🤔 GTA 6 will replace the button-mashing sprint mechanic (X or A) with the more standard L3 press
🎮 This change is intended to reduce player fatigue, though it may increase the risk of controller stick drift
🤞 Players may be able to use a legacy control scheme or remap the sprint action to a back button on pro controllers
🚗 Other control updates include using X instead of R1 for handbrake turns while driving
GTA 6 will introduce a new control scheme change that may take some getting used to.
The game will finally ditch Rockstar’s obsession with making players repeatedly tap the X or A button to sprint, and will instead switch to the more familiar control scheme of pressing L3 on PlayStation, and its equivalent on Xbox.
YouTuber MikeShowSha (thanks, Forbes) was lucky enough to attend a hands-off preview event at Rockstar North’s offices and reported the change.
The news will please some players, as mashing the X button can be a tiring affair and feels like a hangover from the PS2 days. However, the change could lead to more controller trouble.
Pressing the L3 button down repeatedly is one of the quickest ways for a controller to develop stick drift. The action puts significant strain on the controller’s analog sticks, and it’s why so many third-party controllers have moved away from potentiometer sensors, which aren’t very durable, in favor of Hall Effect and TMR sensors.
Rockstar may offer a legacy control scheme for those who want to continue pressing X to run, and you can always switch L3 to a back button input if you have a pro controller of sorts at hand.
Another control change for GTA 6 may include pressing X when driving to perform a handbrake turn instead of R1. There’s not really any downside to this, and like sprinting with L3, is more common in other games.
GTA 6 releases on November 19, 2026, and we got our best look yet at the game during Netflix’s Extended Look. We finally know it will run at 30fps, even on PS5 Pro, and PlayStation has struck a marketing deal with Rockstar, so say GTA 6 “plays best on PS5”.
Up next: Xbox Project Helix release window narrowed down as Xbox CEO hints at multiple next-gen consoles
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.