Street Fighter 6 offers two unique controls modes for you to take online, Modern and Classic, but what's the difference and which is the right choice for you? Here's our handy guide to give you a better idea.
Street Fighter 6 is here, and with it Capcom has introduced some new control schemes into the game. There's Classic which are the classic six button controls we've known and loved since Street Fighter 2 (they were in the original Street Fighter as well, but we didn't really love that one). Meanwhile, Modern takes the at times complex inputs of fighting games and simplifies them bringing it more in like with the likes of Super Smash Bros.
There is a third control mode called Dynamic, which uses AI to attack for you based on spacing and what buttons you press (aka you press light attack and it performs a light combo). However, this mode is designed to be more of a party game mode and is unavailable outside of offline modes, so it's not a viable control type to use as your main style.
Street Fighter 6: Modern controls explained
Modern Controls are new for Street Fighter 6 and offer a way to take some of the execution barrier out of fighting games. Here's some of the main points
- Four Buttons (Light, Medium, Heavy and Special)
- Assist button which when held performs combos based on the attack strength button you push (Default RT / R2)
- Special move inputs are mapped to the Special button and directions (for example Special is a Hadoken, Special and Forward is a Shoryuken)
- Supers are performed by pressing Special and Heavy attack at the same time (with directions required for Level 2 and Level 3 supers)
Throw / Drive Parry / Drive impact mapped to single buttons (Default is LT / RB / LB or L2 / R1 / L1 respectively)
Modern controls are best suited for newcomers or players who have issues performing the more complex button inputs. Benefits include instant access to your Specials, including ones that can be difficult to pull off the motion for (such as Zangief's Screw Piledriver), which also reduces the likelihood of a misinput.
Personally, I would recommend using Modern as a jumping off point to learning Classic controls. I feel like having six buttons offers an extra layer of flexibility you don't get with Modern. However, it's a more than viable option for players especially those who are physically unable to perform more complex inputs.
Street Fighter 6: Classic controls explained
As the name implies, Classic controls are the classic Street Fighter controls that you know and love. Here's some of the main points
- Six Buttons (Light, Medium, and Heavy for both Punches and Kicks)
- Special move inputs require inputs on the d-pad/stick (Quarter Circle Forward motion for a Hadoken, Dragon Punch motion for a Shoryuken)
- Throw / Drive Parry / Drive impact performed by holding both Light / Medium / Heavy buttons respectively.
Classic controls are best suited for veteran Street Fighters who are used to this layout and know what I mean when I refer to a Dragon Punch motion. Benefits include access to six attack buttons over the three included in modern, which allows for more freeform combos. Classic gives you more options in the long term, for example Ryu loses a lot of his mid-range pokes in Modern mode, meaning your game plan with him changes entirely between the two modes.
Truth be told, it's worth experimenting with both control styles to see what fits your personal playstyle. From what I've played I'm a Classic player, however Modern controls have allowed me to pick up some characters I wouldn't ever play before (Guile). Even some pro Street Fighter players who have been playing for decades are considering picking up Modern controls.
That being said, It's still to early to tell if Classic will eventually become the default control scheme for players like it has in most games that offer a simplified control scheme or if Capcom has finally figured out how to create a viable simplified mode.
