FIFA 21: One and Two Button Modes | Controls Walkthrough Video

FIFA is one of the games that we are most commonly asked for help with playing and the default controls require the use of the majority of the controller. However, there are two other control schemes: Two Button Mode and One Button Mode that can potentially help make the game accessible to many players by reducing the number of inputs required. This video will look at how these control schemes work on Xbox, Playstation and also PC if using a controller. The Nintendo Switch version of the game plays differently and will not be covered in this video.

If you are going to be playing with either Two or One Button Modes you may find that it could also be helpful to reduce the number of inputs required to access the in-game menus. For example, by default, to access the practice arena you use the Left Stick to get to the Skill Games Menu and then have to use the Right Stick to move across to Practice Arena. Other parts of the menus require the use of the triggers such as moving from Settings to choose your preset in the Controller Settings menu. Within Settings if you go to Accessibility you can remap the Right Stick functionality. This means that you can navigate through many of the menu options with just the Left Stick. Press Cross or A to select this option. You can also remap the bumpers and triggers needed in the menus to the Left Stick, meaning that you can navigate through Game Settings and the Customise Controls screens using the Left Stick. Press Cross or A to select this option.

There are several opportunities to select your control scheme, such as just before a match or by pausing mid-game. Here we will change from Classic Controls to Two Button Mode in the main menu. Go to Customise, then Settings, then Customise Controls. Move across until Attack appears. Now press Down and you can move from Classic to Alternate and then across to Two Button Mode. You will see that Circle will be as Shoot, Cross or A is Pass and Left Stick is to Move Player. R2 or Right Trigger to Sprint is optional as within this game mode Auto Sprint is enabled. This means that the AI will decide when would be best to start sprinting. L1 or Left Bumper can be used to Change Player, but it is possible to remove the need to use this button which we will look at a bit later on in the video.

When a match is loading you will first enter a training game. You do not need to play this – you can wait for the game to load. Once the training game is finished you do need to press the Options button to move to the match. Left Stick is used to control player movement as well as direct and aim passes and shots. If you press your Pass button which is Cross or A, you will do a ground pass or a through pass depending on the direction of your pass and the situation with the player you are passing to. If you hold the button down you will do a lob, again, depending on the direction of your pass and the situation with the player you are passing to. Circle or B act as your Shoot button and the longer you hold the button down the more power you will put into your shot.

When you do not have the ball your Pass button will become your Standing Tackle and your Shoot button, which is Circle or B, will become your Sliding Tackle. If you find pressing R2 or Right Trigger difficult the game will automatically sprint for you at times that it deems to be appropriate such as when there is space to run into when attacking or tracking back in defence.

By default the game is set to automatically switch to the nearest player if you do not have the ball when the ball is in the air or if the ball is loose. This means if the opponent has the ball you need to press L1 to switch player. If you wish to have it set so that the game switches automatically for you in all situations, then you can go to Settings and change this to Auto. You can still override this by pressing L1 if you want to in certain situations.

Career Mode gives you the option to play as a single player so you would not be controlling the entire team. When playing this mode you can press or hold the Pass button to call teammates to pass the ball to you. If you press the Shoot button when the teammate has the ball they will take the shot.

If accessing two buttons during gameplay is difficult then there is the option for One Button Mode. You can select this mode in the same way that you would on Two Button Mode either via the main menu, just before a match or by pausing the game. Go to Customise Controls, move across until Attack appears, press Down to select the Preset and move across to find One Button Mode.

When loading a game you will still need to press the Options or Menu button to get past the training game. When in gameplay Left Stick is Player Movement and the Cross or A button will act as Action. When you’re in possession the Action button is used for all types of kick including passing and shooting. Left stick is used to direct and aim passes and shots as well as move your players. The type of kick played will depend on the situation you are in, the direction you are aiming and how long you hold the button down for. In many situations if you have the ball it will act as a ground or through pass. In some situations, by holding the button down, you may be able to do a long pass or a lob but if the AI feels that a ground pass is more appropriate it may override this and do a ground pass instead. Once you approach the goal your Action button now becomes the Shoot button. Sometimes you may be expecting to shoot but a pass will be played instead but with practice you learn in which situation certain type of kick will likely be played.

When you don’t have the ball the Action button will alternate between acting as either Defender Press or Sliding Tackle depending on the situation. As with Two Button Mode, Auto Sprint will be enabled by holding down R2 or Right Trigger will allow you to manually sprint if you choose to do so. As with Two Button Mode pressing L1 or LB will enable you to automatically switch player when you don’t have the ball. However, if you set this to Auto you may find that there isn’t a need to press this button. You can also play Career Mode matches with one button controls and when playing as a single player pressing or holding your action button will call teammates to pass the ball to you or take a shot, depending on the situation they are in.

There are some situations that even when using two button or one button control schemes the game may offer prompts to press other buttons. An example would be during a free kick. However, it is possible to play matches on FIFA 21 without using any more than either one or two buttons and a single joystick.

If at any point you would like to pause the game when using either two button or one button controls, you will need to press the Options or Menu button. In order to have full control of menus please note that you do need access to at least one joystick and two buttons and also that the Options or Menu button is required to start matches. These control schemes can help to make the game more accessible for many players.

We hope that this video has been helpful. If you would like to play FIFA 21 but find that accessing one or two buttons and one analog stick on a standard controller is difficult there are a range of other ways to play that might work best for you. If you would like to speak to SpecialEffect about video game accessibility, then please get in touch.