If you’ve spent hours grinding Apex Legends ranked matches and felt like your aim is being held back by auto-adjustments, you’ve probably wondered can you turn off aim assist in Apex Legends. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve screamed at my screen when aim assist pulled my crosshair off a low-health enemy onto the Gibraltar standing next to them, so I get the urge to turn it off entirely. A lot of controller players debate this nonstop, especially when they switch between casual matches and high-skill competitive lobbies where raw aim skill matters more than built-in assists. I’ve tested both settings across 3 seasons of ranked play, switching between controller and mouse and keyboard, so I’ve got first-hand experience with how this setting changes your overall gameplay flow.
Can You Turn Off Aim Assist in Apex Legends? Step-by-Step Settings Walkthrough
The short answer is yes, you can fully turn off aim assist in Apex Legends for all controller inputs across every platform. Mouse and keyboard players don’t have access to aim assist at all, so this setting only applies if you’re playing on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, or using a controller on PC. Respawn added full aim assist customization a few seasons back, so you don’t have to rely on the default 100% strength if you don’t want to.
Let’s walk through exactly how to adjust the setting regardless of what platform you play on. First, open the main menu and select the settings cog in the bottom right corner. Navigate to the “Controller” tab, which is the third option from the left on the top menu bar. Scroll down until you find the “Aim Assist” section, which is under the “Gameplay” subheading of the controller settings. You’ll see a slider that goes from 0 to 100, with 100 being the default setting for all controller accounts. Move the slider all the way to 0 to turn off aim assist completely, or adjust it to a lower value if you want some assistance but less than the default.
Save your settings before exiting the menu, and you’re good to go. Aim assist settings are saved per input device, so if you switch between controller and M&K on the same account, you won’t have to readjust every time. The only exception is custom tournament servers, where some organizers lock aim assist to a specific strength for fair play, but all public lobbies let you adjust the setting freely.
Reasons Players Choose to Disable Aim Assist
There’s a reason so many high-level controller players swear by turning off aim assist entirely, even if it means a rough adjustment period at first. The most common motivation is building muscle memory that transfers across all FPS games, not just Apex. If you regularly play other titles like Valorant or Call of Duty alongside Apex, you might find that the game’s unique aim assist curve throws off your aim when you switch between games. Disabling it means your muscle memory stays consistent no matter what you’re playing.
Another big complaint from players is that aim assist causes unwanted crosshair drag when you’re fighting grouped enemies. If you’re trying to focus on a low-health Wraith running through a group of three other enemies, aim assist will often pull your crosshair onto the closest enemy instead of letting you stick to your target. That’s a death sentence in high-ranked lobbies where every shot counts. Many high-ranked controller Predator players run aim assist at 0 or 20% instead of the default 100%, because they find it gives them more control over long-range flicks and target switching.
The top reasons players disable aim assist include:
- To build unassisted muscle memory that works across all FPS titles, not just Apex Legends
- To avoid crosshair drag when fighting grouped enemies or moving between targets quickly
- To prepare for competitive tournaments that restrict or disable aim assist entirely
- To eliminate slowdown when tracking fast-moving targets like Wraith or Octane at close range
If you’re someone who likes to clip big plays, you’ll also find that highlight reels feel way more satisfying when you know you landed every shot without the game helping you line them up. I still have a clip of a 200m Kraber headshot I landed a few weeks after turning off aim assist, and it’s still my favorite gameplay clip I’ve ever recorded.
Downsides of Turning Off Aim Assist You Should Know
Disabling aim assist isn’t the right choice for everyone, and there are some very real downsides you need to consider before flipping that switch. First, if you’re a new player who’s still learning the game’s recoil patterns and movement mechanics, turning off aim assist immediately will make the game feel almost unplayable at first. You’ll miss almost every shot you would have landed with default settings, and you might get discouraged enough to stop playing entirely.
Close-range tracking is way harder without aim assist, especially with fast-firing weapons like the R-99 or Volt that require steady aim to land full mags. You’ll also be at a slight disadvantage against other controller players who are running default aim assist, since they’ll get that extra bit of help lining up shots that you won’t have. You will likely see a drop in your win rate and K/D for the first 2-4 weeks after disabling aim assist, as your brain adjusts to not having the game help you stabilize your crosshair.
If you mostly play casual matches with friends just to have fun, turning off aim assist might make your play sessions way less enjoyable. I made the mistake of jumping straight into platinum ranked lobbies right after turning off aim assist, and I dropped almost two full divisions before I realized I needed to practice in casual first. Don’t make that same mistake, save your ranked progress for after you’ve adjusted to the new setting if you decide to go through with it.
Tips to Adjust to No Aim Assist Play
If you’ve decided to turn off aim assist, there are a few simple tips that will cut your adjustment time in half and make the process way less frustrating. First, don’t jump straight into public matches. Spend 15 to 20 minutes a day in the firing range first, practicing on moving dummies instead of static targets. Turn on strafing dummies, set them to different speeds, and practice tracking them while you’re moving too, that’s the closest you can get to real match conditions without queuing up.
Stick to one weapon type for the first week of adjustment, for example, use only assault rifles first, then move to SMGs, then shotguns, so you don’t overwhelm yourself learning different recoil patterns at the same time. If you’re struggling with close-range tracking, spend extra time practicing with SMGs first, since they require the most consistent aim to use effectively without assist. You can also try playing no-fill duos or trios for the first week, so you don’t have to worry about letting teammates down while you’re still getting used to the new setting.
You can also use third-party aim trainers outside of Apex to build your tracking speed and accuracy. I used Aim Lab for 10 minutes a day when I was adjusting, and I noticed a huge improvement in my aim after just one week. You can always adjust aim assist incrementally instead of turning it off fully if you don’t want to jump straight to 0. Try dropping it from 100% to 60% first, then 30%, then 0, that makes the transition way less jarring and gives your brain time to adjust to each new level of assistance.
Don’t get discouraged if you’re missing a lot of shots at first. Every player goes through that adjustment period, and the muscle memory you build is permanent. Once you get used to playing without aim assist, you’ll have way more control over your shots than players who rely entirely on the default setting, and you’ll notice you can hit way more creative flicks and long-range shots than you could before.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you turn off aim assist in Apex Legends is a definite yes, but whether you should do it depends entirely on your playstyle and goals. If you’re a casual player who just wants to have fun with friends, there’s no shame in leaving aim assist on default, it’s there to make the game more accessible for a reason. If you want to push for higher ranks, play competitively, or build transferable FPS skills, disabling it is one of the best choices you can make for your long-term gameplay improvement. Take the time to test both settings in casual matches first, so you can figure out what works best for you and how you want to play the game.