WheelMates Controls: Every Button on a Controller, Explained

Source: the tutorial prompts as they appear on screen in launch-day footage on an Xbox-style controller, plus the demo patch notes for handling changes. Keyboard bindings are not documented here yet; the game supports keyboard, but every recorded session used pads.

Driving

Action	Control	Notes
Accelerate	Right trigger	Feather it; the most common complaint is losing control at full throttle in vents
Brake / reverse	Left trigger	Also how you “pull” a lever while latched with the Grapple
Steer	Left stick	Steering sensitivity and throttle response are adjustable in settings
Honk	Right stick	Used as a count-in for synced button presses
Headlights	Y	They turn off every time you change rooms; press again
Camera	Automatic follow (default) or free camera in settings	Follow camera was made automatic after the February playtest

Jumping and landing

Action	Control	Notes
Jump	A	Time it at the very edge of the platform
Correct trajectory in the air	Triggers	Strafe or slow down mid-jump
Slow down on landing	B	Short platforms: jump, brake, wait for the recharge, jump again
Roll back onto wheels	Hold one of the left buttons	When the car lands on its side or back
Return after a big fall	Prompt (left stick)	Teleports you to the ledge you fell from; only offered after long falls
Self-destruct	Pause menu, “I’m stuck”	Respawns you nearby; use it when wedged

Drifting and mid-air spins were added in the April devlog; spins happen on their own when you launch off a ramp and land on all four wheels.

Gadgets

Gadget	Control	Notes
Grapple	D-pad up to aim, left bumper to fire	Reverse while latched to pull levers; auto-retracts at max length
Scanner	Prompt near scannable objects	Harvests the object into the Journal
Magnetic Grabber	Toggle: press to grab, press to release	Changed from hold-to-grab in the May 8 demo patch
Magnet Wheels	Drive onto a metal path	Sticks regardless of orientation
Paintgun	Aim and fire	Timed target runs in the late game

Details for each on the gadgets page.

Journal and menus

Open a log entry, then move down with the left stick to reach its content; the right stick and D-pad do nothing there (a first-time player spent a minute on this in launch footage).
Nodes and memory cards can be replayed from the Journal.
The game version is shown bottom-left on the main menu; Firevolt asks for it in bug reports.

Settings worth touching before level one

Camera: follow or free. Follow is the default and what most footage uses.
Steering sensitivity and throttle: both adjustable since the June 15 demo update. If the car feels like it is on ice, lower both.
DLSS: available; turning it on forces V-Sync off, which Firevolt says is expected. Players also report V-Sync unavailable in windowed fullscreen but working in exclusive fullscreen.
Controller prompts: Xbox XYBA and DualSense icons are both supported.

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