Everspace 2: How to Use HOTAS

Rockfish Games did the impossible with Everspace 2: they made an arcade-style space shooter play well on a keyboard and mouse setup. If you’re used to traditional WASD style controls, you’ll feel right at home in here. Traditionalists, however, might want a little more. Here’s how to use HOTAS controls in Everspace 2.

Using HOTA Controls in Everspace 2 Explained

If you’re unfamiliar with the abbreviation, HOTAS stands for Hand on Throttle and Stick. The setup is generally used for more traditional space simulators like Elite Dangerous. Everspace 2 is more of an arcade shooter, and a HOTAS setup isn’t necessary to play, but if you’re looking for a little extra control over your ship, here’s how to set it up.

• Open the settings menu.
• Select the “Input” tab at the top of your screen.
• Choose “Customize Controls.”
• Open the drop-down menu in the “Select Preset” field
• Select your HOTAS device.
• If the game doesn’t automatically recognize your HOTAS device, you’ll have to choose Keyboard, Gamepad, or Empty, then manually map your controls.
• Select “Input Method Override” and choose “Joystick.” This will make sure the game is prioritizing your HOTAS device.
• Once that’s done, go through your controls in the “Other” column on the right side of the screen to make sure everything is mapped properly.
• Bind any outstanding functions that weren’t bound automatically. You’ll also be able to configure your deadzones, sensitivity, and inversion settings here.
• Once you’ve got everything the way you want it, select “Apply” to save your settings.

If you’re looking to tweak additional settings like Auto-aim, Boost, or Automatic Rolling, you can find those in the “Joystick” function under the Input tab. Once you’ve got everything configured, you’re good to go.

And that’s about all you need to get HOTAS set up in Everspace 2. For more on Rockfish Games’ latest, check out our Everspace 2 guides hub.