Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas/Controls

If you do not own the Playstation 2 version, you may still find it useful to study the controls for that format, since other pages may refer to those controls directly.

Playstation 2
You can also see a map of controls in the game by pressing the START button and selecting the controls options.

On Foot
Triangle Button:


 * Enter vehicle from
 * Activate mini-game
 * Secondary attack while unarmed
 * Pick up object
 * Skip phone conversation

Circle Button:


 * Attack/fire weapon

X Button:


 * Run (this is done by holding the X button)
 * Sprint (this is done by rapidly tapping the X button)
 * Zoom out with sniper rifle/camera
 * Skip cutscene

Square Button:


 * Jump
 * Climb up walls (they must be equal to your actual jumping height)
 * Zoom in with sniper rifle/camera
 * Block while fighting

L2 Button:


 * Switch weapons one to the left of the current one
 * Zoom in with sniper rifle/camera/pause map

L1 Button:


 * Center camera
 * View vital stats about your character
 * Fire weapon while targeted

R2 Button:


 * Switch weapons one to the right of your current one
 * Zoom out with sniper rifle/camera/pause map

R1 Button:


 * Target an individual with the selected weapon

L3 Button: (Push the left analog control inwards)


 * Crouch (move while crouching to sneak)

SELECT button:


 * Cycle through available camera modes

START button:


 * Pause menu
 * Skip cutscene

R3 button: (Push the right analog control inwards)


 * Look behind your character

Up Button: (Directional pad)


 * Gang sign to recruit gang members

Left Button: (Directional pad)


 * Answer no when prompted for yes/no

Right Button: (Directional pad)


 * Answer yes when prompted for yes/no

Down Button: (Directional pad)


 * Gang sign to tell gang members to wait (briefly press button)
 * Gang sign to tell gang members to leave you (hold down button)

In Vehicle

 * X = Accelerate
 * Square = Brake/Reverse
 * Circle = Fire Weapon
 * Triangle = Exit Vehicle
 * L1 = Change Radio Station/Nitros/Vehicle Weapon
 * L2 = Look to left of vehicle
 * R1 = Handbrake
 * R2 = Look to right of vehicle
 * L2+R2 = Look behind vehicle
 * Left Analog Stick = Steering
 * L3 = Horn/Siren/Lock Hydraulics
 * Right Analog Stick = Hydraulics/Vehicle Weapon Aim
 * R3 = Hydraulics, Start/End Vehicle Mission

Xbox
You can also see a map of controls in the game by pressing the START button and selecting the controls options.

Always

 * Start - Pause
 * Back Button - Cycle Camera Mode.
 * Right Thumbstick - Rotate Camera (except where otherwise noted) or switch camera in cinematic view

On Foot

 * Left Thumbstick - Move CJ
 * Left Thumbstick Click - Crouch
 * Right Trigger - Lock on Target
 * Left Trigger - Center Camera/View Stats/Fire Weapon/Pick Up Object
 * Y Button - Enter Vehicle/Activate Mini Game/Secondary Attack
 * B Button - Attack/Fire Weapon
 * A Button - Run(Hold)/Sprint(Tap)
 * X Button - Jump/Climb/Block
 * White Button - Cycle Weapon Left
 * Black Button - Cycle Weapon Right
 * D-Pad Up - Recruit gang member (after targeting with right trigger)
 * D-Pad Down - Order gang member to be "passive"
 * D-Pad Left - Negative Response
 * D-Pad Right - Positive Response

On a bicycle

 * Right Trigger - Pedal(Hold)/Pedal Faster(Tap)
 * Left Trigger - Front brake/back up
 * B Button - Bunny hop
 * X Button - Rear brake
 * Left Thumbstick Up/Down - Lean Forward/Backward

In a vehicle

 * Y Button - Exit Vehicle
 * A Button - Car Weapon/Nitrous
 * Right Trigger - Accelerate
 * Left Trigger - Brake/Reverse
 * White Button - Look Left
 * Black Button - Look Right
 * Black+White - Rear View
 * B Button - Car Weapon/Nitrous
 * X Button - Hand Brake
 * Right Thumbstick - Turret Control or Hydraulics if applicable
 * Left Thumbstick - Steering/Camera
 * D-Pad Up/Down - Cycle Radio Stations
 * D-Pad Right - Trip Skip (When Applicable)
 * Right Click - Launch Mini Game

First Person Shooting (as with a sniper rifle)

 * Left Trigger - Shoot
 * White/Black Buttons - Zoom In/Zoom Out
 * B Button - Shoot
 * Right Thumbstick - Aim
 * Left Thumbstick - Aim
 * Right Trigger - Return to Normal Controls
 * Left Thumstick Click - Crouch

Swimming

 * B Button - Dive Underwater
 * A Button - Swim(Hold)/Swim Faster(Tap)
 * X Button - Jump
 * Y Button - Enter Vehicle
 * Left Thumbstick - Move CJ

In a Helicopter

 * Black Button - Rudder Right
 * White Button - Rudder Left
 * R Trigger - Ascend
 * Left Trigger - Descend
 * Left Thumbstick - Pitch/Roll
 * A Button - Alternate Weapon
 * B Button - Primary Weapon
 * Left Thumbstick Click - Hover
 * Right Thumbstick - Turret/Camera

In a Plane

 * Black Button - Rudder Right
 * White Button - Rudder Left
 * R Trigger - Thrust
 * L Trigger - Reverse Thrust
 * B Button - Primary Weapon
 * A Button - Alternate Weapon
 * Right Thumbstick Click - Raise/Lower landing gear
 * Right Thumbstick - Turret/Camera
 * Left Thumbstick - Pitch/Roll

Xbox 360
On an Xbox 360 playing in backwards-compatibility mode, the right and left bumpers are mapped to the black and white buttons respectively. Everything else is the same as in the Xbox section.

PC
You can also see a map of controls in the game by pressing the ESC key and selecting the controls options.


 * 2 - Toggle vehicle missions
 * C - Crouch
 * LShift - Jump / Bunny Hop (BMX)
 * LAlt - Sneak
 * Space - Sprint
 * LMB - Fire
 * RMB - Aim
 * Caps Lock - Sound Horn; sirens on and off
 * G - Recruit gang member, call gang members to you
 * H - Tell gang members to hold ground, if held down disbands gang
 * Y - Positive response
 * N - Negative response
 * Esc - Bring up game menus, pause game
 * F1 = Replay last 30 seconds of gameplay
 * F2 = Save last 30 second replay
 * F3 = Load a saved 30 second replay