Splatoon 3: How to Turn Off Motion Controls

Splatoon 3 is finally here, and it's filled with players looking to leave their mark on the colorful third-person shooter from Nintendo. But there's one frustration that newbies and veterans alike may find themselves dealing with as soon as they boot up the game for the first time: motion controls. It doesn't matter whether you're playing on the Nintendo Switch in TV or handheld mode—when you start playing Splatoon 3 for the first time, you'll have to use motion controls to move around.

That means tilting your Nintendo Switch or the controllers you're using: the Joy-Cons themselves, a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, or a Joy-Con Game Pad. This isn't ideal for everyone who typically plays shooters, as it can be disorienting and annoying for anyone who isn't well-versed in playing like this. Luckily, you're only really forced to use these controls during the mandatory training section that Splatoon 3 uses to get you started playing.

After you complete the tutorial, you'll no longer have to use motion controls because you'll have access to the game menu to change settings. You'll have to get through splatting balloons and following directions when you first jump into Splatoon 3 otherwise, but the tutorial only lasts a couple of minutes, depending on how quickly you can get through it.

So, yes, you can absolutely turn off the motion controls in Splatoon 3, but it might not be immediately obvious as to how you can accomplish this. Here's how you can go about turning motion controls on and off in Splatoon 3 via the main menu. And just remember, you can always go back and change your mind later.

How to Turn Off Motion Controls in Splatoon 3

If you're not someone who enjoys using motion controls in Splatoon 3, you can just go turn them off in the menu. At any time, press the X button on your Switch to bring up the menu. Use the R shoulder button to tab over to the Options section.

Once there, if you're using your Switch in TV/Tabletop Mode, you'll want to change the Motion Controls setting here. Go all the way down to the bottom of the page and toggle the "Motion Controls" option to "Off." If you want to do the same for Handheld Mode, go back to the left side of the menu and choose "Handheld Mode" to do the same thing.

Be sure to change both modes' options if you never want to have to use motion controls, especially if you plan on docking your Switch with your TV at some point in the future and no longer playing in Handheld Mode. This way you won't have to deal with motion controls again unless you turn them back on yourself. And you can do just that by repeating this process and toggling the option back to "On." After that, just exit the menu, and you'll be good to go.

Splatoon 3 is available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.