Main power management
Effective power management is crucial to your survival in Star Wars squadrons. Your ship has three main components: engines, weapons, and shields. By default, your ship sends power equally to all three of them, but you can manually divert power to a specific section to improve its performance by pressing the corresponding direction on the d-pad. For example, diverting power from your motors gives you more mobility, while deflecting power to your weapons makes your lasers hit harder. Adjusting your power on the fly during battle can be the difference between winning and losing, so keep an eye on your power gauges and make any necessary changes.
Adjust your speed for sharper turns
The ability to make tight turns is extremely important in aerial combat, but you will need to manage your speed if you want to perform evasive maneuvers. At full throttle your ship will make very wide turns and you will therefore be much less agile in combat. To efficiently turn your boat, reduce your throttle speed to half. Don't stop completely; stopping is an easy way to get shot over the sky. Leaving your throttle at half speed gives you maximum mobility while keeping your ship moving.
Play the countryside first
It's understandable to want to just jump straight to the online part of the game and start blasting other players into air and fleet battles, but you should probably play the Star Wars Squadrons campaign first, especially. if you are new to air combat games like this. Even if you've played similar games, Squadrons has a few unique mechanics that you'll want to spend some time mastering before taking on real people online. The campaign is a great way to learn the intricacies of each ship, and you'll have the chance to meet cool pilots and play your own part in an original Star Wars story.
Double tap X to target your attacker
Targeting ships can be a problem, especially in the heat of the moment, but there is an easy way to target someone who is on your tail. Normally, pressing L2 would target the ship in front of you and pressing X would cycle through the available targets. However, if you press the X button twice, you will automatically target the attacking ship. This is great for getting a pearl on a pesky TIE hunter that won't leave your tail. Even if you can't maneuver your ship well enough to line up a shot, you can enlist the help of your AI allies in the campaign and they will take care of any enemy bothering you as long as they are targeted.
Choose the right vessel for the job
While everyone wants to pilot TIE Fighters and X-Wings, these aren't always the best ships for the occasion. You always want to choose the right ship for the job, especially in online fleet battles. Each ship has a specific role and team composition really matters in multiplayer. You can't effectively take down an enemy Star Destroyer with just X-Wings, for example. You will need at least a few Y-Wing bombers. Take the time to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each ship, then choose the right ship when the time comes. Your team will thank you.
Personalize your orders
Star Wars Squadrons is a pretty complex game, and there are a ton of buttons that do a lot of things. To make it easier for you, go to settings and take a long look at the control scheme. Adjust them and personalize them as you like. The default control scheme may not be perfect for everyone, and the controls will need to be second nature to you in order to enter all the necessary commands during combat. Everyone's preferences are different, so at least be sure to check out the options available for the different control schemes and layouts before flying.
Practice your drift
Although this is a fairly advanced maneuver, drifting is an essential skill in Star Wars squadrons. To drift, you must first divert the power from your ship's engines. Then press L3 to initiate a boost. While boosting, use the right analog stick to look left or right, then hold L3 to drift. It can be a bit tricky to master, but this movement can get you out of sticky situations and help you navigate tight spaces. You can pretty much have your ship spinning in no time, allowing you to jump on an enemy ship that's on your tail or turn a tight turn and catch someone by surprise.
Star Wars Squadrons is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The game is fully playable in VR on PC and PS4. For more Star Wars Squadrons tips and tricks, check out our HOTAS Support Guide or our Cross Play Guide.
