Helldivers 2 Console Settings Guide: Best Xbox & PS5 Settings for New Players

If you’re new to Helldivers 2 — especially if you’re jumping in on Xbox or PS5 — the settings menu can look like a pile of democratic paperwork nobody asked for.

The good news is that you do not need to obsess over every single slider. Most of the default settings are fine. But there are a few settings that can make the game feel smoother, cleaner, and way less annoying.

This guide is focused mainly on console players, especially Xbox and PlayStation players using a controller (or PC with controller). I’ll walk through the big settings that actually matter, what they do, and what I recommend changing before you start diving into missions.

Gameplay Settings

To find these settings, open the main menu, go to Options, and start under the Gameplay tab.

Matchmaking Privacy

This controls who can join your missions after you start them.

You have a few basic options:

Public lets random players join your missions.

Friends Only allows only friends to join.

Invite Only requires people to be invited or request access.

This is mostly personal preference. If you want the full chaotic Helldivers 2 multiplayer experience, keep it public. If you want to play with only friends or avoid randoms, adjust accordingly.

Crossplay

Leave this on.

Crossplay allows Xbox, PlayStation, and PC players to play together. Unless you have a specific reason to disable it, keeping crossplay enabled gives you the largest player pool and makes matchmaking easier.

Remember Aim Mode

This setting controls whether the game remembers if you last aimed a weapon in first-person or third-person view.

You can set it to off, per weapon, or global.

Personally, I leave this off. I find it easier to always start from third-person aim and manually swap into first-person when I want it. In the middle of a firefight, I do not want to wonder what aiming mode the game is about to throw me into.

That said, this one is preference. If you like specific weapons always remembering first-person aim, try per weapon.

Remember Weapon Functions

Turn this on.

This setting remembers weapon-specific adjustments like fire rate, scope zoom, flashlight settings, and certain support weapon modes.

That matters because many weapons in Helldivers 2 have alternate functions. Some guns can change fire rate. Some can change zoom level. Some support weapons have different firing modes or ammo modes.

Having the game remember those choices keeps your weapons consistent after you die, respawn, or swap equipment. That is much easier than constantly asking, “Wait, what did this default back to?”

Weapon Switch Mode

This controls how your weapon swap button behaves.

I prefer the Helldivers Classic style because I like quickly swapping between my primary weapon and support weapon, while holding the button to pull out my sidearm.

Your preference may vary, but the key idea is simple: set this up in the way that matches how often you use each weapon slot.

For me, the sidearm is usually the emergency backup. I do not want it to be the main thing I’m swapping to constantly.

Switch Weapon on Pickup

I recommend turning this off.

When this is on, your character automatically switches to a weapon after picking it up.

That sounds helpful, but in actual gameplay it can be annoying. Sometimes you are just grabbing a support weapon while running. Sometimes you are picking up a disposable rocket, firing it, and then going back to your normal weapon. Sometimes you are under pressure and do not want the game suddenly changing what is in your hands.

Turning this off gives you more control.

Auto-Climb During Sprint

Turn this off.

This is probably one of the most notorious settings in the game.

If auto-climb is on, your character will try to climb things while sprinting. That means you will constantly climb onto resupply pods, rocks, ledges, random terrain, and assorted battlefield nonsense when all you wanted to do was run forward or grab ammo.

The classic example is sprinting toward a resupply pod and climbing on top of it instead of taking supplies.

Turn auto-climb off and manually climb when you actually want to climb.

Visual Settings

The visual settings can affect both comfort and performance.

Some of this is personal preference, but a few options are worth adjusting right away.

Brightness and UI Brightness

These are simple preference settings.

Adjust them based on your display, room lighting, and how easy the game is for you to see.

Camera Shake Strength

Camera shake is one of those settings where pure optimization and cinematic fun pull in opposite directions.

Turning camera shake off gives you the cleanest and most stable view. If explosions, screen shake, or visual chaos bother you physically, turn it down or off.

That said, I actually like camera shake in Helldivers 2. It adds a lot to the feeling of being in a ridiculous sci-fi battlefield where everything is exploding and democracy is being delivered at unsafe velocities.

My recommendation: try medium for a while. If it bothers you, turn it down to weak or off.

Vertical Field of View

Field of view changes how much peripheral space you can see.

A higher field of view lets you see more around you, but it can also make objects feel smaller or slightly distort the sense of scale.

For most console players, I would start at default. Adjust it later if you feel cramped or if you know you prefer a wider camera.

Performance Monitor

Console players probably do not need this.

PC players may find it useful for troubleshooting frame rate or performance problems, but for Xbox and PS5 players, this is mostly unnecessary clutter.

Motion Blur

Turn this off.

Motion blur is meant to smooth fast movement by blurring the image, but for many players it makes the game less clear. It can also cause headaches or motion sickness.

I do not like using it, and I recommend setting it to zero.

You will usually get a cleaner, sharper, easier-to-read image with motion blur disabled. The exception to this rule is if you do play on Quality mode, then Motion Blur can be a benefit.

Depth of Field

This setting adds a visual effect around the screen, especially when aiming.

Some players recommend turning it off, but in my experience it does not make a huge difference. It is fairly subtle.

Leave it on if you like the look. Turn it off if you want the cleanest possible image. This one is not a big deal either way.

Bloom

Bloom controls some of the bright glowing and lens glare effects.

On console, it is usually fine to leave this on. On some PC setups, bloom can get intense and cause visibility issues.

If you are sensitive to bright effects or lens glare, try turning it off. Otherwise, it does make the game look good.

Quality Profile

For console players, use Performance Mode.

Quality Mode gives you higher resolution but is locked to 30 FPS.

Performance Mode lowers the resolution but aims for 60 FPS.

In a game like Helldivers 2, frame rate matters more than raw resolution. The game is chaotic, fast, and full of projectiles, enemies, explosions, and friendly fire incidents waiting to happen.

Use Performance Mode.

Anti-Aliasing

Anti-aliasing smooths jagged edges.

On stronger consoles like PS5 Pro and likely Xbox Series X, I recommend turning this on. The image looks smoother, and the console should be able to handle it without meaningful performance problems.

Sharpness

This controls how sharp the final image looks.

The default is usually fine, but you can experiment with turning it up. If the image starts to look too harsh or artificial, lower it back down.

Audio and Voice Chat

The audio settings are mostly straightforward.

You can adjust master volume, music volume, dialogue volume, and sound effects.

For voice chat, you can use open microphone, push-to-talk, push-to-mute, toggle mute, or disabled.

On PlayStation, using open mic can work fine because the controller has a built-in mute button. On Xbox, the controller does not have the same built-in mute button, so you may need to use the in-game voice settings or a headset with its own mute switch.

Use whatever setup prevents you from accidentally broadcasting every cough, snack crunch, dog bark, or frustrated “what the hell just killed me?”

HUD Settings

The HUD settings are where a lot of new players should be careful.

It can be tempting to hide everything for immersion, but if you are new, do not do that yet.

Helldivers 2 has a lot of important battlefield information, and hiding your HUD before you understand the game is a great way to get lost, miss objectives, waste time, or vaporize your teammates with poorly placed explosives.

HUD Scale

This changes the size of the HUD.

I keep mine at 1.0. If you have trouble reading the interface, turn it up. If you want less screen clutter, turn it down.

Objective Visibility

Keep primary objectives visible.

Unless you are recording cinematic footage or deliberately doing an immersion challenge, there is no good reason for a new player to hide core objective information.

Secondary Mission Info

I recommend keeping this visible when starting out.

This includes useful information like the mission timer. You can set it to dynamic later if you want less clutter, but new players benefit from having that information available at a glance.

Stratagem Visibility

Keep this visible.

You need to know what stratagems are being called down around you.

There is a very large difference between someone throwing an Orbital Precision Strike and someone throwing a massive barrage with a huge blast radius.

Knowing what is landing nearby can save your life.

Or at least make your death feel slightly more informed.

Health Visibility

Keep this on.

You can die very quickly in Helldivers 2. Knowing your health status matters.

Weapon Status

Keep this on.

You need to know what weapon you have equipped, how much ammo you have, and whether you are about to click empty at the worst possible moment.

Hint Visibility

If you are new, leave hints on.

Early missions communicate a decent amount of information through tooltips and hints. Once you know the game, you can turn them off.

Stamina Visibility

Dynamic is fine.

The stamina bar appears when it matters and disappears when you are full. That gives you the information you need without cluttering the screen constantly.

Stamina Width

I prefer wide.

A wider stamina bar makes it easier to read exactly how much stamina you have left. That matters when you are sprinting away from bugs, robots, aliens, explosions, or your teammate’s brilliant idea.

Reticle Visibility

Dynamic is probably best.

Visible keeps the reticle on all the time, which can be distracting. Hidden is more immersive but less practical. Dynamic makes it appear when you are actually aiming.

That is the best balance for most players.

Interaction Visibility

Keep this on.

This setting helps you identify terminals, valves, mission objects, and other interactable things.

If you turn this off as a new player, you are going to make learning the game much harder for no good reason.

Nameplate Visibility

At minimum, keep this on dynamic.

Nameplates help you identify your teammates during combat. This is especially important because Helldivers 2 has friendly fire, and your teammates are very killable.

If you are new, visible may be even better until you get used to tracking teammate positions.

Before throwing big explosives, check where your squad is.

Before full-sending a machine gun downrange, check where your squad is.

Before calling in a giant barrage, maybe consider whether your squad is standing directly inside the “oops” zone.

Info Feed

Dynamic is fine for most players.

The info feed tells you things like discovered points of interest and text chat messages. You can keep it visible if you want to avoid missing anything, but dynamic is usually enough.

Sample Count Visibility

If you are new, consider setting this to visible.

Samples are important upgrade resources, and the team only gets credit for samples that actually extract on the Pelican.

If a player dies and drops samples, visible sample count can help you notice that the squad needs to recover them before leaving.

Player Marker Visibility

Leave this on.

Player markers help with navigation and coordination. Hiding them just makes communication harder.

Compass Visibility and Width

I recommend keeping the compass visible and setting compass width to wide.

The compass helps with navigation, especially when your map is jammed by an ion storm or when you are trying to orient yourself quickly.

A wider compass is also useful for spotting points of interest because question marks can appear along the compass before you fully discover them.

Map Navigation Mode

For controller players, I recommend starting with hybrid.

Hybrid gives you a practical balance for moving and looking around while using the map. You can experiment with the other options later, but hybrid is a good starting point.

Accessibility Settings

The accessibility settings include subtitles, language, text-to-speech, reticle color, reticle outline, and other visibility tools.

Use these based on your needs.

If you have trouble seeing the reticle, adjust the color or turn on the outline. If you prefer subtitles, turn them on and adjust the size.

There is no prize for making the game harder to read.

Vehicle Controls

Vehicle controls include settings like auto reverse and reverse gear behavior.

If you want a simple driving setup, you can use trigger-based forward and reverse controls.

If you want the full manual transmission experience, you can turn those assists off and manually shift gears with the bumpers.

For most players, the simpler setup will probably feel more natural. But if you want to drive the Bastion like a proper armored lunatic, manual controls are there.

Controller Settings

For controller players, I do not recommend changing many bindings.

The default controller layout is generally fine. Helldivers 2 is not a hyper-competitive twitch shooter where you need some cursed claw-grip layout to survive.

You can adjust sensitivity if you want, though.

Default look sensitivity is around 5.0. I personally like bumping several sensitivity settings up to about 6.0, while keeping scope sensitivity lower.

The important thing to understand is that Helldivers 2 has weapon ergonomics.

That means your camera may move quickly, but your weapon reticle still has to catch up depending on the weapon. A pistol will feel snappy. A heavy machine gun will feel slower and bulkier.

So do not assume cranking sensitivity up will magically make every weapon handle faster. The weapon itself still has handling characteristics.

For most controller players, the default dead zones, acceleration, and other aiming settings are fine unless you have a specific issue you are trying to fix.

Galactic War Table Basics

After your settings are handled, it helps to understand the Galactic War Table.

The full table shows the larger war across different enemy fronts.

Terminids

Terminids are the bug faction.

They are mostly built around swarms, melee pressure, and overwhelming you with numbers. Their units range from smaller fast enemies to massive creatures like Bile Titans.

Against bugs, you need to manage space, crowd control, and close-range pressure.

Automatons

Automatons are the robot faction.

They fight more like a military force, using ranged weapons, projectiles, heavy armor, and large mechanical units.

Against bots, you need to respect cover, line of sight, armor, and ranged fire.

Illuminate

Illuminate are more of a combined-arms faction.

They use melee pressure, ranged harassment, airborne enemies, larger units, and support-style units that can make fights messy fast.

For newer players, Illuminate can be especially challenging because they pressure you in multiple ways at the same time.

Difficulty and Operations

Helldivers 2 has 10 difficulty levels.

To unlock the next difficulty, you need to complete a full operation at your current highest available difficulty.

An operation is made up of one to three missions depending on the difficulty level.

Do not worry about rushing straight to the highest difficulty. Learn the game, learn the factions, learn your weapons, and work your way up. Once you have complete difficulty 10 on one faction, then I suggest you try each other faction starting at difficulty 4 even though you already have max difficulty unlocked. This is because it is very helpful to learn the nuances of each faction little by little instead of diving headfirst into max difficulty on a brand new enemy faction. But this is Helldivers, so maybe that’s part of the experience.

Quickplay and Matchmaking

You have several ways to join missions.

If you hit quickplay from the full Galactic War map, the game can send you into any available faction.

If you want to fight a specific faction, zoom in, select that faction’s area, choose a planet, and quickplay from there.

You can also select a planet and start your own operation. Other players can join you depending on your matchmaking privacy settings.

You can also manually browse ongoing missions if you want to pick a specific mission type.

Planet Effects and Operation Modifiers

Before starting a mission, check the effects by pressing the L2 or R2 buttons on PS5 or the Left/Right Bumper on Xbox.

Planets can have environmental conditions, like tremors or other hazards which display when viewing the mission.

Operations can also have modifiers depending on faction and difficulty. For example, you may see increased stratagem cooldown or longer stratagem call-in time.

These modifiers can change how the mission feels and how you should build your loadout.

Do not ignore them.

Democracy Space Station

The Democracy Space Station, or DSS, is another Galactic War feature.

You can check where it currently is, where it is moving, donate resources toward tactical actions, and vote on where the community should send it next.

You can only vote once per cycle, so pick your destination and live with your democratic consequences.

Player Counts on Planets

The Galactic War map also shows how many Helldivers are active in different areas.

This is useful because it gives you a sense of whether a planet has enough players for easy matchmaking.

If a planet has a low player count, you may have a harder time getting people to join you. In that case, you might be better off joining someone else’s mission or choosing a more populated planet.

Final Recommendations

If you are brand new to Helldivers 2 on Xbox or PS5, here are the biggest settings I would change first:

Turn crossplay on.

Turn remember weapon functions on.

Turn auto-climb during sprint off.

Turn motion blur off.

Use Performance Mode on console.

Keep important HUD elements visible while learning.

Use dynamic reticle visibility.

Use a wide compass.

Keep teammate nameplates on at least dynamic.

Start with default controller bindings before changing anything major.

Most of the other settings come down to preference, comfort, and how much immersion you want versus how much clean information you want on screen.

Helldivers 2 is already chaotic enough. Your settings should help you fight the enemies of Super Earth, not fight the interface.

Welcome to the fight, especially to the new Xbox players joining the war.

Now go spread democracy without climbing on top of the resupply pod like a confused golden retriever.