Immersive & Clean FFXIV UI Guide (Watch This Before Using Controller!)

[@jerrycdc8421]

This is going to be helpful for the xbox beta tomorrow. Thx man.

[@acehealer4212]

Great video! I play on console, so I’ve been playing around with settings to see what works for me. I really want to build good habits for dungeons and raids. But I like your ideas for making the UI look more like a single player RPG. I will definitely experiment with some of these. Thank you for the guide!

[@raiza255]

I CANNOT TY ENOUGH FOR THIS VIDEO! Lol, it was soo overwhelming when i first started playing. Thanks again.

[@shanesaxton707]

I'm so happy it helped! I was so overwhelmed too and the huge UI was so offputting at first but once you get it to a nice spot I really enjoyed it!

[@xyzzyx4142]

You are awesome ❤

[@LobsterFusion]

If there is one thing I don’t like about certain MMO’s it’s how they make their UI elements so centralized, obscuring your view of the world. I always try to make my HUD as non MMO looking as I can. Something more single player RPG as this video shows. I think might do a few things different, like have HP/MP bars with job gauges up on the top left with party window on lower right. We will see. But this video definitely gives me some good ideas.

[@shanesaxton707]

Happy to help! I love that they at least give you the option for customized layouts, scale, opacity, etc. I'm still holding out hope for a revamp in 7.0 as well. Best of luck on your new layout

[@Ashenshugura]

I also move the MSQ over to the just above the quest log and scale it to fit the size of my quest log just to have it all consistent. Another thing I do is turn off names for other players except when targeted and also minions/pets. With the exception of friends.

[@shanesaxton707]

I cover this briefly in the video but I too have player names turned off except for NPCs to give that RPG feel

[@JamieR]

Thanks for this! I just got back into FFXIV again on a Rog Ally and wanted something clean and easy to set up to just get going. This was really well done and easy to follow! Appreciate it!

[@shanesaxton707]

Happy you enjoyed it and found it useful!!

[@MicrowaveJak]

This helped me so much. Playing FFXIV with a controller has completely changed the game for me, but the amount of settings involved makes re-learning really difficult. Thank you for making specific recommendations so we could have a baseline that demonstrates what YOU found valuable. Really helpful, thank you!

[@shanesaxton707]

I'm really happy it helped! Once I played with controller I never went back but I found a lot of the UI to unnecessarily be in the way of the game. I hope the tutorial is easy enough that you can go back and decide if you want something hidden, displayed or size changed that you can do it without getting a migraine! Thanks for watching the full video and using it as well. I was wondering how viable it would be for someone who doesn't have the prior knowledge of all the options. Really glad it worked out well for you!

[@shaece798]

The effort they put into making the game as playable on controller as it is was really surprising to me and even though I main playing pc I still use controller, my only complaint is the targetting, the targetting is heavily reliant on camera focus which can lead to not being able to target taller enemies and objects as easily as it is for players to click on them.

[@Nick-un7dl]

This was so helpful for on the ps5, I did all the instructions and it made a huge positive change. Thanks a lot!

[@teddycheddar1114]

this is the most helpful FF14 video i have watched so far, thanks for the succinct explanations and examples.

[@Animae_Raptr]

This was so helpful. Thank you so much for this tutorial!

[@Dairkun]

Beautiful work here. I love seeing new guides like these as time goes on. They do such a good job at helping onboard the sprouts! Have you considered using macros to toggle UI elements on and off? For example, I've set up a few that turn on and off everything but the mmap when I draw or sheath weapon of mount up. There are so many little tricks I've picked up from folks like you over the years that further personalize the experience.

[@shanesaxton707]

I've messed around with some macros but I'd love to use them more. Right now I have a macro that uses sprint or mount when you can by pressing in the right stick. I had one that altered UI but I had to manually activate them. Having it be activated by mounting or something is brilliant!

[@Dairkun]

@@shanesaxton707 Thank you thank you! I tried stacking multiple things on my stick macros too, but I didn't like getting the error message so often; wound up restricting mine to sprint with a sneer emote on the left and targeting/UI toggle on the right. Works like a charm.

[@pieter-andriesvanderberg7929]

@@Dairkun You can turn off the error functions by doing noerror or something like that

[@sdude_caviar2317]

Dude thank you so much for this video as a new player this helps alot now I don't feel so overwhelmed and cluttered on my screen

[@shanesaxton707]

I'm happy to help anyone starting their journey!

[@Haroldnca]

thank you for doing the lord's work

[@jakealoidrag7670]

Great video! You should consider getting into UI/UX design. This layout is mint.

[@shanesaxton707]

Thankyou so much! Funny that you say that, I'm actually a UI Designer in the video game industry already so that comment means a lot!

[@josph3n]

if you want to have no idea what's going on in most group content this UI is perfect lol

[@adamchristensen1397]

Controller gang! Thank you for this! Play on Mac but prefer controller (at least while im playing solo and doing MSQ) and have often thought of making some of these necessary adjustments.

[@Lagann11]

As a sprout on PS4 this was a game changer. Thanks, man!

[@Theodore_R1]

Made the game 10x more enjoyable for me. Nice vid

[@shanesaxton707]

I'm so glad it helped you enjoy the game more! Thanks for checking it out!

[@caitsiph1]

Another one for the hud is to move the skill and health bar of monsters down screen a bit so you an see it at all times. I ha e mine just above my cross hotbar so that when learning new classes amd looking at your skills you can still see when skill bars pop up on screen with your sight diverted away from dead centre

[@shanesaxton707]

This is so smart! I love learning what everyone else does to their layout to improve their gameplay!

[@LuckyFoxes789]

Thank you. I'm new to console and ff14. I needed this video

[@Amayawolf_01]

I kept some of the "messy" stuff because I like to know where I'm going/current weather conditions on the minimap, as well as seeing whether or not my inventory is near full and how much gil I have since I'm kind of a big spender in game sometimes. I also prefer the health/mana underneath the crossbar because I'm used to glancing down. But I do like the transparent crossbar, it's less blatantly in your face Another thing I did was move the main menu thing over and lowered the gil/inventory stuff down to make more space since on gamepad you never see it anyway, and then made alliance lists as small as possible and placed them over the inventory icon. Most of my job gauges are near the minimap with the exception of Dark Knight, where I placed the skull down near the crossbar and the blood gauge towards the top of the screen since I could not find an optimal way to position them. One of my other classes also has the job gauge in simplified mode, though I don't recall which. It's not as clean as your UI setup, but it works for me

[@shanesaxton707]

I ended up jumping between turning the minimal on and off, right now it's turned on while I explore some new areas for MSQ but when just doing casual or video stuff I turn it off.

[@whahala555]

@@shanesaxton707 Minimap is important for Mining and Botanist, as far as I can tell you can't see gathering nodes on the main map.

[@lowratehitman]

Returning after 8 years, this helps a lot and I thank you. I wish I could pay someone a couple million gill to help me get my settings right, and to help with some questions via chat

[@shanesaxton707]

I'm happy to help! I'm taking a break from the game right now to focus on some other releases but please feel free to add me in game and we can always chat! NoxasZellion is my character name, I am on Primal > Excalibur!

[@lowratehitman]

@@shanesaxton707 I thank you! My son started playing it and helped me with all of the settings!

[@starlace6570]

Just what was looking for. Much better than other BS I just wasted my time on. You got a like and subscribe.

[@shanesaxton707]

Thanks for checking out the video and I'm glad it helped you out!

[@dikamilo]

Turning off mini-map for gathering roles is not recommended, since it shows gathering spots that are not visible on "active map".

[@littleprince8164]

OMG, just the UI size makes a whole difference. I downloaded this game a couple of days ago and everything looks so big and disorganized. I manually shrunk every thing to 80%, just now realizing I could've done it to everything with just one button. Thanks

[@shanesaxton707]

When I first booted up on console I couldn't believe how big and clunky the UI looked! I had to scale everything down as well and my god that is some patience you have to do it one by one. I'm happy the video helped and provided a little all-in-one cheat for next time!

[@robertocortes8773]

Please don't encourage people to trun off their mini-map, this will impede them.

[@TheMan21892]

Who tf turns off the minimap? That’s like turning off the compass! 🤨

[@Zephyrione]

you realize you can open the map like 3 different ways right? its not necessary to have it there if youre not gonna always need it.

[@robertocortes8773]

@@Zephyrione Tell me you don't raid without telling me you don't raid.

[@aarong8099]

@@robertocortes8773 He legit said not even a minute into the video that this isn’t for raids.

[@SamusKnight2K]

I'd agree that leaving it on is honestly best for newcomers just for the fact it shows the direction of quest objectives. If there were just a compass system like most RPGs use then yeah turn it off. But otherwise it's probably more of a hinderance than help.

[@Rhomagus]

i just hide the cross hotbar entirely. It only appears when I press L2 or R2. That being said, this video taught me about inactive and selected transparency which i'm definitely going to implement into my minimalist UI. Thanks for the video.

[@uihooper5985]

Thank you for this vid, I needed it fam

[@shanesaxton707]

Happy to help! I definitely know it changed everything while playing on console for me!

[@Vimes72]

Thank you so so much. I’ve just started playing this after a lifetime of GTA and such games. This is a VERY different style of gameplay that I’m used to. I’m loving the game so far - but I wasn’t happy with my play screen. This video changed everything. Thank you! 😍😍

[@shanesaxton707]

I'm so happy that it helped out! I had a similar feeling after playing mostly solo RPG games. I hope it works out for you in the long run and you continue enjoying FFXIV 😊

[@heta04]

The only annoying thing left imo is i cant find a way to reduce the log/chat box. Also, if im correct you're not covering team/alliance/status info, would you please have any tips for those aspects ? Amazing guide anyway, getting this RPG feel is really amazing on FF14 :)

[@shanesaxton707]

The Log/Chat box can only be changed by it's corner piece with a mouse or the "virtual mouse" on controller I believe. :( I mostly had this tutorial as a guide for more casual story play but I've seen some content creators reduce some of the sizes and stalk them horizontally under the spell cast bar or along the right side of the screen. Thanks for checking out the video either way!

[@Omnislashcloud]

Hello im here in 2024 this really helped me thanks!

[@Lotzo]

Nice... I may have to compare yours wit mines.. I got mines from a guy when I first started to play 2 years ago, and it's clean as well. But I'm going 2 use a couple things u have, yours is very clean bro frfr 💯 👍🏾

[@shanesaxton707]

Thanks so much for checking out the video! Yeah pick and pull different parts and make the UI all yours!

[@raphy1951]

Thank you :) super clear

[@shanesaxton707]

Thank-you for checking it out and dropping a comment! Hope it helps you enjoy FFXIV a little better!

[@davidpaillet9739]

Hello! I'm late to the party, but I've just started FFXIV on Xbox, and I really needed someone to help me clean up the Hub and to understand where to look in the menus. Thank you, for this great video, it was perfect. You got my sub.

[@Xerxes126]

1000th like on this amazing guide thanks.

[@salt7936]

I keep my XP bar and Main Scenario guide hidden. Then I use a macro to have them appear for 3 seconds only when needed. Bound to my L2+R2, X /hud "experience bar" /hud "main scenario guide" /hud "experience bar" /hud "main scenario guide" I'm not sure if this is the right format, can't go in-game to check at the moment lol

[@shanesaxton707]

That is really interesting! I think the only thing missing from this is the [on/off] for the elements but I'm gunna look into this! Thanks!

[@MiraiKishi]

Oh shit, I forgot about just putting the HP and gauge info into the bottom corners. That's done in games all the time. Dunno why I haven't done it in FFXIV... and I've been playing since ARR's official launch. *Headdesk*

[@shanesaxton707]

Happens to the best of us 🤣

[@chriss6855]

Deactivating minimap causes you to lose elements that are only displayed there such as nodes and flag marker directions. I ignored the double tap control scheme for job abilities because I found it too easy to double tap when you don't mean to or you tap too many times when in a tight situation. Instead I use it for emotes, macros, and such. People can just use a hotbar to track timers while still having the secondary crossbar hidden. The HUD changes made are more of a preference than anything else. There really is no right or wrong way to do it so long as it works well for you.

[@shanesaxton707]

Amen! Do what works for you! I actually ended up putting the minimap back on a little while after making this video :P

[@Rhomagus]

You can adjust the double tap rate for accessing the WXHB. This should minimize miss tapping skills or abilities.

[@gnobudygnows]

Just bought a ps5 and jumped back into ffxiv since 2013.. no idea what I'm doing or how to use this controller and most of my jobs are 50 😅 is there a tutorial of some sorts for controller?

[@shanesaxton707]

Ginger Prime has a great controller guide, that's the one I used to set everything up for myself when I first started. Thanks for checking out the video either way and best of luck! My in game name is Noxas Zellion if you ever wanna connect in game.

[@UltiLock]

Do yourself a favor and check out Squintina's controller guides. The way she sets up the hotbars so it makes sense for all the jobs is incredible.

[@KelvinYong77]

This would be handy for use on Steam Deck. On my PC with 4K, I have all the convenient hotbars and UI on my HUD cos I'm a little obsessed with getting to things quick. But I want to get a Steam Deck and do some more casual tasks/grinds for XIV but I can't see myself "letting go" my "command center" HUD. However, this suggestion is showing me it ain't that bad :-)

[@shanesaxton707]

I know what you mean! My raid HUD is way different from this but it works for the casual play I do on console :) I wish I had a steam deck to play it on! I can imagine it will need a HUD cleanup as well

[@IWantBasterds]

Uh, ah 90 % match with mine, I will use your other 10%. May I ask a question. I have only one hand and want to use the toggle option for RT/LT. How do I use the double RT/LT set with this? When the plugin update hits I can use XIV Combo to play nearly as before my strokes.

[@StHabibiJohnsonAhmedFranklin]

Thank you!

[@shanesaxton707]

Thank you for checking out the video!

[@steveholgate912]

So if you hide the other hotbars you can still double click the triggers and access those abilities?

[@ikesulzberger7904]

just downloaded ff14 to play for the first time on ps5, the UI on first login is horrible! Thank-you for the help 👍

[@shanesaxton707]

Happy to help! I was a PC player that switched to PS5 and couldn't believe how large and in your face everything was! I'm happy it helped

[@RoninxYui]

Intro caught me off guard 💀

[@FastClau]

Great video...started on xbox yesterday and it is a mess! The only think I couldn't find how to MOVE (not remove) is the action help question mark that appears exactly in the middle of the screen and it covers some usefull info! Anyone please?

[@therealkoga2519]

THANK YOU.

[@shanesaxton707]

Honestly just happy to help others enjoy the game! Glad it helped.

[@MattJBarnes]

Login process is no joke. Especially when you have to reset your password, even though the original doesn't go through

[@noobody89]

Do you use a regular keyboard when chatting with others in-game or do you use a controller keyboard? Any recommendations for either?

[@shanesaxton707]

When I'm playing on console it's usually in my living room so I don't have a keyboard available. I've thought about getting a controller keyboard but haven't made the purchase yet. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

[@GrimViridian]

I don't use my playstation a lot so excuse the probably dumb question, can you use a regular keyboard with ps? I did it with my xbox for warframe chat but haven't tried on my ps yet

[@thefengshuiwaker]

@@GrimViridianyes you can

[@GrimViridian]

@@thefengshuiwaker nice I need to do that

[@KokoChanel7777]

Thank youuuu

[@mulder006]

Thanks for the guide. Is there a way to turn chat off or make it smaller on the left?

[@shanesaxton707]

I think right now the chat is a static element. I wish we could do more with it but other than re-sizing the box a little there isn't much you can do :(

[@seanmccolley1061]

If you left click and hold the general tab you can move it around. And the resize is in the top right of the chat box. IDK if you can move most of that off screen though that would be a simple test

[@unifiedmind]

Thank you kindly

[@shanesaxton707]

Thanks for checking out the video! I'm glad you enjoyed it and it possibly helped!

[@unifiedmind]

@@shanesaxton707 dude it was glorious it’s tough already on the PS5

[@AAA99953]

why would you put your mp at the bottom right, you need to see your pm and your spell in the same field of view or you'll do dog grey green logs.

[@shanesaxton707]

I'm not much of magic/casting player. I've mostly done Tank and Melee so having my MP over there doesn't bother my playstyle

[@seva2814]

Current Main Scenario Quest? Why?

[@jada_9827]

yo nice video :)

[@shanesaxton707]

Thanks for checking it out 😊

[@JustDeku]

I just have the two cross hotbars and swap between 2-3 sets. Maybe its better to have the extra ones on the side? Never tried it

[@shanesaxton707]

I've dabbled with both and this was just my preference for gameplay :) Do what feels best for you!

[@M001-AC]

Is there a way to read the skill descriptions with a controller?

[@raernst]

I might employ some of your tips, but def agree, default UI is an abomination! When I make a new character first thing I do is move or adjust EVERYTHING!

[@shanesaxton707]

I do the exact same thing! Maybe we will see a default UI revamp with the 7.0 graphical update this year!

[@patrickwinter1051]

How do I add the second hotbars on the inside not the outside

[@Boyzby]

If there was an option to have different transparencies when the weapon is sheathed versus out, I'd be more inclined to use that for my hotbars. It would actually be incredible, since I use a hotbar specifically for cooldowns sitting right above my XHB and that isn't useful outside of combat.

[@shanesaxton707]

I want to investigate this as well but: User Macros can be a huge help for this! Some people even use Macros to turn UI On and Off based on whether your weapon is sheathed or not. They can be a little intimidating but if you do some Google searches I'm sure you can find some that achieve what you want 😊

[@Ben_Linnear]

I went into my first raid a few days ago, and the UI was very busy. I saw how to adjust/move the alliance windows, but it doesn't really show how big the group lists are when I'm by myself. Is there a way to see what group list size works for me without being in a group?

[@shanesaxton707]

Some HUD elements can be hard to tell. The greyish outline of the event itself in the HUD Layout screen should show you the max size that it needs but even some Job related ones you can't tell until you're actually using them.

[@brandonbarker6009]

For some reason it won't allow me to place my icons on my crossbars, and I made sure my hot bar was unlocked. It's really quite frustrating. Please help lol

[@shanesaxton707]

To place your actions in your hot bar you have to go to: Start > (In the first column) Actions & Traits > Hover over the ability you want to assign and press the SQUARE (PlayStation) or X (Xbox) > Select which slot you want it to go into

[@Deezzer1212]

i like this

[@xakira666x]

I just made it to where my cross bar doesn't show unless I press lt or rt. Reason being is that when you're in combat you're gonna be holding down the triggers any way

[@shanesaxton707]

I tried this out for a little but ended up liking the transition from faded to full opaque instead of invisible to visible. It's all a matter of preference! Thanks for checking out the video either way 😊

[@xakira666x]

@@shanesaxton707 you're welcome and yeah I ended up going back to having it visible again too I found I can't forgetting the positions to much lol

[@justinbest8272]

Fucking thank you from a new Xbox player

[@HaunterOfKanto]

Coming from FFXI, I set up my stuff to look like retail FFXI lol

[@shanesaxton707]

To each their own! The benefits of a fully customizable UI!

[@suzyturquoiseblue-]

Basically, everything in the old version is too big. Turn it all down to 80-90% and you're good.

[@shanesaxton707]

For the most part yeah! Everything starts out massive at launch and way too in your face

[@TheMan21892]

Who tf turns off the minimap? That’s like turning off the compass! 🤨

[@Aillorian]

I'm new to FF14, did I mess up and start as a monk main lol

[@shanesaxton707]

No you didn't 😂 I started as Monk and it just wasn't for me!

[@LobsterFusion]

There is no wrong choice. If you don’t like your job you can unlock another and play as that without starting over from the beginning.

[@DoremiFasolatido1979]

Have a like just for not playing a goddamned cat-girl.

[@Uaxul]

I love you

[@Jokesonyou123]

Really good thank you 🙏🏻

[@shanesaxton707]

I'm happy it was helpful!

[@Jamesssssssssssssss]

LOL that intro

[@shanesaxton707]

Had to add a little weird before we got to the serious stuff XD Thanks for checking out the video!

[@princekagemaru9009]

im calling the number and it's not workin'!!!

[@DR-nh2kh]

u know i baugt n played not for me.

[@karlkarls877]

the end result of this UI layout is nearly worse than the default... not only that but you didn't touch on any of the other huge QoL HUD options to improve general gameplay and comfort in dungeons/raids..

[@shanesaxton707]

I appreciate the watch but I do say as a disclaimer in the beginning that I made this UI layout strictly for story and immersion, not for dungeons or raids. That being said you can use anything I've done in this video and use it as your own discretion or just use it to pair with your own changes to make your perfect UI for you!

[@GetArkd]

Just started playing this game, enjoying it for the most part, but the controls and UI is absolutely horrific. Having to use the touch pad to highlight sections of the menus, overlapping several UI elements, completely non intuitive. Not sure if I'll keep playing due to the blatant "made for PC" UI design, but we'll see. This video at least helps a bit with battle UI cleanliness.

[@shanesaxton707]

I agree! I was really hoping we would see a bit of a UI refresh with the big graphical update coming but sadly no news yet :(