If you have recently started playing Elite Dangerous and you find your ship drifting or spinning uncontrollably, there is an excellent chance that the controller has been zeroed.
Don’t worry about the ship’s controls. You can learn how they work by playing. In this article, we’ll look at what causes controllers to get zeroed and how you can remedy the situation to continue playing. Read on if you want to know more!
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What is Zeroed in Elite Dangerous?
If you have recently purchased Elite Dangerous, you may have noticed a slight delay when you try to use your ship’s controls. You may find that you are spinning uncontrollably, or your boat is drifting in the wrong direction when you try to dock with a space station.
If this is the case, then your controller has been zeroed. When you zero your controller, the controls are reset to default. In the case of Elite Dangerous, they will set the D-pad on your controller to zero. Your ship will immediately react to the game’s standard mode controls.
This is not a bug or a glitch but is integral to every Elite Dangerous player’s progression through the game. A controller gets zeroed in Elite Dangerous because you have been handed your first primary ship, the Sidewinder.
Why Does a Controller Get Zeroed in Elite Dangerous?
When you first begin playing Elite Dangerous, you start with a small, cheap ship known as the Sidewinder. The Sidewinder is a tiny ship that has basic controls. You have control over your ship’s direction with the D-pad.
This is an excellent control when navigating the space around your starting planet, but once you have left the surface, you will find it incredibly difficult to navigate your ship with just one D-pad control. The developers of Elite Dangerous have created this D-pad control for a reason – it is the most straightforward control that allows you to navigate your way through space.
However, once you have left the confines of the planet’s atmosphere and are traveling through space, a single D-pad control is not enough to navigate correctly. This is where your first zeroed controller comes in.
The D-pad: Fixing Your Shipment in Elite Dangerous
Use the D-pad to navigate your ship when you leave a planet’s surface. The D-pad control is handy for rotating your ship around its vertical axis, but it does not help control your ship’s lateral axis. You need to use a different control if you want to move your boat to the left or right.
Once you have left the planet’s atmosphere and are in space, you will be able to see another set of rules appear on your screen. Your ship’s lateral controls allow you to move your boat to the left and right. However, the only way to access these new controls is to press the R button on your controller.
To use these lateral controls, you must press the R button and select these controls. Once you have done this, you can use your controller’s L and R buttons to move your ship around and to the left or right.
How to stop Elite Dangerous from drifting on PC
Use R to select lateral controls to improve ship control. However, you may still find that you are drifting uncontrollably and that your boat is not moving in the direction you are pressing.
If this is the case, your ship’s engines are likely not currently active. To get your ship’s engines going, you need to hold down the W button on your keyboard. Once you have done this, your boat will start to move through space. However, you must ensure that you set your engines to the correct speed.
To do this, you need to look at the bottom of your screen and make sure that you set the rate to green. If you don’t set it to green, you will find that your ship is either moving too quickly or not moving.
How to stop an Xbox One controller from drifting in ED
If your ship is moving, the lateral controls will help you control it better. However, you may find that your boat keeps drifting in one direction because you have not yet selected a target for your boat to navigate towards.
You need to press the A button on your Xbox One controller to guide you toward an object in space. Once you have done this, a list of nearby things will appear on your screen. Select the object you wish to navigate towards, and your ship will begin to move towards that object.
Once you are close enough, you can press the A button again to select dock, and your boat will start to move towards the nearest space station. Once you have chosen the space station, you must ensure that your ship’s controls are correctly positioned. To do this, you need to use your D-pad.
Summary
In space, your D-pad controls are useless and you need to use your thrusters to navigate. The D-pad control is handy for rotating your ship around its vertical axis, but it does not help control your ship’s lateral axis.
You need to use a different control if you want to move your boat to the left or right. Once you have left the planet’s atmosphere and are in space, you will be able to see another set of controls appear on your screen. Your ship’s lateral controls allow you to move your boat to the left and right. However, the only way to access these new controls is to press the R button on your controller.
Using the R button to select lateral controls allows you to control your ship more effectively. The boat keeps drifting without a target due to not selecting one. Once you have chosen the object you wish to steer toward, you can use your lateral controls to navigate towards it. Once you have reached your target, you must ensure that your rules are correct.
