.
• R2 — Fire.
• L2 — Aim down sights.
• X / A — Reload / Interact / Revive (context-sensitive).
• Circle / B — Melee / Break grab.
• Square / X — Switch to primary weapon.
• Triangle / Y — Switch to sidearm.
• L1 — Sprint (hold).
• R1 — Throw grenade.
• D-Pad Up — Class ability.
• D-Pad Down — Equip tool / deployable.
• D-Pad Left / Right — Cycle weapons.
• Options / Menu — Pause.

PS5-specific options

• Trigger effect intensity can be adjusted in the game controller settings.
• Haptic feedback strength for enemy proximity and impacts is configurable.
• The DualSense speaker is used for radio chatter and some UI confirmations.

Controller layout — Xbox Series X|S

Default bindings on Xbox mirror the PlayStation layout with button label differences.

• Left Stick — Move.
• Right Stick — Aim.
• RT — Fire.
• LT — Aim down sights.
• A — Reload / Interact / Revive.
• B — Melee / Break grab.
• X — Primary weapon.
• Y — Sidearm.
• LB — Sprint.
• RB — Throw grenade.
• D-Pad Up — Class ability.
• D-Pad Down — Deploy tool.
• Menu — Pause.

Platform differences

The core gameplay inputs are identical across all three controller platforms. The main differences are:

Aim assist — Controller aim assist is active by default on console. PC players using controllers also receive aim assist. This primarily affects tracking on moving targets; it does not auto-lock.

FOV — PC allows Field of View adjustment in graphics settings. Console FOV is locked to a wider default that suits television viewing distances.

Mouse sensitivity — PC mice have no built-in sensitivity cap. Test at your desk before a mission. A lower DPI (800-1200) with in-game sensitivity tuned accordingly generally gives smoother aim than high DPI with low in-game values.

Key settings to change from default

Mouse

• Disable mouse acceleration. It is off by default but confirm in your graphics settings.
• Set your scope sensitivity to 50% of normal for steadier long-range shots.

Audio

• Enable subtitles if you play with headphones at high volume. In-game audio cues — movement behind you, approaching hives — are critical.
• Set voice chat to open mic if you have a quiet environment, or use push-to-talk to avoid broadcasting background noise.

Accessibility

• Colour alternatives are available in settings for colourblind players.
• Adjustable text size is supported. Useful on console if you sit far from the screen.
• Difficulty options — adjustable enemy damage and health separately from squad damage — let you tune the challenge without removing enemy presence.

Frequently asked questions

Can I rebind keys on PC? Yes. Open Settings > Controls > Key Bindings. You can rebind every action. Note that some conflicting bindings (two actions on one key) will prompt a conflict resolution dialogue.

Is there aim assist on PC with a controller? Yes. Controller aim assist applies to all platforms including PC when a controller is detected.

How do I fix my sensitivity feeling off? Start with your monitor refresh rate in mind. 144 Hz monitors benefit from a slightly higher in-game polling rate. If your aim oscillates, lower your mouse DPI. If it feels sluggish, increase in-game sensitivity rather than DPI.