NBA 2K23 Best Controller Settings: Current and Next Gen

Here are the best Controller Settings to use in NBA 2K23 on both Current and Next Gen.
Here are the best Controller Settings to use in NBA 2K23 on both Current and Next Gen. / Image courtesy of 2K/Screenshot: Ralston Dacanay

In NBA 2K23, using your optimal controller settings may make you realize that the game plays for you a lot more than desired by default.

As seen in previous 2K titles, changing up the Defensive Assist Strength and well as Pass Target settings may help much more than you would have previously thought. For those looking to clamp up and make accurate passes more consistently, here are the best Controller Settings to use in NBA 2K23 on Current and Next Gen.

NBA 2K23 Best Controller Settings: Current and Next Gen

As alluded to earlier, there are several things that you'll want to make sure are to your liking in the Controller Settings menu.

First off, with the Shot Meter, this is ultimately up to what you're comfortable with. However, as seen commonly at the higher levels of competition in previous years, turning off the Shot Meter is eventually the way to go for the extra shooting boost it grants.

Next, a brand-new setting this year is Shot Timing Release Time, which allows players to personalize how fast they prefer releasing the Square/X Button while shooting. As such, this allows players to use the faster shooting animations, but still decide how they prefer timing the shot. Trial and error is the best way to figure out your preference here, however, setting it to Early or Late is recommended.

The Defensive Assist Strength is also something to be aware of as this adjusts how much the game controls your player when guarding on-ball. For those who find that they're often too slow to check speedier guards, this may be because your Defensive Assist Strength setting is too high. I prefer to have this setting on the lower end, around 15-35 to ensure that I am predominantly in control of each step my player takes.

Another major Controller Setting to adjust is your Pass Target Profile, which affects how the game assumes which player you want to get the ball to when passing with the X/A button and the left stick. I set my Pass Target Direction to 24, the Distance to 38 and the Openness to 38. While some might prefer to have their Openness set as high as 90, it might not be the best idea to rely on that as more experienced defenders might be leaving their guys open briefly to bait the pass.

One last thing to take note of is that for those looking to use the Pro Touch Finishing Badge, you do need your Shot Timing to be set to "Shots and Layups" or "Layups only" in order for it to be able to be activated.


NBA 2K23 is available now for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam).

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