Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas/Basics/Controls

N.B. If you do not own the Playstation 2 version, you may still find it useful to study the controls for that format, since all other pages will be described using these controls.

Playstation 2

The controls are available in the game by pressing the START button and selecting the controls options, but are also available here.

On Foot

Triangle Button:

• Enter vehicle from
• Activate mini-game
• Secondary attack while unarmed
• Pick up object
• Skip phone conversation

Circle Button:

• Attack/fire weapon

X Button:

• Run (this is done by holding the X button)
• Sprint (this is done by rapidly tapping the X button)
• Zoom out with sniper rifle/camera
• Skip cutscene

Square Button:

• Jump
• Climb up walls (they must be equal to your actual jumping height)
• Zoom in with sniper rifle/camera
• Block while fighting

L2 Button:

• Switch weapons one to the left of the current one
• Zoom in with sniper rifle/camera/pause map

L1 Button:

• Center camera
• View vital stats about your character
• Fire weapon while targeted

R2 Button:

• Switch weapons one to the right of your current one
• Zoom out with sniper rifle/camera/pause map

R1 Button:

• Target an individual with the selected weapon

L3 Button: (Push the left analog control inwards)

• Crouch (move while crouching to sneak)

SELECT button:

• Cycle through available camera modes

START button:

• Pause menu
• Skip cutscene

R3 button: (Push the right analog control inwards)

• Look behind your character

Up Button: (Directional pad)

• Gang sign to recruit gang members

Left Button: (Directional pad)

• Answer no when prompted for yes/no

Right Button: (Directional pad)

• Answer yes when prompted for yes/no

Down Button: (Directional pad)

• Gang sign to tell gang members to wait (briefly press button)
• Gang sign to tell gang members to leave you (hold down button)

In Vehicle

• W = Accelerate
• Square = Brake/Reverse
• Circle = Fire Weapon
• Triangle = Exit Vehicle
• L1 = Change Radio Station/Nitros/Vehicle Weapon
• L2 = Look to left of vehicle
• R1 = Handbrake
• R2 = Look to right of vehicle
• L2+R2 = Look behind vehicle
• Left Analog Stick = Steering
• L3 = Horn/Siren/Lock Hydraulics
• Right Analog Stick = Hydraulics/Vehicle Weapon Aim
• R3 = Hydraulics, Start/End Vehicle Mission

X-Box

On Foot

• Left Thumbstick - Move CJ
• Right Thumbstick - Rotate Camera
• Left Thumbstick Click - Crouch
• Right Trigger - Lock on Target
• Left Trigger - Center Camera/View Stats/Fire Weapon
• Y Button - Enter Vehicle/Activate Mini Game/Secondary Attack/Pick Up Object
• B Button - Attack/Fire Weapon
• A Button - Run(Hold)/Sprint(Tap)
• X Button - Jump/Climb/Block
• White Button - Cycle Weapon Left
• Black Button - Cycle Weapon Right
• Back Button - Cycle Camera Mode
• Start - Pause
• D-Pad Up - Activate Gang
• D-Pad Down - Passive Gang
• D-Pad Left - Negative Response
• D-Pad Right - Positive Response

Bicycles

• Right Trigger - Pedal(Hold)/Pedal Faster(Tap)
• Left Trigger - Move Backwards
• B Button - Bunnyhop
• X Button - Brake
• Left Thumbstick Up/Down - Lean Forward/Backward

Vehicle Controls

• Y Button - Exit Vehicle
• A Button - Car Weapon/Nitrous
• Right Trigger - Accelerate
• Left Trigger - Brake/Reverse
• White Button - Look Left
• Black Button - Look Right
• Black+White - Rear View
• B Button - Car Weapon/Nitrous
• X Button - Hand Brake
• Right Thumbstick - Turret Control/Rotate Camera/Change Cinema Camera View/Hydraulics
• Left Thumbstick - Steering/Camera
• D-Pad Up/Down - Cycle Radio Stations
• D-Pad Right - Trip Skip (When Applicable)
• Back Button - Camera Modes
• Start Button - Pause Menu
• Right Click - Launch Mini Game

First Person Shooting

• Left Trigger - Shoot
• White/Black Buttons - Zoom In/Zoom Out
• B Button - Shoot
• Right Thumbstick - Aim
• Left Thumbstick - Aim
• Right Trigger - Return to Normal Controls
• Left Thumstick Click - Crouch

Swimming

• B Button - Dive Underwater
• A Button - Swim(Hold)/Swim Faster(Tap)
• X Button - Jump
• Y Button - Enter Vehicle
• Left Thumbstick - Move CJ

Helicopter

• Black Button - Rudder Right
• White Button - Rudder Left
• R Trigger - Ascend
• Left Trigger - Descend
• Left Thumbstick - Pitch/Roll
• A Button - Alternative Weapon
• B Button - Primary Weapon
• Left Thumbstick Click - Hover
• Right Thumbstick - Turret/Camera

Plane

• Black Button - Rudder Right
• White Button - Rudder Left
• R Trigger - Thrust
• L Trigger - Reverse Thrust
• B Button - Primary Weapon
• A Button - Alternate Weapon
• Right Thumbstick Click - Raise/Lower
• Right Thumbstick - Turret/Camera
• Left Thumbstick - Pitch/Roll

PC

• 2 - Toggle vehicle missions
• C - Crouch
• LShift - Jump / Bunny Hop (BMX)
• LAlt - Sneak
• Space - Sprint
• LMB - Fire
• RMB - Aim
• H (in car Or bike) - Sound Horn; sirens on and off
• G - Recruit gang member, call gang members to you
• H - Tell gang members to hold ground, if held down disbands gang
• Y - Positive response
• N - Negative response
• Esc - Bring up game menus, pause game
• F1 = Replay last 30 seconds of gameplay
• F2 = Save last 30 second replay
• F3 = Load a saved 30 second replay