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Final Fantasy 16 gives you the choice of three different wireless controller layouts, but it doesn't tell you which one is best or which is better suited for your playstyle. This guide will explore the different layouts available. It will also look at how they affect the action-oriented combat system and the player's ability to effectively execute combos.
The reason you may want to consider changing your button layout is that as you progress, you will acquire additional Eikonic action abilities and a greater variety of combat options. Performing complex combinations of all these abilities at once may prove impractical with one layout over another, depending on your play style and combat priorities. You can change your controller layout by going to Start > System > Controller Layout (with the small controller icon).
Updated by Mohamed Hassan on July 7, 2023: The list now includes the three new wirless controller layouts added in patch 1.03, along with information on how they factor into the gameplay. The links throughout have been refreshed to offer more interesting options for readers.
Wireless Controller Layout General Differences
What changes between different layouts are mainly combat inputs. In other words, the placement of functions such as Melee Attack, Eikonic Feat, Magic, Evade, Cycle Eikonic Abilities, Cycle Eikons, and Lock On (Taunt command inputs change slightly, but they aren't an important factor in determining the best layout).
What remains the same is traversal or movement inputs. This means Jump is still assigned to X across all layouts. All analog functions are also the same in every layout (Move with left analog, Camera with right analog, Reset Camera/Cycle Target in R3, and Animal Instinct function in L3). The D-pad commands that allow you to cycle through items and initiate pet commands also remain the same.
Type A Wireless Controller Layout
Type A is the default layout. In this layout, you can use Square to perform melee attacks, Triangle to cast magic, and the Circle to use your Eikons' abilities such as Phoenix Shift or Deadly Embrace.
You can also use the R1 and R2 keys to dodge and ready Eikonic abilities for casting, and the L1 and L2 keys to cycle Eikons and lock onto enemies. In other words, this layout forces you to use and cast most of your abilities with your right hand, and your left-hand doesn't do much except move and lock on to enemies.
Also, since you have to cast magic (and charge magic by holding Triangle) at the same time as doing other things like melee attacks or casting Eikon skills, you have to force yourself to remove your thumb finger from the Square button in order to press the Triangle button (unless you can play with the Claw technique like fighting game players).
That doesn't mean the other layouts are without fault or that the Type A layout is bad. In Fact, if you can ignore magic casting, you will probably be fine. You can also train yourself to press Square and Triangle at the same time (some Devil May Cry 5 fans are used to charging and exceeding their weapons using the two buttons at the same time, but most just rebind keys there).
Type B Wireless Controller Layout
In this layout, you have both magic and melee attacks assigned to R2 and R1 respectively, so you will mainly be using your index and middle fingers to attack, leaving the rest of your fingers free to do whatever you want. The only downside is that not many action gamers are actually used to fighting with their index and middle fingers.
Having the Eikonic feats assigned to L2 also adds to how weird it might all feel for some (except Souls players maybe). However, it's the most comfortable layout for those who want to get rid of the need to quickly switch fingers between Square and Triangle and use charged magic with ease.
On the pad itself, Evade is assigned to Circle (which is actually the standard evade button in most action games). Readying Eikon Abilities and Cycling between Eikons are assigned to the Square and Triangle buttons, respectively. This solves the problem of having to press Square and Triangle at the same time.
It makes sense when you see that the Square button allows you to use the abilities of your current Eikon until their cooldown is triggered. During this cooldown period, the Square button will temporarily become useless for you. But this actually works to your advantage, as you can now move your finger to the Triangle button and swap out your current Eikon moveset for another with minimal disruption to your gameplay tempo (this pause doesn't exist for Magic, a feature you need to use — and charge — regularly without any cooldowns).
Thanks to its button arrangement and user-friendly design, this layout could be aptly called the "beginner's layout" of the three available ones.
Type C Wireless Controller Layout
The layout veterans prefer because of how balanced it is and how it allows you to use both your hands effectively. Magic here is assigned to L1, and Cycle Eikons takes Magic's former place in the Triangle button. As for the Lock-on button, it now lives in the L2 button instead. So the change is mainly in these three buttons and the rest remains unchanged.
With this subtle change, Type C becomes the most comfortable setup for fans who still want to Square their melee attacks while casting magic without interruptions since they are using an entirely different finger to do it.
There are still two major downsides.
One: you have to learn how to use both of your hands to the fullest; thumbs and other fingers as well. Maybe your hand isn't big enough to do that (like me), or maybe you have a short attention span and can't use that many fingers at once (also like me).
Two: Cycling Eikon will replace the problem of switching to Magic in Type A layout (it will recreate the same problem of needing to move your finger somewhere else, therefore, interrupting your gameplay flow). So there will be a slight lag in how you can connect magic, melee attacks, and Eikon abilities consistently, but in the end, it's all up to your preference and what's comfortable for your hands.
Type D Wireless Controller Layout
This layout can be considered a variation of the Type A layout, with the exception that the Eikonic Feat can now be more conveniently activated with your index finger press on the R1 button, rather than having to remove your thumb from the Square attack button to press Circle and activate the Feat at the expanse of pausing your attacks.
Having the Eikonic Feat there is more appropriate for late game, as some of the feats of later Eikons like Odin and Bahamut require more synergy between using the feat and the other techniques at your disposal. Specifically, Odin's Arm of Darkness requires you to charge the Zantetsuken Gague with each slash, but only after you have activated the Feat. It can't be charged while the feat is turned off.
Unfortunately, going on the offensive with Odin's Blade alone is impractical most of the time, so you will actually be turning it on and off several times as you swap between your different Eikon abilities. And to do that, you need to have access to the Eikon Feat more quickly than ever, so this is the most appropriate layout if you want to get the most out of Odin if you decide he should be a primary Eikon in your setup.
Type E Wireless Controller Layout
This layout is also a variation of another layout, specifically Type B, and can also be considered a late-game layout because of its focus on making the Eikonic Feat more accessible. The only thing this layout does differently from Type B is to swap the Ready Eikonic Ability option in the Square button with the Eikonic Feat in the L2 button, enabling you to use your thumb to initiate Odin's Arm of Darkness or Bahamut's Wings of Light Feats more easily while your right index and middle fingers take care of all your other offensive options.
This layout puts all of your offensive options in your right hand, rather than leaving some options, such as using Eikonic feats, in your left hand, which many players only use for movement. So it all depends on how comfortable you want to be with integrating the Eikonic Feat in your offense, especially if you are maining Odin or Bahamut in your setup.
Type F Wireless Controller Layout
The last layout shifts the Eikonic Feat in the Type C layout to the R1 button, and moves the Evade button to Circle. Again, it's another attempt at integrating the Eikonic Feat into your options while still taking advantage of the Type C layout and allowing you to fully use both hands in battle.
Evade in Circle isn't what I'd call the best place for it, but your play style with Odin is actually a bit slower and more creative and doesn't require you to evade as much as other Eikons. Instead, it asks you to double down on attacks and use abilities like Odin's Rift Slip to cancel your attack animations into other attacks and combos, and not dodge until their cooldowns have cleared. And as mentioned before, it's a layout that's more suited to veterans of the game and action combat in general.