You might stumble across the term ADS in Call of Duty, Battlefield, PUBG, or basically any other FPS game for that matter.
What is ADS in gaming?
So what does ADS mean in gaming? ADS stands for Aiming Down Sights, and it refers to the action of going from hip fire (the default weapon position) to aiming down your weapon’s iron sight or optic view. Aiming down sights will give you better accuracy when firing your weapon, while shooting from your hip is generally less accurate for medium to long distances. The ADS can be activated when you hold (or toggle) the right mouse button or the left trigger on controllers.
While aiming down sights, there will also be a short delay until you can accurately start shooting so be weary and prepare your ADS beforehand and get ready to pre-fire. Another aspect to keep in mind is that in some FPS genres, like Battle Royale games or more recently Extraction Shooters, you will have quicker ADS animations based on what attachments you are using. The tactical stock in PUBG is the perfect example, if using it, it will give you a 10% ADS animation speed reduction.
What is a hip fire in gaming?
Hip fire in gaming is when your weapon position stands in the default animation mode. It typically is less accurate than the ADS mode, but it also is quicker for close quarters where aiming down sights can be awkward, especially inside buildings and tight hallways.
So whether you are playing Call of Duty Mobile, Borderlands 3 on PC, Battlefield 2142 on the PS5, or any other shooter for that matter, just keep in mind your weapon position. Hipfire is when you are in close combat, typically a few feet away from the enemy, and ADS is used when the foe is at a moderate distance from you.
